By Emma Diamond and Margaret MacGillivray
On September 20th, 2019, millions of people took to the streets to protest climate change. This strike was a global event, with people from many different countries standing together against this pressing issue. This strike was particularly significant because it took place just before the UN Climate Summit, a meeting where leaders from different countries met to discuss further climate action. In New York City, people gathered at Foley Square, marched to Battery Park City, and then held a rally later in the day. Greta Thunberg, a 16 year old activist who started a movement called Fridays For Future (an organization to fight against climate change), made a speech in Battery Park during the rally.
Thousands of students in New York City left school in order to attend this strike fighting against climate change. When asked about why they felt it was important to attend the strike and protest against climate change, New York City students had a lot to say. Ella Colby, a sophomore at Laguardia High School, responded, “Protesting helps raise awareness to those who don’t understand how urgent the issue of climate change [is].” Ella left class to spread the word about how important this issue is to the future. Marcus Moise, a junior from LREI, explained that “In an era where the government has been informed by multiple trustworthy scientists that the world is going to be past the point of saving soon” it is our responsibility to “use the tools we are provided with (social media, networking, etc.) to make ourselves heard.” Marcus highlighted the important point that climate change is a fact with large amounts of evidence to back it up. Liam Mackenzie, a sophomore at Packer Collegiate Institute said, “It’s definitely been on all of our minds since last Friday.” Clearly, this is an issue that is important to many teens around NYC.
The United Nations Climate Summit was not quite so groundbreaking. Despite protests taking place all over the world, China took no further steps to fight climate change. The United States, who recently pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement, said nothing at all. After the strike, many were inspired to make changes in their everyday lives. Stella Namboos, a junior at Beacon High School decided to make a change to her diet and become a vegetarian. “I needed to find a way to implement my views on climate change into my everyday life,” she explained. Many have decided to make a change in their diet by cutting down on meat consumption, specifically the consumption of cows. Cows produce about 20 percent of the methane gas generated per year, according to Penn State University. This means that by eating cows, we are increasing the demand for cow meat and therefore increasing methane gas emissions into the atmosphere. Many have become pescetarians, as fish have a substantially lower carbon footprint.
Some who participated in the climate strike decided to make composting a part of their daily lives. Composting is environmentally friendly for many reasons. By turning leftover food into soil, we are continuing the cycle of turning that soil into more food. When food is thrown out, it goes to landfill and cannot complete that cycle. In addition, organics in landfills break down to produce methane gas, a greenhouse gas 21 times more harmful than CO2. When food is composted, it does not produce this harmful gas.
This climate strike inspired many to make changes in their daily lives, and propted continued thinking about how we can make a positive impact on the climate.
Photo Credit: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/new-yorks-climate-strike-and-the-things-that-make-teen-agers-march
Wonderful article ladies, yes we must become more aware what what we throw out and how, very little plastic use, compost, walk and ride bicycles rather than drive, electric cars, plant trees, we are on the right track, but we must be vigilant!!! Thanks for the reminder, we must try to save this planet for future generations