When Xanthe, 16, first appears on screen, they are little more than a pale shape in the darkness. The signal is strong and Xanthe’s voice is clear, but they are in the middle of Crackley Wood, near Kenilworth in Warwickshire, and there is no light. They’re wearing two pairs of trousers and a blanket against the cold and they’re sitting in a Stop HS2 protest camp.
For Xanthe, the construction of High Speed 2 highlights the government’s inconsistency on the climate crisis. They mention a video by the Woodland Trust: “You have Boris Johnson making a speech about planting more trees and then watch footage of tree after tree being cut down.” To Xanthe, the climate crisis is a vast issue, and they feel that protesting against HS2 is a tangible thing they can do to make a difference.
Activist Xanthe, who has been protesting against the construction of HS2
Xanthe’s mother, Jessica, shares similar views. “For me, HS2 is a symbol of the government’s complete inaction on the climate crisis. This is a huge project and, if it’s known it will never be carbon neutral, why has it been allowed to go ahead?”
Jessica and her husband, Ned, have joined the call from their home. They first visited a Stop HS2 camp as a family, along with Xanthe’s brother Chad. “Me and my mum became environmentally aware at the same time and learn from each other,” says Xanthe.
On Xanthe’s 15th birthday, the two heard Greta Thunberg speak at a protest in London. “She makes me cry, every time I hear her speak,” says Jessica.
Xanthe, however, says they “feel sorry” for the activist. “It’s a lot of pressure, a lot to take on,” they say, also noting it took the intervention of a white, western European girl to draw attention to issues other communities had been shouting about for some time.
In terms of their child’s involvement in direct action, Jessica and Ned have mixed feelings. “I would be happier if they were two years older,” says Jessica. “But I try to look at it in terms of what their contemporaries are doing. They are safer in a woodland protest camp than drunk on the streets at 2am.”
“Let me phrase this right,” says Ned, carefully, aware his perspective is different from his family’s. “I think it comes from a good place. I’m supportive, to an extent, of the activism, but I wonder how much change it is going to bring about and I’m not certain it’s going to give Xanthe the life choices I would like for them.
“I would prefer them to remain within the law and look at education or training or employment.”
The Wells are clearly a loving family, but their conflict is not unusual in 2021. Parents, who taught their children how to walk, tie their shoelaces, cook a meal, now find their children want to educate them.
James Fotherby, who works for an environmental thinktank and runs a vegan food blog
“When I first became a vegan, I was very passionate,” says James Fotherby, 22. “I had a lot of, well, let’s say energetic discussions with my parents.” In 2019, James even sent an email to his wider family, prior to a Christmas meal, pleading with them to choose the vegan options. Nine out of 16 people said yes.
“I’ve mellowed out now,” he says. He works in a policy role for the environmental thinktank the Green Alliance. He also runs a vegan food blog called Greens and Beans, and volunteers for local conservation projects. The pandemic meant he moved back home to his parents’ house in Oxfordshire, where he tries to convince them to take small actions such as not running the tap while cleaning their teeth. “We negotiate,” he says. “I like to think I’m giving something back to them.”
Food has also been an issue for Liz Clark-Lim, who lives in London. “My father is Chinese-Malaysian,” the 24-year-old says. “His attitude is that you’re not really Chinese if you don’t eat meat. It plays a big part in traditional Chinese culture.” He’s joking, she says, when he says she’s not staying true to her roots, but she used to “get quite wound up”.
Like James, Liz has also embraced negotiation. Her mother works in the fashion industry and has learned a lot about sustainable practices from her daughter.
Liz Clark-Lim, who works for a climate charity
“She came to an event that I set up,” Liz says of her job with the climate charity Possible. “It was a workshop with stakeholders from the fashion business, looking at how they could connect to make change. She loved it. And she was really proud of seeing me in a professional setting. She was like: ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe you organised this!’ And I was like: ‘Yep, Mum, it’s what I do.’ ”
Liz, James and Xanthe all share a belief that the climate crisis is too big a topic to consider all at once. Xanthe thinks that the skills they’re learning in the protest camp, about communal living and sharing, could be useful as the world changes, “but thinking too hard about the future freaks me out. I’m doing what I can”.
Liz adds: “Generally, as people, we tend to avoid thinking about things that make us feel anxious or guilty. When people feel individually blamed or attacked, they lash out. Opening up conversation with everyone, friends and parents, is a good way of starting.”
James, who is passionate about the chalk streams in his local area, points out that considering the environment isn’t just a question of asking people to give things up. “Going hiking means you discover beautiful things, different nooks and crannies of the place you live in.”
Another positive was that his cooking got better when he became vegan, not least because “you get to explore different ingredients and spices”.
“I think we need a spectrum of voices on this issue to appeal to a large range of people,” he says. “And parents do listen to their kids, value their insights. I think parents recognise the climate crisis affects my generation so deeply and profoundly and affects our future, so they’re willing to listen.”
His mum, he says, told him that she had become better informed because of him. “But there’s still some ongoing battles, I guess.”
Need help talking to dad about the climate emergency? Visit oatly.com/helpdad
