On Friday, March 15, tens of thousands of teenagers from more than 110 countries, including 50 U.S. States, instead of school take to the streets to demand decisive and urgent action from world leaders to stop the global environmental crisis.
Tomorrow we strike for the school climate in 1769 places in 112 countries around the world. And counting.
Everyone is welcome. Everyone is needed. Let’s change history. And let’s never stop for as long as it takes. #fridaysforfuture #schoolstrike4climate #climatestrike pic.twitter.com/xpCLQN8icv
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) March 14, 2019
Young people around the world believe that, if we don’t stop global warming, their generation will be doomed to struggle with such disastrous consequences. They call climate change «the greatest threat in human history» and say they will no longer accept inaction of world leaders, writes CNN.
Officials who criticize Teens for truancy, answer this: what is the point of going to school, if climate change is likely to destroy all hope for the future? Students stress that there are only 11 years to avoid disaster. If emissions of greenhouse gases generated by man will continue with the current pace, the planet will reach warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels by 2030. This threshold is critical.
According to the report of the intergovernmental group of experts on climate change for 2018, global warming at this temperature would expose the planet severe drought, forest fires, floods and food shortages for hundreds of millions of people.
source: flickr
Movement FridaysForFuture was formed in Sweden in August 2018, when 16-year-old schoolgirl Greta Thunberg began to skip school on Fridays to protest at the Parliament building. Thunberg said that will not stop their strike until Friday until Sweden did not join the Paris agreement, the purpose of which is to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C.
Already in January, she shamed the world elite at the world economic forum, accusing them of the climate crisis. Greta finished his speech, saying that he wants leaders «to behave as if our house is on fire, because that’s what it is.»
In March, a young Swedish activist was nominated for the Nobel peace prize.
«We nominated Greta, because the climatic threat could be one of the most important causes of the world wars and conflicts. A mass movement that Greta was set in motion, is a very important contribution to the future of the world,» said the Norwegian media VG, the representative of Parliament Freddie Andre Ostegard.
In addition, Greta Thunberg in 2018 became one of the most influential Teens by TIME magazine. The girl has inspired hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren around the world. Students in countries such as Australia, Thailand, Uganda and the UK have already missed the school, demanding that their governments have taken measures against climate change.
It begins. 1,000 s of young people taking to the streets to demand action on #climatechange.
“Once we start to act hope is everywhere so instead of looking for hope look for action. Then & only then hope will come.” @GretaThunberg#climatestrike #klimaatstaking 🎬 @greenpeaceNL pic.twitter.com/MX0MqY4rQC
— Mike Hudema (@MikeHudema) March 14, 2019
Students supported a group of more than 100 climate scientists from the United States. They stated that the requirements of adolescents for immediate action on climate change correspond with the latest science.
«They need our support, but more than that, they need to all we played. They determine their future, as ours» — said in a letter published last week.
Standing with you in DC! pic.twitter.com/UwHllqcdLr
— Shelby Militzer (@Ladybug_Thug) February 22, 2019
At the same time, the movement was and opponents. Prime Minister Theresa may has criticized student protests, stating that the strike «increases the workload of teachers and spending time on extra lessons.» She believes that children should be trained in school to be scientists and engineers, and thus to deal with the environmental problem. The Minister of education of Australia has warned students and teachers that they will be punished if they go on strike during school hours.
