Activists with "Fridays for Future" display a prop demanding climate action on December 11, 2020 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo: Axel Heimken/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Youth Activists Ring In 2021 With Renewed Demand That World 'Wake Up to the Climate Crisis'
"It must be the year we take real action instead of continuing to repeat meaningless words and empty promises."
Youth activists around the world kicked off the new year Friday with a fresh round of #ClimateStrike actions and demands that 2021 be the year policymakers take sufficiently bold action to address the climate emergency.
Many of the pleas included the hashtag #ClimateStrikeOnline, as the coronavirus crisis has forced many "school strike for climate" events to be virtual.
"2021 must be the year that we finally wake up to the climate crisis," tweeted Sydney-based activist Patsy Islam-Parsons, noting that it was her 69th week of Fridays for Future actions.
"It must be the year we take real action instead of continuing to repeat meaningless words and empty promises," she wrote.
Greta Thunberg, who catalyzed the worldwide Fridays for Future movement, shared her signature Skolstrejk for Klimatet placard in a Friday tweet and said, "New year, same crisis."
The Swedish teen's message was mirrored in a tweet from Leah Namugerwa of Uganda, who wrote: "This is week 99 #schoolstrike4climate in Uganda. The struggle continues..."
Other climate activists added their hopes for the new year on social media as well:
Dominique Palmer, a climate justice activist and member of the U.K. Student Climate Network, put the sweeping changes needed to address the climate emergency in the context of the global efforts that emerged to contain the spread of Covid-19.
"This year has shown that urgent action in times of a crisis is possible, and now more than ever is the time to push for a green recovery," Palmer tweeted, pointing to a need for a system that "fundamentally restructures the economy for a habitable future."
In an op-ed published Thursday at the Guardian, Greenpeace U.K. executive director John Sauven also addressed the simultaneous crises. He wrote, in part:
[W]hile thepandemic was raging, so was the climate emergency, like two horror films overlapping. We saw record-breaking wildfires engulf the West Coast of the U.S., a record number of powerful Atlantic storms, the Arctic ice failing to freeze in late October, and deadly floods hitting countries from Italy to Indonesia. We got a glimpse of a chaotic world battered by multiple crises, each making the other worse, and it was terrifying.
Exceptional as the calamities of 2020 may seem, they could be just a taste of what's to come unless we change direction.
"It's clear," wrote Sauven, "that nothing short of a complete transformation of our economy and society can save us from climate breakdown." He continued:
This is why sliding back to the old normal is not an option. Unless we stop oil firms drilling for more oil, food giants destroying rainforests, and destructive fishing depleting our seas, the worst isn't over--it's just begun. Ending the pandemic is only half the job--we must also start something new and better. We must create new green jobs, invest in communities, and tackle the hardship faced by many at the same time. And 2021 is the year to do it.
That call for change was also captured in a New Year's Eve tweet from Thunberg.
"May 2021 be the year of awakening and real bold change," wrote Thunberg. "And let's all continue the never-ending fight for the living planet."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Youth activists around the world kicked off the new year Friday with a fresh round of #ClimateStrike actions and demands that 2021 be the year policymakers take sufficiently bold action to address the climate emergency.
Many of the pleas included the hashtag #ClimateStrikeOnline, as the coronavirus crisis has forced many "school strike for climate" events to be virtual.
"2021 must be the year that we finally wake up to the climate crisis," tweeted Sydney-based activist Patsy Islam-Parsons, noting that it was her 69th week of Fridays for Future actions.
"It must be the year we take real action instead of continuing to repeat meaningless words and empty promises," she wrote.
Greta Thunberg, who catalyzed the worldwide Fridays for Future movement, shared her signature Skolstrejk for Klimatet placard in a Friday tweet and said, "New year, same crisis."
The Swedish teen's message was mirrored in a tweet from Leah Namugerwa of Uganda, who wrote: "This is week 99 #schoolstrike4climate in Uganda. The struggle continues..."
Other climate activists added their hopes for the new year on social media as well:
Dominique Palmer, a climate justice activist and member of the U.K. Student Climate Network, put the sweeping changes needed to address the climate emergency in the context of the global efforts that emerged to contain the spread of Covid-19.
