While I am sympathetic to the argument that it would be irresponsible for the U.S. to bear the economic burdens of global warming mitigation to the advantage of other countries that don't, the current head-in-the-sand, climate-change-denying mantra of current Republican Party leadership in this country is appalling, misguided and shortsighted. Climate change is real and it's an issue that will soon eclipse all others for an entire generation of voters. The Republican leadership needs to wake up to that reality soon or else sacrifice the party and the interests of its constituents on a host of other issues.
18
If there is anything more unseemly than having to listen to adults who have contributed nothing to helping prevent/slow down/ameliorate (now there is no stopping it) the ravages of climate change rag on children with the gumption, courage and commitment to flood our streets and demand change, I don't want to know what it is.
Call me fatally naive, but I have to confess to being shocked at the wave of "outrage, " "criticism" and plain old trolling on this and every liberal site covering the protests.
It's what I call the one-two punch of our political malaise. It's not just that we keep doing the demonstrably wrong things on nearly every front, but especially the climate one; it's that a significant number of people, not content with doing nothing, also feel emboldened to sneer at those attempting to find solutions. In this case our children, rightly terrified of what they'll have to face thanks to adult inaction.
Did I say unseemly? I mean grotesque. The climate deniers are thick as thieves on every thread covering this news. I use that phrase advisedly. They're robbing all of us of a future. The kids in the room are smart enough to see it. Maybe the adults will catch up in time to help prevent the very worst ravages of the coming storm.
Thanks to the deniers and armchair warriors-- who seem to think it's cool to take potshots at children--there's no stopping it. The life of the plant now depends on swift, mindful, radical action. These children deserve no less.
27
Our American youth should not lose focus. Along with climate change the biggest threat to our lives is gun death and mass shootings.
We do hope sincerely that Prime Minister if Australia may have talked to trump about how his country got rid of mass shootings and gun deaths. That is, if Mr Trump was even listening. He seems to have adult form of attention deficit.
6
It restores faith in humanity viewing thousands of kids and adults world wide demanding the pollution be addressed. Their governments have failed them for decades. The Trump Administration is collaborating with AG Barr to use the courts to reduce emissions and decrease the mph automakers are in the process of manufacturing. There are two words to call these demands insanity and criminal. We cease to live in a democracy rather an evil regime.
10
Children and especially most over 12 know quite a bit about a lot of things.
I have been wondering for decades where are the outraged youth 16 and up.
and now we hooked them on Vaping...
I hope they Strike often!
5
Something rarely mentioned in all this hysteria is the additional fossil fuel that must get burnt in transportation because of the explosion in obesity.
In terms of jet fuel alone, in just one year, the recent increase in passenger weight adds up to $5 billion more in fuel than airlines would have needed to fly people using the standards of 1960s weights. Obese people in cars require the purchase of $4 billion worth of extra gasoline per year. Overall, it adds up to around a billion gallons of extra fuel annually, all because of the burden of transporting extremely overweight people. A billion gallons. Clearly, we will not lower the much-feared American carbon footprint until we end rampant obesity. Knowing this, a question arises: Why doesn’t the usual “Save The Planet” litany include obesity?
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
7
Keep marching kids .It won’t be long before you will be our government officials . These kids are brave if their parents had come out in these numbers years ago the problem of climate change would have been solved.
11
Young folks probably can't be expected to recall a statement associated with issuance of the IPCC panel's report in 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/science/earth/18climatenew.html
IPPC Chairman Pachauri stated (authoritatively, without equivocation)“If there’s no action (to meet the challenge of global warming (and climate change) before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment ."
Based on IPCC Panel Chairman Pachauri's authoritative statement in 2007, it is now several years too late, but less knowledgeable folks are still clamoring for action!
