The day before yesterday, the BBC carried a piece titled "Earth Day: How to talk to your parents about climate change."

The article begins addressing the target underaged readers:

You want to go vegan to help the planet, but you're not paying for the shopping. You think trains are better than planes, but your dad books the summer holiday.

Young people are some of the world's most powerful climate leaders and want rapid action to tackle the problem.

Big changes are difficult, especially when they involve other people. Where do you begin? For this year's Earth Day, we spoke to people who have successfully had tricky climate chats at home. Here are their top tips[.]

The piece is broken into three sections targeting what the people at the BBC imply are evils of our times.

The first section focuses on "How to talk about going meat-free."

The section begins by claiming that "eating less meat is one of the best ways to reduce our impact on the planet, say scientists."

The piece introduces us to 17-year-old Ilse, who has dyed her hair bright red, and her parents, Antonia and Sally.

The BBC claims that the family ate meat twice or even thrice a day, but when Ilse was 13, she "decided to do more about climate change and read that cutting out meat was a good start."

Sally and Antonia were understandably skeptical about the plan initially.  They were concerned about not getting enough protein and the fact that Ilse was too young to make that decision.

But they still complied with Ilse's wishes and began with a one-day-a-week trial.  They proceeded to scale up, and after a year, they went totally meat-free.

Sally says that seeing the emotional impact of the topic on her daughter helped to persuade her it was the right thing for her family.

The BBC reveals that Ilse is part of "Teach the Parent," a U.K.-based campaign that "encourages these conversations between generations."

The group was started by young people "frustrated with the lack of international climate action and their feelings of powerlessness."

Ilse advises her fellow youths that even if the first conversation with adults goes badly, they should keep trying.  "Big lifestyle changes take time.  If you bring it up every so often, it shapes people's attitudes in the long term."

The next section, targeting traveling, begins as follows:

"How we travel is a major source of carbon emissions, but switching from driving or flying can potentially limit family holidays and cost more."

The piece introduces us to Phoebe L. Hanson, a 21-year-old student who persuaded her family to holiday in the U.K. instead of flying abroad.

Much like Ilse, the BBC treats Phoebe as an expert. 

Phoebe recommends using fear tactics and emotional extortion.

"Say something like, 'I'm really scared about my future, these are the reasons I want to do something."

Present a solution, not just a problem, Phoebe explains.  "Give them options for something fun or exciting."

She also says one answer to concerns about money is to discuss what type of world parents want children to inherit.

Finally, the piece focuses on "how to talk about being waste-free."

We are introduced to young Becky Little, who convinced her parents Rob and Ellen to reduce food waste and think more carefully about what they buy.

Becky has the following advice:

"Be well-informed about the things you want your family to start changing so they can see you care and have done some research."

 "Explain why it will make their lives easier or cheaper." 

"Make connections with things they care about." 

The BBC reveals that Becky's family likes to "volunteer so they made meals using leftover food to donate to people in their local community."

"It's important to not go into it expecting them to change their whole lives.  Small things can make a difference," Becky explains.

The condescending, sanctimonious, and insolent attitude of these petulant children and their assumption of superiority over the very adults who brought them into this world is revolting.

What is astounding is that neither the author nor anyone on the BBC's editorial team seems to grasp how ludicrous they appear, carrying claims and "advice" from pompous, arrogant, and self-righteous amateurs.

This piece is totally, utterly, and completely preposterous.  It reads like a parody piece, yet the publishers seem totally unaware of it.

Most people happily change their habits when they become parents.  Parents refrain from foul language, lying, and demonstration of anger before their children.  Most parents conceal their problems before their young children.  Most parents change their TV and movie viewing habits for their children.  This is perfectly natural because the goal is to give the child a loving and stable environment.

But that doesn't mean parents capitulate before every ridiculous whim made by their child.  There is a difference between loving an individual and spoiling an individual.  An important part of parenting is instilling values and discipline, which may occasionally require some strictness and remaining steadfast in the fact of petulance. 

Totalitarian regimes have always exploited young children to push their agenda.  They know that children are impressionable and with some effort can be brainwashed.  These regimes know that most parents, out of love and concern for their children, usually surrender to their children's demands and whims.  Greta Thunberg was elevated for that very reason, and they did have some success; the state is using its power to create many more Gretas.  They know that anybody challenging the ridiculous demands of these children can be branded as cruel.

What is amazing is this is occurring in a democracy such as the U.K.

The state via its mouthpieces such as the BBC is attempting to exploit children to further its cause: to control the lives of citizens 

It is also important to state that every sane individual wants a clean environment and surroundings because these are essential for good health.  What is not welcomed is the regime trying to interfere in people's personal spaces or exploit children to push their agenda.  It is also insulting for citizens when the regime assumes they know better than the very citizens who gave them the power.

What is also troubling is the dual standards.

The BBC will never, ever carry a piece advising world leaders or climate "activists" to abandon travel, summits, and conclaves and replace them with video conference calls to reduce their carbon footprint.

Instead, the state is expecting regular people to make compromises.

This hypocrisy is consistent:

Gun control for you, armed bodyguards for them. 

Defund the police for you, barricades and police protection for them.

Open borders for you while their homes are surrounded by impregnable walls.

No plane travel for you, private jets for them.

There is a chasm of difference between what they believe, what they say, what they mean, and ultimately what they do.

PS: George Orwell wrote the following in his masterful 1984.  It is quite astonishing how much he understood totalitarian regimes and their relationship with children.

Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatever to rebel against the discipline of the Party. On the contrary, they adored the Party and everything connected with it[.] ...

All their ferocity was turned outwards, against the enemies of the State, against foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals. It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children.

Image: Chris Protopapas via Flickr, public domain.