More than a million people have participated in climate strikes in 2200 events and 125 countries worldwide over the span of the past two years. This widespread movement was all started by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old dedicated to climate change activism. Ever since she declared that she would not attend school until the 2018 Swedish general election and began striking every Friday until Sweden joined the Paris Agreement, she has inspired millions around the globe to join her in taking action to defend the planet. Thunberg created the slogan FridaysForFuture, which gained global attention. Since then, school strikes began to occur around the world—in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and the United States.
Our school hosted a climate strike on Friday, September 20 during tutorial, led by the Green Team. Eeshan Bhat, the Green Team’s president, attended a climate reality leadership training over the summer; students there discussed the global climate strike, and Eeshan thought that hosting one at our school would be a fantastic idea. The purpose of this strike is to bring an end to the age of fossil fuels and to encourage others to live more sustainably. The climate strike focused on the global impact of climate change, how climate change will impact the Bay Area and what individual actions people can take to reduce the negative consequences of climate change, like simply “starting a conversation.” One letter was written to each of the four biggest fossil fuel polluters in California (Shell Oil, Chevron, Lehigh Cement Plant and Calpine) to ask them to reduce their emissions and was signed by everyone who attended the climate strike. Although this climate strike has already occurred, there are many other ways to take action, such as “being more sustainable in your daily life. Just doing some online research can help you become more aware and learn how to correctly sort waste,” says Eeshan. Focusing on zero-waste, composting and talking to your local government leaders to get your city to go 100% renewable are great starts. Simple changes to daily habits can make a big difference. Another reason to participate in events like these is the lack of government action regarding the climate crisis. Many people are unaware of why they should care or how climate change is affecting them, which is why education is so necessary. “Young people need to take action because it will affect them the worst, which is why they need to have the best understanding of that issue,” comments Greta Dooley, a senior and a Green Team board member.
There were mixed feelings regarding the climate strike. Some people believe that the climate is worth fighting for. “Out of all strikes, everybody should agree on climate strikes. The global strike that is currently occurring is more beneficial than just a local one. People everywhere are rising, and nobody can just ignore that,” remarks Daria Amit, a senior.
Brandon Lee, also a senior, recognizes the positive impact of the strike, saying that it is “a good way to spread awareness about making change about our environment. The benefits of this climate strike won’t be instantly seen, but it is a step in the right direction.”
Gracie Cho, a freshman, agrees, “This climate strike is very helpful and is spreading awareness. It is evident that as a community we are united to address the climate crisis. Hopefully the strike will change the views on the future and potential consequences of climate change.”
“It is well-known that climate change action will be a factor in slowing down negative events from the climate crisis. Action from the environment and corporations is crucial to further promote green policies and practices. The strike is beneficial as it builds empathy because there are more communities that will suffer from climate change before us, such as Puerto Rico. Hopefully, the strike will make people in power cater to the people’s opinions,” comments Mr. Ortega, a social science teacher.
However, there are some people who do not believe that the climate strike was useful: “We could be doing actual action like planting trees. Holistically, people will probably forget about this strike. Many people can possibly make the improvements that are necessary to help reverse our trend but people won’t without government intervention,” says Andrea Belmudez, a sophomore. The general message received from the walkout is that some Californians did understand the message and negative effects of climate change but have not experienced natural disasters like the Southeast, so they do not feel that the strike was needed.
Mr. Appleman, the AP Environmental Science teacher and Green Team advisor, believes that participating in environmental activism is crucial: “It’s your life. You can be a sheep and enjoy a less habitable planet or you can start to assert yourself for everybody to have a better quality of life.” He finds it encouraging that so many students are taking the initiative to plan and participate in this event and that the events are making a real impact, as it is bringing awareness to the reality of our current situation. Through this event, Mr. Appleman hopes that SMHS students “are starting a lifetime of conscious activism and a pattern of taking charge of their own lives.”