This planet has been marked marked over millennia by periodic changes in climate [see, e.g., Climate Change Doomed the Ancients, May 27, 2014
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/opinion/climate-change-doomed-the-ancients.html ]
It seems plausible that the more attainable goal of "pollution-free" atmosphere, per se, might have been espoused with less commotion, had it been advanced free of the claim that doing so is needed to "fight climate change" .
Note. The foregoing was written by an agnostic regarding tenets that are espoused by members of the Church of Anthropogenic Causation
2
If you people want to address climate change, start with yourselves and stop consuming all things that are adverse to the climate. Then, address China and Russia, two of the largest polluters on the planet, many times more than the U.S. Do those things first.
4
Why is the blame on “supposed, but unproven” climate change solely on the USA and not where it really belongs - on India and China?
2
Nice, but will they vote?
2
Round up the usual protesters. Young, liberal girls with nothing better to do than cash checks from dad. Oh, I am so vital, I have a voice. C'mon, go marry a private equity guy and go to spas. Thats what will happen to your idealism.
1
Dear Young People,
President Trump’s climate plan is to loosen environmental laws, lessen emission standards, drill in the oceans and exploit wilderness areas.
If you are 18 in November 2020, please make the loudest protest you can in a democracy, help vote him and others that support these initiatives out of office.
Thank you.
PS Democrats, please wake the heck up, condemn the actions of the president and speak out on behalf of the future of America. These kids will listen.
11
And yet many scientists have documented that our (human) contribution is negligible compared to that of the sun, volcanoes, natural fires, etc. Why have our young people been so mis-informed by the media and educators? UNSAT!
First - Shame on NYtimes for having a Chevron Ad before this piece - YUCK! 2nd - Shame on all of us adults for being apathetic (minus the a = pathetic) for decades, knowing what has been going on with Global Warming and all the negative consequences that would ensue and doing close to nothing about it. Extra shame on all the politicians that are merely puppets for the fossil fuel corporations. These successful world wide protests of mostly young people emits both positive and sad emotions - positive because of the turnout and solidarity of the youth of the world against the ill consumer human behaviors and infrastructures causing human made Global Warming and sad because adults have failed the children in leaving a healthy world for them to prosper. God bless this human made mess.
4
All Americans talk about is Trump as if he was the only one ruining the planet. Think about what you are doing with power, transport,etc.
3
Nothing like a day off from school. Later did the kids plant trees ?
This is ridiculous, can’t the times make up some story about how theKyoto Agreement gave us a few more years on earth.
These sweeping measures mean nothing if certain countries don’t participate.
Where were the protest in China,India, Equatorial Africa,Brazil ?
That’s right just the wealthy care.
1
Great! Now . . . watcha gonna do tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that? You might want to get in touch with us snaggletooth old hippies who have been working on alternatives for fifty years. And a little respect would go a long way too.
4
Vote, young people. Vote.
3
The individual agency and collective power of children and youth has for many years been undervalued and undestudied because of the influence of developmental psychology which sees children as social becomings rather than social agents. Work in childhood studies has corrected this misconception and shown that the future of childhood is the present. See
https://www.amazon.com/Sociology-Childhood-New-Century/dp/1506339905/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=William+Corsaro&qid=1569063006&s=books&sr=1-1
1
Used to be your kids begged for a candy bar at the grocery store. Now, they're begging for a future. What fustrates me is that big corporations like Disney are not all over this leading the way to save the people who drive Disney's success...children. Come on Disney...GET WITH THE PROGRAM! Make change!
3
Most Americans are so used to wasting Mother Earth resources ( I remember some statistics from a while ago stating that Americans representing only 5% of world’s population use 25% of earth ‘s resources...) that they still believe the mantra that global warming is a hoax or according to the “ know it all smart guy “ in the Oval Office we are dealing with fake news .
I am so fed up with this american nonsense and ignorance.
Just open your eyes , watch the weather and it’s apocalyptic disasters, see all the ominous changes around you and you will see the very truth at the tip of your nose . Wake up !
