How to Support the Global Climate Strike
Last week, 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg and hundreds of other young activists protested in front of the White House, demanding action to tackle climate change. This Friday, September 20, they will be joined by thousands of other young (and older) protesters from around the world to take part in the global climate strike. But what is a strike? And how can you support the protests if you cannot join them?
What is Climate Strike?
Inspired by Thunberg’s protest last year , the September 20 strike aims to raise awareness of the climate crisis in the days leading up to the UN summit on climate change; students have pledged to leave schools in order to “draw attention” to the crisis and make certain demands.
The American Youth Climate Strike , made up of eight youth-led groups, is demanding changes from UN leaders that include supporting the Green New Deal, promoting sustainable agriculture, and protecting indigenous lands and waterways. (There is not one organization responsible for the strike, but rather groups around the world; although their demands may differ, the intentions are the same.)
At least 900 Amazon employees at the Seattle headquarters have also pledged to leave. And stores like Patagonia , Burton and Lush have agreed to close their US stores in support. “These climatic strike will not solve the climate crisis alone,” – said on the website of Global Strike the Climate “ . This moment can demonstrate that people no longer want to continue doing business as usual. ”
According to 350 , a non-profit organization dedicated to climate change, there are at least 450 climate cases so far in the US and 2,500 worldwide. And New York City public schools excuse out-of- school students on strike (with parental consent).
How can I help?
If you want to strike, first, you must understand what that means for you and your job; depending on your profession, like some government officials, a strike may be illegal . As Vice suggests, you can first ask the boss to close their doors for a day (or even just a couple of hours) to mark the strike. “It probably won’t be successful if you work for a large corporation like Chase Bank or Walmart,” writes Jeff Dembicki for Vice . “But small businesses like cafes, restaurants, bars and clothing stores can be susceptible. It’s the same with mid-sized office workstations. “
Or use your lunch break to join a local demo; You should visit the Strike With Us website for upcoming events. Climate Strike events may also take place throughout the week, depending on your location. And if summoning a sick person is out of the question, you can donate to organizations like the U.S. Youth Climate Strike (according to their GoFundMe page, all proceeds will go towards future strikes and initiatives). And make a public statement of support on social media and help reinforce the message of the strike.
Lifehacker and our parent company, G / O Media, are involved in a global collaboration of more than 250 Covering Climate Now news agencies to increase coverage of the climate crisis. You can read more about the effort and other contributors here .