"This year has shown that urgent action in times of a crisis is possible, and now more than ever is the time to push for a green recovery," Palmer tweeted, pointing to a need for a system that "fundamentally restructures the economy for a habitable future."
In an op-ed published Thursday at the Guardian, Greenpeace U.K. executive director John Sauven also addressed the simultaneous crises. He wrote, in part:
[W]hile thepandemic was raging, so was the climate emergency, like two horror films overlapping. We saw record-breaking wildfires engulf the West Coast of the U.S., a record number of powerful Atlantic storms, the Arctic ice failing to freeze in late October, and deadly floods hitting countries from Italy to Indonesia. We got a glimpse of a chaotic world battered by multiple crises, each making the other worse, and it was terrifying.
Exceptional as the calamities of 2020 may seem, they could be just a taste of what's to come unless we change direction.
"It's clear," wrote Sauven, "that nothing short of a complete transformation of our economy and society can save us from climate breakdown." He continued:
This is why sliding back to the old normal is not an option. Unless we stop oil firms drilling for more oil, food giants destroying rainforests, and destructive fishing depleting our seas, the worst isn't over--it's just begun. Ending the pandemic is only half the job--we must also start something new and better. We must create new green jobs, invest in communities, and tackle the hardship faced by many at the same time. And 2021 is the year to do it.
That call for change was also captured in a New Year's Eve tweet from Thunberg.
"May 2021 be the year of awakening and real bold change," wrote Thunberg. "And let's all continue the never-ending fight for the living planet."
Youth activists around the world kicked off the new year Friday with a fresh round of #ClimateStrike actions and demands that 2021 be the year policymakers take sufficiently bold action to address the climate emergency.
Many of the pleas included the hashtag #ClimateStrikeOnline, as the coronavirus crisis has forced many "school strike for climate" events to be virtual.
"2021 must be the year that we finally wake up to the climate crisis," tweeted Sydney-based activist Patsy Islam-Parsons, noting that it was her 69th week of Fridays for Future actions.
"It must be the year we take real action instead of continuing to repeat meaningless words and empty promises," she wrote.
Greta Thunberg, who catalyzed the worldwide Fridays for Future movement, shared her signature Skolstrejk for Klimatet placard in a Friday tweet and said, "New year, same crisis."
The Swedish teen's message was mirrored in a tweet from Leah Namugerwa of Uganda, who wrote: "This is week 99 #schoolstrike4climate in Uganda. The struggle continues..."
Other climate activists added their hopes for the new year on social media as well:
Dominique Palmer, a climate justice activist and member of the U.K. Student Climate Network, put the sweeping changes needed to address the climate emergency in the context of the global efforts that emerged to contain the spread of Covid-19.
"This year has shown that urgent action in times of a crisis is possible, and now more than ever is the time to push for a green recovery," Palmer tweeted, pointing to a need for a system that "fundamentally restructures the economy for a habitable future."
In an op-ed published Thursday at the Guardian, Greenpeace U.K. executive director John Sauven also addressed the simultaneous crises. He wrote, in part:
[W]hile thepandemic was raging, so was the climate emergency, like two horror films overlapping. We saw record-breaking wildfires engulf the West Coast of the U.S., a record number of powerful Atlantic storms, the Arctic ice failing to freeze in late October, and deadly floods hitting countries from Italy to Indonesia. We got a glimpse of a chaotic world battered by multiple crises, each making the other worse, and it was terrifying.
Exceptional as the calamities of 2020 may seem, they could be just a taste of what's to come unless we change direction.
"It's clear," wrote Sauven, "that nothing short of a complete transformation of our economy and society can save us from climate breakdown." He continued:
This is why sliding back to the old normal is not an option. Unless we stop oil firms drilling for more oil, food giants destroying rainforests, and destructive fishing depleting our seas, the worst isn't over--it's just begun. Ending the pandemic is only half the job--we must also start something new and better. We must create new green jobs, invest in communities, and tackle the hardship faced by many at the same time. And 2021 is the year to do it.
That call for change was also captured in a New Year's Eve tweet from Thunberg.
"May 2021 be the year of awakening and real bold change," wrote Thunberg. "And let's all continue the never-ending fight for the living planet."