School students in last November's climate action strike in Sydney. Credit:Louie Douvis

Hundreds and thousands of students in more than 100 countries are walking out of their schools on Friday with a shared purpose: Save our planet. Some teachers, parents and politicians have raised objections to insist that these children should stay in school instead. I think we grown-ups need to think twice before we stand up against our children on this burning issue.

First, it is difficult to understand how young people feel about escalating natural catastrophes drummed into them by media practically every day. Many, like the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, think that we adults have left this environmental mess for children to sort out.

Young people are taking the lead on Friday because they have the tools to do so. Then they ask: Why we adults haven’t done more to change the course?