A year ago, teen climate activist Greta Thunberg sat alone at the Swedish capital. She had a message for world leaders. Take action on the climate crisis! This year, Thunberg did not protest alone. Millions of people around the world joined her. They urged world leaders to address the threat of climate change.
Why is this threat so urgent? Scientists say that the planet has never been warmer than it is today. Deforestation, pollution, and the burning of fossil fuels all contribute to the increases of greenhouse gasses in the environment. This causes more heat to be trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. How has this shift in the atmosphere affected life on Earth? Climate change has caused major shifts in Earth’s oceans and atmosphere. Weather has become more extreme, ecosystems are threatened, and more animal species are on the brink of extinction.
The protests took place three days before the United Nations’ Climate Action Summit of 2019. Here, world leaders came together to discuss how to stall the process of global warming. Some of the loudest activist voices came from young people. The United Nations held a separate Youth Climate Action Summit. There, youth leaders discussed their ideas for combatting climate change and urged world leaders to join them in saving the planet for the future.
The climate change movement has shown the difference that young people can make when they work together. When asked about the September 20th march, Greta Thunberg said, “We showed that we are united and that we, young people, are unstoppable.”
What Can You Do Get involved! Look for groups in your school or community that are working to stop climate change.
Photo Credit: Angela Bowman
