A kid's view on climate action: We need to work like a tree
Sometimes
- actually, a lot of times - children amaze me. They are the biggest
gift we have, and it would pay off if we'd listen to them more
carefully.
There are many children around the world that are speaking up for climate action, famous ones, such as Alec Loorz in California or Felix Finkbeiner
in Germany, and kids that are mostly unknown to the world at large. No
matter who they are, when they share their thoughts about climate
change, they often show an amazing amount of insight. I just want to
give you one example that deeply moved me:
Today my girls and I watched Momo,
a story by Michael Ende about a girl that saves the world from gray man that steal
people's time, and of the turtle Cassandra, that helps Momo to get rid
of the gray men, in spite or because Cassandra moves very slowly and
carefully. During the movie, my 10-year old looked at me - thinking -
and said:
"Maybe our work on climate change is like the work of a tree." 
A tree isn't suddenly - boom! - covered with leaves. Instead, out of
every single bulb a leave is emerging and growing slowly but steadily; until the entire tree is covered with leaves.
The
tree will never just explode into greenness; that's not how nature
works. But it WILL unfold its leaves and turn green, one leave at a
time. And it will spead up if we nurture it well, patiently, carefully.
If we strain it too much, it might wither and die.
I don't know about you. But to me this picture touched me deeply. It
tells me: Slow down a bit and enjoy every little leave that unfolds. We mustn't resign if we don't see the quick changes that we want to see. Good things take time. Even though there is not
much time left, we have to use that time wisely to ensure a sustainable
future. Not only for the entire world; but also for ourselves.
Maiken Winter