KIDS AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS

IT’S OUR CHILDREN who will suffer most from the climate crisis. As we struggle with our own emotional reactions to global heating and wonder what we can do in response, Buddhist wisdom offers us ways to understand, cope, and act. It also gives us a framework for explaining the crisis to our children.

Learning about climate change can be scary and depressing for kids and adults alike. Here are some of the Buddha’s teachings that are particularly helpful to keep in mind when talking with your children about the climate crisis.

Impermanence

Impermanence is a fact of life that’s difficult to accept. Everything changes, and not always in the ways we’d prefer. In order to accept reality, recognizing impermanence is a necessary step.

Children understand and absorb information from an early age. Every child is different, but there are some general guidelines for introducing