Our House is on Fire!🔥
Last Updated on August 20, 2020 by Marc-Antoni
Action Brings Hope
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has been causing a ruckus. Deeply concerned with the lack of political action over the climate crisis, she began striking from school. Greta ditched class in order to demonstrate outside Swedish parliament. Why go to school she asks, if our facts and our science mean nothing to our politicians. Her message is as powerful as it is direct. We need to act.
I’ve shared Greta’s TED Talk below, where she explains her concern and her drive. Fortunately, it is having an impact. Already students from around the world are organizing similar protests through the hashtags #ClimateStrike, #SchoolStrike4Climate and #FridaysForFuture. Young people in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and Australia are turning out in massive numbers to call on their governments to act.
TED Talk: Greta Thunberg & The Case to Act Right Now
Speaking Up for Climate Action
Greta was recently invited to attend the World Economic Forum (#WEF19) in Davos, Switzerland. Once again spoke truth to power. She called upon politicians and industry leaders to step up their climate action (The Guardian).
In her calm and effecting way, Greta drew attention to the blatant hypocrisy of many of the attendees. If they truly cared about the world’s youth, then they needed to act quickly & decisively in the face of the climate emergency. Below is an excerpt from her address:
I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act.I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.”
Climate Action Next Steps
Greta has since been inspiring climate action at a global scale (see also Fighting for the Future). She calls upon fellow youngsters and concerned citizens, to join her in protesting before the elected leadership. Greta herself leads by doing. Her fight for for a stable climate, reminds others that they too can demand real climate action. With enough attention and mobilization we can turn the tide. Governments that claim to represent their citizens will have to respond to public will.
You too can join Greta Thunberg in advocating for serious climate action. It begins with developing a greater understanding of what’s at stake. This obviously requires informing yourself. You’ll need to to be aware of the rising threat, but also of the many potential solutions that already exist. It’s not all doom & gloom. There is plenty of hope & opportunity!
On your journey to climate activism, it also really helps to connect with other similar-minded people and organizations. There are people out there already working on protecting the nature world and combating climate change. Hopefully you can find some locally, but know that there are others out there from around the world.
The Climate Movement is Underway
If you’re a young person looking to get involved, rock on! If (like myself) you’re no longer in the youth category, but have young kids at home, it’s important to consider how to engage in climate conversations with them.
For tips, you’re welcome to check out our recent post, How to Talk to Kids About Climate Change. It’s going to take a lot of people working on this simultaneously in order to realize the changes we need. It’s tough and certainly daunting, but together we can solve this!
10 Responses
[…] Northern Europe, 15-year-old Greta Thunberg has been periodically missing school (since August) to protest before the Swedish government. She […]
[…] In considering the natural world, and all the other planetary inhabitants that don’t have a say in our governments, we are in fact also selfishly caring for ourselves, our future, and that of our children and grandchildren. As so powerfully expressed by Swedish teenager and environmental activist Greta Thunberg, […]
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