Last week marked a global first in youth environmental advocacy with students participating in the School Strike 4 Climate movement. From Australia to Austria, an estimated 1.5 million students from over 100 countries around the world united to declare they want urgent action on climate change.
In Australia, an estimated 150,000 students and adult supporters took part in over 60 towns and cities across the nation. From major cities such as Sydney and Perth to locations like the Whitsundays, students stood in solidarity to demand action, not words, on the issue of climate change.
The student movement began last year when Swedish student Greta Thunberg began cutting class to sit outside parliament and protest the climate crisis. In a presentation to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier this year, Greta said the time for political point-scoring when it came to climate action was long gone.
“I often hear adults say: ‘We need to give the next generation hope’,” she said.
“But I don’t want your hope. I want your panic. I want you to feel the fear I do. Every day. And I want you to act. I want you to behave like our house is on fire. Because it is.”
Greta is living proof that one person can make a difference. Her actions have made her a prominent voice in the fight against climate change, inspiring people young and old from around the world. Her involvement in the movement has culminated in being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize this year. Every day we have a choice; what we support, what clothes we wear, what food we eat, what mode of transport we use, what we put our energy towards. Greta is a lesson to all of us, both young and old, that our everyday actions, however small, can make a difference. Positive Action Get involved in National Tree Day to help create a greener Australia. Visit the Planet ark Power website and find out how to get solar panels in your school.
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Positive Environment News has been compiled using publicly available information. Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.