At Schiphol, young people do not feel a shame but ‘climate paralysis’: « What I do for the climate does not really make sense »

The flights with successful party students have already left early, but at Schiphol there are plenty of young people on Friday morning to ask how they view climate change. Do they worry and do they take it into account in their daily lives? A group of girls are sitting outside in the sun, waiting for a flight to Malta. What will they do there this weekend? « Drink! » they call in unison.

« Climate change loses urgency among Dutch people, especially among young people », reported a report on Thursday from Ipsos I&O. The researchers use the word ‘climate paralysis’. « Young people often feel overwhelmed by the size of the climate problem and the lack of tangible progress at policy level. » Ipsos sees that development mainly among young people (18-24 years) and also among older people in their twenties. They know, better than the elderly, that, for example, it is preferable to purchase less cheap clothing, shower shorter and fly less. However, they do not do that, « because they often feel that their own individual sustainable choices are not going to make the difference. »

Traveling makes my life fun

For the girls from the Twente village of Reutem, the short trip to Malta is an annual outing. They form a football team together. The only one who wants to talk about the climate is farmer’s daughter Femke Stevelink (21), Nursing student. « I love having fun and traveling. If I didn’t fly, my life would be less fun. And why would I stay at home to save the climate? If I start behaving differently, it doesn’t solve anything, » she says.

Climate change may not be such a big problem if it is stated, she thinks. « Because otherwise politics would have taken harder measures. I would say: if it’s all so bad, don’t first tackle all farmers, but then start with the luxury things and, for example, let fewer planes go to Malta. But that doesn’t happen. »

She recognizes the conclusion from the research that climate in young people has been repressed by other issues. Like the housing shortage. « That is a big problem in our village. I can worry much about that than about the climate. »

To Naples by train

There are of course young people who are still worried about the climate. Such as Roebijn Tutein Nolthenius (17) and Juul van Veldhuizen (18) from Utrecht, just passed their Gymnasium final exam and now traveling together. They fly to Vietnam, where they will backpack for a month. « Try you on behalf of Extinction Rebellion, like a new tactic, to keep all young people working until they miss their flight? », The father of Roebijn jokes against the journalist.

Juul: « We are worried about the climate. » Roebijn: « But not enough to keep us from this trip. We are not activistly working on it. » Juul: « We are thinking about it. We would not fly to Vietnam for a week. We went to Naples by train. We do not let the water tap at home unnecessary. We separate our waste. But it would be hypocritical to say that we are doing everything well for the climate. Because we are on the airport here. »

The two girlfriends suspect that climate is not always considered an urgent issue, because their consequences are only felt in the distant future. And, says Roebijn, the reduced attention may also have to do with the polarization in politics. « People are worried about the house shortage and migration and wars. If you are worried about the climate, you will be put away as someone who is concerned with the wrong things. Then you are the left. »

They themselves don’t think differently about the climate than a few years ago. They are somewhat disappointed in politics. Roebijn: « Almost nothing is happening now. All climate pots are emptied. That is not good news. » Juul: « It is a shame. What climate policy should be important for a low country. And if we find migration suddenly very important, remember that a lot of migration will take place due to climate change. We might ever have to get out of our country. »

Why do they plan?

Merlin (19) flies with his girlfriend to Sicily. « I think about my ecological footprint. I fly at most once or twice a year. »

Photo Olivier Middendorp

Somewhere between indifference, resignation, surprise and concern is the mood of Merlijn Bruinsma (19) from Diemen. « Say Amsterdam. » Merlin will start studying after the summer denim designer to be, designer of jeans. With his girlfriend he is about to fly to Sicily for ten days. “When it comes to climate, I am the same level As two years ago. I think about my ecological footprint. I fly at most once or twice a year. I would never fly to the South of France, I would take the car.  »

Climate is to Merlin’s impression something that is not an acute problem, but is constantly ‘in the background’. His own influence is very limited, he thinks. « I feel that what I do for the climate, does not really make sense. And that the countries of the European Union also do not set logical goals. Plans to reduce emissions are not feasible. And why do you come up with plans to buy out farmers? Are they never going to do that, they are far too stubborn for that. »

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