On Thursday, a group called Moms Clean Air Force hosted a rather unique climate change protest. A group of mothers flew in to Washington, D.C., and rented a space near the U.S. Capitol for a “play-in.” They created a “sit-in” style protest that allowed their kids to do what they always do — run around and play — but made it seem like a demonstration.
“I’m here at the [Play-In for Climate]! Kids can’t stay still long enough for a Sit In, so we are having a Play In! Thank you [Clean Air Moms] for calling for 100% clean energy,” Jamie DeMarco, state-level carbon pricing coordinator at Citizens Climate Lobby, tweeted with a picture of kids running about on Capitol Hill.
I'm here at the #PlayIn4Climate!
Kids can't stay still long enough for a Sit In, so we are having a Play In!
Thank you @CleanAirMoms for calling for 100% clean energy. pic.twitter.com/7BLyHNq93x
— Jamie DeMarco (@JamieDeMarco1) July 11, 2019
The protest event page invites activists to “join Moms from across the country” for “our sixth annual Play-In for Climate Action.” The event included kids’ activities, speakers and legislators pontificating about climate change, and music by Latin GRAMMY Award-winning children’s musician, Mister G. Oh, and it allows parents to “fight to keep toxic chemicals out of our homes, and fight to stop the corruption at EPA,” while watching their kids play.
Clean Air Moms claims to be “a community of over 1,000,000 moms and dads united against air pollution – including the urgent crisis of our changing climate – to protect our children’s health.” While fighting air pollution is a noble goal, climate alarmism can be dangerous.
To some degree, it’s good that parents can protest without abandoning their children. But the optics of the protest are clear: climate alarmists insist that the Earth only has 12 years left, so kids will be the “victims” of climate change. Never mind the fact that climate alarmist models consistently fail to predict future temperatures — including one embarrassing prediction that the Maldives would be underwater by 2018 (they’re actually growing). Also, the “97 percent” scientific “consensus” on man-made climate change is a false statistic.
Climate alarmist policies like the Green New Deal would wreak havoc on America’s economy without solving global climate change. This means children would actually suffer from policies promoted in the name of protecting them. Whoops!
No doubt the parents are actually concerned about the future of their children, but the very idea of this “play” protest is laughable. Kids are not political actors. Play is their natural state, and critics might argue these optics involve making children props in a political fight.
Follow Tyler O’Neil, the author of this article, on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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