School Climate Strikes
On March 15, our fellow students around the world protested. Why? Well, it began with Greta Thunberg. Greta is a 16-year-old climate activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. In the past year she has gone on strike every Friday, urging the Swedish parliament to take solid action against climate change. Her message is simple: changes need to be made, and they need to be made now.
It can difficult to conceptualize the implications of climate change, carbon in the air is not visible. The burden that will be placed on all of us, of which is already happening, is disproportionately affecting marginalized communities around the world. Extreme weather events will cause obvious physical damage – think hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes. The disappearance of resources will cause challenges in providing for all of our lives.
The strikes around the world spread throughout hundreds of countries and were reinforced by hundreds of thousands of people. Scientists in many countries have let their support for the student protesters be known, and are urging for politicians to support this movement and enact change. In the U.S., groups like Youth Climate Strike are creating a platform for students to speak up on the issue of climate change. Fridays for Future provides information on how to safely strike.
Rylynn McCaw
Contributing Writer