3 Reasons to Attend the Global Climate Strike
Friday 20th September is the day of the Global Climate Strike – an occasion that will see millions of us from across the globe walk out of our workplaces to join young environmental activists in their persistent fight for climate justice. Taking place days before the United Nations Climate Action Summit, strikers span generations, and are unanimous in their aim to call for an end to the fossil fuel age, as well as demand governments and politicians to take steps to reverse the damage that’s already been done to the planet, before it’s too late.
Passionate to salvage a future that they feel past generations have selfishly stolen from them, a united front of angry young people are refusing to be left to clean up the mess that reckless companies, world leaders and systems of the past century have inflicted on the planet. Brought together by the climate activist and ultimate Gen Z badass, Greta Thunberg – the teenager who gained global recognition for her three-week solo climate strike outside the Swedish Parliament in 2018, where she handed out leaflets that read “I am doing this because you adults are shitting on my future” – young people all over the world are demanding that things have to change, and they want us all to join them!
Set to be the largest climate mobilisation that London has ever seen, the main London strike will assemble in Millbank at 11am – with smaller events taking place all over the country. So, get your placards ready – the future needs you.
Still not sure whether you really need to go to a march? In the famous words of Greta, “I want you to act as if the house was on fire — because it is”. Read on to find out why raising the alarm on climate change is so important.
1) Because the Earth is Getting Hotter and Hotter …
Remember when it was 37 degrees in London in June? Yeah … that really shouldn’t ever be happening. According to data collected by NASA, 18 of the 19 warmest years since records began in the 1880s have occurred since 2001 – with the exception of 1998. In fact, the overall global temperature has risen a massive 0.9 degrees Celsius since 1880, which 97% of climate specialist scientists have almost wholly attributed to the massive increase in human-made emissions since the mid-20th century. An atmosphere stifled by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, it’s no wonder that things are getting a little too toasty!
2) … Which means that Everything is Melting …
No surprises here – when things get hot, snow and ice tend to melt. Glaciers all over the world are melting, ice sheets in Antartica are shrinking at three-times the rate this decade than they used tom, and the total snow recorded on Kilimanjaro in 1912 has melted by 80%. According to satellite research, global sea levels are rising at 3.3mm each year, and have risen a total 178mm over the past century. This has had a devastating impact on wildlife, with population levels of Adélie penguin on the western peninsula of Antartica have collapsed by 90 percent or more, in some regions.
3) … And Natural Disasters will Happen More Frequently
Since the 1980s, the intensity, frequency and duration of North Atlantic hurricanes have all increased, according to research conducted by NASA. With temperatures and sea levels continuing to rise, we can expect to see an increase in extreme weather – such as droughts and heat waves – as well as a higher frequency of natural disasters like storms, floods and tropical cyclones such as typhoons and hurricanes.
