It seems unfair to accuse the generation gap as a factor why some people don’t believe in climate change. Older people seem to have less inclination to think about this problem as opposed to millennials. There are many older people who agree that climate change is real, and we need to take steps to solve it. Pointing to the generation gap as the primary cause of the problem is counterproductive. We need to help each other face this existential threat.
Although not all older people are climate change deniers, your parents could be among them. As such, you must have a meaningful conversation with them. Make sure that they realize that we’re facing a huge problem, and something needs to happen. Since they’re your parents and given their age, it might be not very easy to challenge their beliefs. As such, you might want to consider these tips.
Always discuss with respect
Even if you’re angry that your parents don’t believe in this crisis, you can’t argue with them like how you would argue with others. They’re still your parents, and they deserve respect. Make sure that you talk to them respectfully and listen when they have something to say.
Don’t be too emotional
Again, it’s understandable for you to be sensitive because you’re passionate about the subject. However, you can’t allow your feelings to get in the way. Besides, when it comes to your parents, there are lots of other topics that could be personal. Please don’t choose this subject as one of them. You also know the people you’re talking to. You know they’re not terrible people. It just happens that you have different beliefs.
Don’t argue, present solutions
You can’t force your parents to believe in climate change in one conversation. Presenting them with full scientific data isn’t going to help the conversation. Instead of taking that route, you can choose to present them with solutions to help solve global warming. Tell them what you’re doing at home. You can also give them examples of how to recycle plastic. These actions make sense even to people who are skeptical of climate change.
Be open to ideas
Discuss this issue with your parents because you want them to learn about the importance of it. You also don’t want to keep talking to others about this problem when you have people at home who need to understand the problem first. Despite that, you can’t argue with them and think about how to win in the end. It’s going to be counterproductive. Instead, listen to their ideas and have a meaningful discussion. After your conversation, thank your parents for listening to you, and for the chance to discuss it with them. Some people don’t even do that. You’re lucky that they want to give you a chance to explain things.
