Their friends are celebrating Kylian Mbappé, Billie Eilish or Angèle. But these teens swear by Greta Thunberg. Like the ecological activist, they are concerned about the future of the planet, criticize the lack of action by public authorities in terms of ecology, and this constant concern sometimes turns into obsession. An interest that sometimes manifested itself very early, as for Nicolas: “I am 16 years old and I have been concerned by the climate issue since CM2. When I heard about global warming, I learned about the disasters it was causing and that shocked me ”.
Like him, many have developed a sensitivity for ecology by discovering climatic disasters. “The affair of water contaminated by discharges from nuclear power plants which affected my town, as well as the strong heat waves of summer 2019, marked me. This is only a foretaste of what will happen in 2040 or 2050 ”, declares Briac, 17 years old. For Léa, 18, the trigger also took place when she watched the news: “I started to worry even more when the Amazon rainforest caught fire. Every day, I stress for everything: plastic in the oceans, slaughterhouses, global warming, poverty… ”.
“I don’t want children to live with masks to breathe”
A strong ecological conscience that ends up making them suffer when it turns into eco-anxiety. “I sometimes have feelings of panic”, testifies Auréanne, 17 years old. “It’s a continuous fear, often just before sleeping, and which sometimes keeps me awake all night,” says Theo. Nathan also feels this discomfort: “It is by thinking of endangered animal species that stress comes”. A feeling of helplessness also embraces them, like Cyprien: “You feel like a drop of water in the ocean: what does my action represent when millions of others do not care at all? “. And the Covid-19 crisis has further revived their consciousness: “Since the health crisis, it’s like a double sentence. Not only do we not manage to resolve the ecological crisis, but in addition we have caught (without bad puns) a health crisis. Nature throws our punishment right in the face, ”says Catherine.
And some strongly believe in the theory of collapse, according to which global warming will produce, in the medium term, domino effects (crisis in industrial society, endangerment of biodiversity, depletion of natural resources, famine, conflicts … ) “I am afraid that natural resources will run out and that we are fighting to feed ourselves”, expresses Auréanne. “I do not want children to live with masks to breathe because there will be no more trees to suck in the CO2”, also worries Evann, 14 years old. Concerns that generate tons of questions for Thomas, 17: “Could I live without having to pay a fortune for water and eat at a decent price?” He asks. Chloe, 20, is even more pessimistic: “I am convinced that in 2050, everything will be over”. Theo, he tries to see the glass half full: “I hope that the collapse does not come too late, that I can try to rebuild the world after,” he hopes.
“I don’t know at all if I will have children”
This fear has repercussions on how some people imagine their future life. “I lost confidence in the future, and therefore in myself,” says Jean. It is also difficult for Ambroisine to project himself: “To work and study no longer has any kind of meaning. It’s like continuing to be blind, to take the same path, ”she says. Same questioning for Nathan: “I wonder if it’s really worth studying and trying to have a job when I risk dying in some way in the more or less near future”, he despairs. The anguish of an early death also torments Auréanne: “Am I going to die at 50 from cancer because of pollution and pesticides? “, She asks, before continuing:” I do not know at all if I would have children. I don’t want them to blame me for bringing them into the world ”.
Eco-anxiety even leads them to change their plans: “It calls into question my ambition to be an actress. Because this job involves a lot of travel, ”confides Auréanne. “I want to get into politics to be better able to protect the future of our generation and those to come,” said Marine. In the meantime, many are getting involved, like Briac: “I am lucky to have been elected to the council for high school life and I can propose projects such as the generalization of sorting bins, the installation of hives… This feeling of doing something helps me, ”he says. Just like Nicolas: “I took part in all the global mobilizations, I founded a collective with friends and we organize clean walks », He indicates.
“I prevent myself from drinking water from plastic bottles”
This need for action is also manifested by relatives: “Seeing that my family made absolutely no effort, I convinced them to pay more attention”, confides Gaël, 17 years old. Many teenagers have indeed adapted their behavior in accordance with their ideals: “I try to use up my business as much as possible and not buy myself the latest fashionable item of clothing. I pay attention to my consumption of water, electricity and meat, ”says Auréanne. Ditto for his brother, Evann: “I no longer eat Nutella, I moderate my requests for gifts at Christmas and I give the things I no longer use at the Ressourcerie”.
Lilly, 16, has changed her way of eating: “ I became a vegetarian, I no longer consume fruit or food that is not local ”. Nicolas also applies his principles to the letter: “I refrain from drinking water from plastic bottles and reduce waste as much as possible. All my trips are made by bicycle or public transport. The goal is to achieve the lowest possible carbon footprint ”. Ditto for Salomé: “I no longer buy new clothes, I don’t throw away leftovers, I don’t take a bath or a long shower. I only consume organic, I feed the birds, I donate to associations, I recycle… ”. For her, as for Antoine, acting is a form of therapy: “I know that by acting in this way, there is a positive impact”, he analyzes.