Cool post, thanks for doing it. Personally I believe the kids are right, it is our fault we have this problem, and I think kids are more able to see an apparent willful ignorance in us, in general, than we are ourselves.

I write in Medium almost exclusively these days on the environmental problem, from the point of view of a long practicing systems Engineer.

I've done what I can to create an overall model of the energy system of humanity, and Earth, and the sun, and come to an almost religious conclusion that the way we handle money is to blame, for the way we handle energy.

I was amongst the most ambitious of Engineers in my earlier career, and look back on that now as contributing to the current problem. So I see it now a duty to do what I can to undo the harm, by working on the solution to undo it.

"Kardashev Money", is something anyone can search out to know more of my findings, but in essence, this is what I believe will set us back on a fully sustainable path.

My findings indicate to me that this is inevitable, the problem will keep getting worse, until this is done.

I also stopped driving more than a year ago, eventually giving away my 4x4 vehicle, after I'd sold the caravan it used to tow - things I see as unnecessary extravagences now. My only child, soon to be 19 year old, daughter, misses those, but I know overall she is more happy I got rid of them, and the reasons why.

As long as we perpetuate the old system of profit, nothing will change, we will end, badly, it seems to me.

Kids are far less conditioned to this than we were; they are not so keen on the conditioning when it comes with a promise of lifelong debt, so they see this problem much clearer than us, it seems to me.