The Big Issue - Tim Flannery
Questioner: A 55-65 year old women.
Question: Young people these days seem to need technology to entertain them, and therefore they have no imagination. How are they going to come up with solutions to issues like climate change?
Answer: That is a very good question, thank you for asking. I am truly sorry if while I rack up HECS debt studying full-time, as well as working full-time to support myself (because good forbid I commit another Gen Y exclusive crime and live off tax payer dollars), I have very little free time to develop innovative solutions that meet your standards.
Sorry, which noble prize did you win again?
Actually, I'm surprised at how you could even find the spare time to be able to attend this event, considering all the committees and think tanks you must be on the board of. Obviously there are no young people in those organisations, or any young politicians, activists, educators or professionals, or even any people under 30 living out of home!
I mean, I empathise with what you must feel in this situation, but just spare a thought for those poor people charged with finding the young Australian of the Year. They must feel like they are banging their head against a brick wall. It probably takes them 11 out of the 12 months just to find one suitable nominee, and even then I'm sure they leave much to be desired.
I know setting up and running a mobile laundry, providing critical social interaction, and a sense of dignity to thousands of homeless people a year around the country doesn't seem like much at all compared to what young people achieved in your day! Notably, finding new ways of depleting the earth of its natural resources, encouraging the use of fossil fuels and material culture by part-taking in mass consumerism, driving an economy that would lead us to a recession in the 1990's and the GFC in the 2000's...
Sincerely, I do apologise.
* Subjective.
** Composed reflectively in the shower weeks after the event.
No comments:
Post a Comment