Students in Melbourne take part in a school strike for climate on November 30, 2018. (Photo: julian meehan/flickr/cc)
Feb 14, 2019
The world may be edging toward "environmental breakdown"--but 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg sees signs for hope.
Pointing to global walkouts planned for March 15, Thunberg--whose "school strikes for climate" helped galvanized similar actions worldwide--said, "I think what we are seeing is the beginning of great changes and that is very hopeful."
"I think enough people have realized just how absurd the situation is," she told the Guardian. "We are in the middle of the biggest crisis in human history and basically nothing is being done to prevent it."
In a sign of that realization, thousands of students from dozens of communities across the United Kingdom skipped class on Friday to join the ranks taking part in the weekly climate actions.
In fact, it's "incredible" that the movement "has spread so far, so fast," she told "Good Morning Britain."
\u201cNow this is special. Not every #ClimateStrike action in Belgium happened in Brussels today. In the city of Lier, over 3000 school children formed a human chain. \n\nLots and lots of love for this Climate Generation. \ud83d\udc9a\u201d— Jan Steurs \ud83c\udf3b \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea (@Jan Steurs \ud83c\udf3b \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea) 1550168815
\u201cI am so inspired by all the young people organizing & going on #climatestrike. They are acting with the urgency that is needed in this time of planetary crisis. Our political leaders should follow their lead!\n\n#strike4climate #fridaysforfuture\u201d— Dr. Lucky Tran (@Dr. Lucky Tran) 1550249811
\u201cFrom Brighton, to Brussels, to Montreal, to Nigeria and beyond they rise in the thousands to demand we #ActOnClimate.\n\nNo more talking, deal with the crisis.\n\n#ActOnClimate #cdnpoli #qcpoli #climatestrike #youthstrike4climate #fridaysforfuture #greveclimat #polqc @justinTrudeau\u201d— Mike Hudema (@Mike Hudema) 1550263442
Explaining the start of her own interest in the issue, she told the hosts, "Once you fully understand the meaning of the climate crisis, you can't un-understand it; then you have to do something about it."
She acknowledged that such actions mean kids missing school time, but, she countered, "Why should we be studying for a future that soon may not exist anymore and when no one is doing anything to save that future?"
Because "this is like slightly breaking the law... then it will have a huge impact [because] people will see it and think that this is important," she said.
On Twitter, Thunberg also refuted British Prime Minister Theresa May's assertion that the children on school strikes are "wasting lesson time."
"That may well be the case," she wrote Friday. "But then again, political leaders have wasted 30 yrs of inaction. And that is slightly worse."
Stateside, some observers see hope for addressing the climate crisis in the recently introduced Green New Deal, and the U.S. actions set for next month are aimed at buoying that and other legislative tactics to reign in global warming.
We are calling on the world to take a stand against climate change. On March 15th, youth from across the US will take a stand & strike for our futures. We will be on the streets demanding our lawmakers to do something! Link in bio to join us!#FridaysForFuture #YouthStrikesUSA pic.twitter.com/M89skysQTB
-- Youth Climate Strike US (@climatestrikeUS) February 1, 2019
In a call-to-action, the teen organizers behind the U.S. youth climate strikes write, "We are at a turning point in history. Our futures are at stake. We call for radical legislative action to combat climate change and its countless detrimental effects on the American people. We are striking for the Green New Deal, a fair and just transition to decarbonize the U.S. economy, and other legislative action that combats the effects of climate change."
"We stand in solidarity with Greta Thunberg and all youth strikers worldwide as we demand action on this issue," they wrote.
"We are running out of time, and we won't be silent any longer," they continue. "We, the youth of America, are striking because our present and future on this planet are at stake. And we are determined to do something about it."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Our Summer Campaign is now underway, and there’s never been a more urgent time for Common Dreams to be as vigilant as possible. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The world may be edging toward "environmental breakdown"--but 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg sees signs for hope.
Pointing to global walkouts planned for March 15, Thunberg--whose "school strikes for climate" helped galvanized similar actions worldwide--said, "I think what we are seeing is the beginning of great changes and that is very hopeful."
"I think enough people have realized just how absurd the situation is," she told the Guardian. "We are in the middle of the biggest crisis in human history and basically nothing is being done to prevent it."
In a sign of that realization, thousands of students from dozens of communities across the United Kingdom skipped class on Friday to join the ranks taking part in the weekly climate actions.
In fact, it's "incredible" that the movement "has spread so far, so fast," she told "Good Morning Britain."
\u201cNow this is special. Not every #ClimateStrike action in Belgium happened in Brussels today. In the city of Lier, over 3000 school children formed a human chain. \n\nLots and lots of love for this Climate Generation. \ud83d\udc9a\u201d— Jan Steurs \ud83c\udf3b \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea (@Jan Steurs \ud83c\udf3b \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea) 1550168815
\u201cI am so inspired by all the young people organizing & going on #climatestrike. They are acting with the urgency that is needed in this time of planetary crisis. Our political leaders should follow their lead!\n\n#strike4climate #fridaysforfuture\u201d— Dr. Lucky Tran (@Dr. Lucky Tran) 1550249811
\u201cFrom Brighton, to Brussels, to Montreal, to Nigeria and beyond they rise in the thousands to demand we #ActOnClimate.\n\nNo more talking, deal with the crisis.\n\n#ActOnClimate #cdnpoli #qcpoli #climatestrike #youthstrike4climate #fridaysforfuture #greveclimat #polqc @justinTrudeau\u201d— Mike Hudema (@Mike Hudema) 1550263442
Explaining the start of her own interest in the issue, she told the hosts, "Once you fully understand the meaning of the climate crisis, you can't un-understand it; then you have to do something about it."
