Climate Change: Beyond Awareness

Some thoughts on reading a newspaper article a few days ago ~

Title: For GenZ, climate awareness isn’t turning into action

Author: Siddhant Sarang

Date: 9th May, 2026

Newspaper: Indian Express

Belling the Climate Cat

This is a succinct article on climate awareness. There is a lot to concur with the author’s views from how our urban English speaking Gen Z are aware of the details of AQI and IPCC while the farmers affected by climate change are not part of the climate conversations at all to warning that carbon offset is a sham and reminding us that reels are not a solution!

However, I disagree with the author’s premise that the reason why Gen Z, our most climate informed generation so far, indulges in actions that harm the planet without giving a second thought, is political failure and not hypocrisy.

Gen Z which is well aware of the intricacies of climate change will also be aware how it can contribute as individuals to help contain global warming and carbon-dioxide levels. COVID also reminded us, in BOLD, that our lifestyles are the major culprit and that if we alter the way we live the earth is willing to join hands towards repairing the damage we have already brought on it. The journey towards a better earth will begin with individuals and like all journeys bearing significance the first step will be to look within ourselves. Lessening our ecological footprint warrants a willingness to accept a change in our lifestyles and investing time.

Is the English speaking urban Gen Z, which increasingly takes more flights, consumes more meat, buys and drives more cars, purchases stuff including phones without a second thought, uses disposable plastic, willing to go beyond photo-ops and embrace some level of discomfort for the earth? Being concerned about climate change is welcome, but being concerned only to the extent that one is not inconvenienced is hypocrisy.

Coming to political pressure; is there a reason for climate change to be a part of the election discourses when it is absent from most of our conversations with family or friends, is not a factor that matters in our decisions on travels or events, or is seldom covered in our movies or web-series? And can Gen Z which has full control of its actions first take responsibility for its actions and walk the talk before it is heard?

And is is not only about Gen Z. The author also made me critically look at some of the actions of our generation. Did we stress more on information, while communicating about climate change, and end up influencing only the heads and not the hearts? Did we go too easy on climate change and set goals that were high on convenience and low on effectiveness? Have we given Gen Z climate heroes they can look up to?

An earlier post on similar lines here.