‘Productive’ action favoured over strike

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Responses were almost evenly divided over this week’s webpoll question, “Do you agree with students going on strike over climate change?” A fraction short of 50 percent (271 out of 546 people) said no, while 48 percent (263) were in favour of the student protest.

Two percent of respondents said they did not know.

Among those to say “no” were the respondents who said climate change was a hoax and “the buggers just want a day off school”. Some suggested students were manipulated by “crazy lefties”, or influenced by parents and teachers, or had been “imported” and financed by billionaire climate philanthropist George Soros.

Others said students just wanted a day off school and could have been better employed in raising awareness about climate change by “doing something productive to help sustain the environment”.

“Doing something productive” included cleaning up litter at school, in town, and on the beaches and river banks.

“Better still: all students should walk or bike to school and other activities that day and all other days so as to not use cars and buses. This would be a meaningful action to reduce the emissions from the fossil fuels about which, presumably, they are protesting.”

Striking was not an appropriate action for voicing dissent on climate change, said another.

“We’re living in a fast-changing digital environment and there are a multitude of ways of getting your opinion across.”

A voice from the “yes” camp said climate change was the most important issue humankind had ever faced and that students were right: adults had failed them on this.

“What other choice do they have? I hope to see throngs of adults to support them on the day.”

In a similar vein another respondent asked what other choice they had after they had been let down so badly.

“I wish them success in their attempt to awaken us to action.”

One respondent asked why everyone was focussed on the strike rather than decisions made by students who were genuinely concerned about the future.

“I’m sure many adults have taken a day off work for far less . . . a hangover!”