She acknowledged that such actions mean kids missing school time, but, she countered, "Why should we be studying for a future that soon may not exist anymore and when no one is doing anything to save that future?"
Because "this is like slightly breaking the law... then it will have a huge impact [because] people will see it and think that this is important," she said.
On Twitter, Thunberg also refuted British Prime Minister Theresa May's assertion that the children on school strikes are "wasting lesson time."
"That may well be the case," she wrote Friday. "But then again, political leaders have wasted 30 yrs of inaction. And that is slightly worse."
Stateside, some observers see hope for addressing the climate crisis in the recently introduced Green New Deal, and the U.S. actions set for next month are aimed at buoying that and other legislative tactics to reign in global warming.
We are calling on the world to take a stand against climate change. On March 15th, youth from across the US will take a stand & strike for our futures. We will be on the streets demanding our lawmakers to do something! Link in bio to join us!#FridaysForFuture #YouthStrikesUSA pic.twitter.com/M89skysQTB
-- Youth Climate Strike US (@climatestrikeUS) February 1, 2019
In a call-to-action, the teen organizers behind the U.S. youth climate strikes write, "We are at a turning point in history. Our futures are at stake. We call for radical legislative action to combat climate change and its countless detrimental effects on the American people. We are striking for the Green New Deal, a fair and just transition to decarbonize the U.S. economy, and other legislative action that combats the effects of climate change."
"We stand in solidarity with Greta Thunberg and all youth strikers worldwide as we demand action on this issue," they wrote.
"We are running out of time, and we won't be silent any longer," they continue. "We, the youth of America, are striking because our present and future on this planet are at stake. And we are determined to do something about it."
The world may be edging toward "environmental breakdown"--but 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg sees signs for hope.
Pointing to global walkouts planned for March 15, Thunberg--whose "school strikes for climate" helped galvanized similar actions worldwide--said, "I think what we are seeing is the beginning of great changes and that is very hopeful."
"I think enough people have realized just how absurd the situation is," she told the Guardian. "We are in the middle of the biggest crisis in human history and basically nothing is being done to prevent it."
In a sign of that realization, thousands of students from dozens of communities across the United Kingdom skipped class on Friday to join the ranks taking part in the weekly climate actions.
In fact, it's "incredible" that the movement "has spread so far, so fast," she told "Good Morning Britain."
\u201cNow this is special. Not every #ClimateStrike action in Belgium happened in Brussels today. In the city of Lier, over 3000 school children formed a human chain. \n\nLots and lots of love for this Climate Generation. \ud83d\udc9a\u201d— Jan Steurs \ud83c\udf3b \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea (@Jan Steurs \ud83c\udf3b \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddea) 1550168815
\u201cI am so inspired by all the young people organizing & going on #climatestrike. They are acting with the urgency that is needed in this time of planetary crisis. Our political leaders should follow their lead!\n\n#strike4climate #fridaysforfuture\u201d— Dr. Lucky Tran (@Dr. Lucky Tran) 1550249811
\u201cFrom Brighton, to Brussels, to Montreal, to Nigeria and beyond they rise in the thousands to demand we #ActOnClimate.\n\nNo more talking, deal with the crisis.\n\n#ActOnClimate #cdnpoli #qcpoli #climatestrike #youthstrike4climate #fridaysforfuture #greveclimat #polqc @justinTrudeau\u201d— Mike Hudema (@Mike Hudema) 1550263442
Explaining the start of her own interest in the issue, she told the hosts, "Once you fully understand the meaning of the climate crisis, you can't un-understand it; then you have to do something about it."
She acknowledged that such actions mean kids missing school time, but, she countered, "Why should we be studying for a future that soon may not exist anymore and when no one is doing anything to save that future?"
Because "this is like slightly breaking the law... then it will have a huge impact [because] people will see it and think that this is important," she said.
On Twitter, Thunberg also refuted British Prime Minister Theresa May's assertion that the children on school strikes are "wasting lesson time."
"That may well be the case," she wrote Friday. "But then again, political leaders have wasted 30 yrs of inaction. And that is slightly worse."
Stateside, some observers see hope for addressing the climate crisis in the recently introduced Green New Deal, and the U.S. actions set for next month are aimed at buoying that and other legislative tactics to reign in global warming.
We are calling on the world to take a stand against climate change. On March 15th, youth from across the US will take a stand & strike for our futures. We will be on the streets demanding our lawmakers to do something! Link in bio to join us!#FridaysForFuture #YouthStrikesUSA pic.twitter.com/M89skysQTB
-- Youth Climate Strike US (@climatestrikeUS) February 1, 2019
In a call-to-action, the teen organizers behind the U.S. youth climate strikes write, "We are at a turning point in history. Our futures are at stake. We call for radical legislative action to combat climate change and its countless detrimental effects on the American people. We are striking for the Green New Deal, a fair and just transition to decarbonize the U.S. economy, and other legislative action that combats the effects of climate change."
"We stand in solidarity with Greta Thunberg and all youth strikers worldwide as we demand action on this issue," they wrote.
"We are running out of time, and we won't be silent any longer," they continue. "We, the youth of America, are striking because our present and future on this planet are at stake. And we are determined to do something about it."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.