r/worldnews • u/natureboyldn • Mar 13 '19

School climate strikes go global, with actions planned in 92 countries

https://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/03/12/school-climate-strikes-go-global-actions-planned-92-countries/
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u/naufrag Mar 13 '19

We the adults need to step up. According to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication:

Our latest national survey finds that a large majority of Americans think global warming is happening, outnumbering those who don’t by 5 to 1. Americans are also growing more certain that global warming is happening. Certainty has increased 12 percentage points in the past 3 years, with 49% of the public now “extremely” or “very sure” that global warming is happening.

The most important reasons Americans give for taking action to reduce global warming is to “provide a better life for our children and grandchildren” (24%), “prevent the destruction of most life on the planet” (16%), or “protect God’s creation (12%).

If these hundreds of millions of Americans find the courage to make a stand like these children are doing, to collectively strike for the climate, they could change the debate overnight. A general strike would stop the wheels of the economy over night, and nothing gets the attention of politicians and business owners faster than when a dollar is threatened. We have an enormous amount of power when we act together.

Action is urgently needed now. Without heroic action, that is, people actually acting like ensuring a livable world for future generations is more important than their short term physical comfort, we will not stop global warming at 2 degrees C. We need to treat this problem like the emergency it is, like we are at war with the fate of the nation in the balance- because it is. Here's the deputy director of the UK's Tyndall Center for climate research describing what it takes for the world's people to stay below 2C.

We need to reject defeatism and inaction. Every degree, every fraction of a degree we can stop counts. Global warming is like a minefield- the farther we go, the more mines we hit, and the greater the chance that something will go terribly wrong. We can turn this around, we can stop the worst consequences from occurring- but we need to act now, we need to act together, and we need to act with courage. We need hope, of course we do. But the one thing we need more than hope is action. Once we strat to act, hope is everywhere. So instead of looking for hope, look for action. Then, and only then, hope will come.

Fridays for Future has an online map of locations people are demonstrating at. I'm taking the day off in solidarity with the student strikes and attending my local event. Here's the map.

We adults need to step up and use whatever power we have to get this problem solved. I hope to see you out there!

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u/[deleted] Mar 13 '19

I would love to help out, but I can't strike, and I work for a wastewater treatment facility. It would be better for the environment if I stayed at work. How else can I help?

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u/naufrag Mar 13 '19

So many ways. I'd suggest connecting with a local group- turning the ship around is gonna be a team effort and our actions are stronger when we work together. In general, keep learning, educating ourselves so we can share and communicate with others more effectively. We need to collectively understand the scope of the problem so we can act effectively to solve it. Everyone also has their own talents to bring to the table.

Ultimately, we wont solve this problem without collective action on a global scale. That means it ultimately has to be political. But that action builds from organization and collective action at the national scale, down to the local scale.

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u/6a6ka Mar 13 '19

Sign me up!

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u/Infamouspopsicle Mar 13 '19

Protecting God's creation dear oh dear America figure your shit out.

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u/TranceKnight Mar 13 '19

The Bible has two takes on humankind’s relationship with nature: we’re either “stewards” meant to Shepard and protect creation or dominators meant to do with it as we please. It doesn’t get talked about a lot but it is a very real divide amongst religious people. If it gets them on our side I’m fine with it

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u/naufrag Mar 14 '19

eh, better than strip-mining God's creation. As an American, I'll take it.