Thank you young people around the world for coming out to protect your planet , keep insisting , be in charge of your future otherwise it will be painfully bleak.
7
Our rage is not "inchoate!"
And still the Republicans Who are owned by the oil companies will still fight this. They would rather see the earth destroyed then see their power curtailed and see their masters angry at them. Evidently Republicans don’t have children or grandchildren because if they do they are hypocrites and they should be hated by their own offspring
7
Why is this not front page news? An estimated 4 million people participated, in over 160 countries, on all seven continents. It was not just young people, but a multi-generational, multi-cultural coalition, fueled by the energy and urgency and leadership of young people. NYTimes should dedicate more resources towards covering the immensity of this mass mobilization.
9
Thumbs up to all who attended.
2
The Fox news headline ... "Global Climate Strike kicks off with THOUSANDS skipping school or work for demonstrations " [my emphasis added]
Glad to see that they are giving this issue the attention that the rest of the world is. /s
2
I like the part where the right-wingers are screaming about how Al Gore and Lenin and Margaret Atwood and Rachel Carson and, doubtless, Thoreau and John Muir and Wendell Berry and all them all forcibly indoctrinated all them American kids and teenagers.
Mainly because it reminds me that they’ve never actually met any American kids and teenagers.
Uppity lot, they are, to their credit. But then, I always thought that half the point of America was to raise kids who’d tell the (alleged) grown-ups to take a flying jump on a regular basis.
2
Protesting is OK. Voting is better. Hear that, Millenials?
5
If you needed any other reason to abolish the Department of Education, just look at this mess.
Are schools really made to scare children?
If the liberal stars pushing climate change believed it, they wouldn’t be buying up beach front property like Obama and Gore.
Name one Hollywood celebrity that has downsized their mansion to a small two bedroom ranch because they are worried about their carbon footprint.
Completely fake.
2
The climate problem is an overpopulation problem.
5
And the Amazon Rainforest still burns.
1
I can feel the environment getting better already ... /s
You can increase the volume by calling out the sports owners and corporations that have supported Trump who called climate change a hoax. He more than anyone in the world is standing in the way of positive efforts.
You can increase the volume by calling out the sports owners, corporations who support Trump and stop buying their products. Here are some there are more.
Woody Johnson, New York Jets
Robert Kraft, New England Patriots (also on trial for sex crimes)
Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys
Dan Snyder, Washington football team
Shad Khan, Jacksonville Jaguars
Bob McNair, Houston Texans
Stan Kroenke, Los Angeles Rams
Edward Glazer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Corporations
New Balance
Yuengling
Home Depot
Facebook
Vote with dollars.
2
Rock the vote.
1
God bless the children!
3
The older generation has so little optimism for what is possible. Do not discredit us due your agist superiority and by acting like “we don’t know”. We have stopped listening to you because the world you created for us is dying. We have stopped listening to you -not because we’re naive- but because Climate Change is happening now and we have no time to argue.
We have stopped listening to you because you’ve created a system that has killed humanity, and coincidentally, you’ve created a system that is now killing humans.
I’m done listening to my elders. It is time to act.
5
Organizing a clean up or at least protesting the filth in the streets of LA and other major cities would be more beneficial to the environment, but this type of protest isn’t fashionable for Progressives...
2
New York Times started to pay attention to climate change late, still treats its newsworthiness as second rate, and supports the economic system that considers profit more important life itself (it's known as capitalism). There is no way the N.Y. Times would support the changes needed to turn this around, as it means consuming less.
3
And just like the worldwide protests against the Iraq war, their wishes will be ignored.
2
I sure hope they protested in China & India who are the WORST offenders to the planets climate
2
The message: Deniers, we are coming for you.
4
So what's the plan? The science actually says it's too late. So what's the plan? Adapt or die is the truth. So what's the plan? Anger motivates. So what's the plan? No one agrees or wants to concede power. So what's the plan? The oil companies knew in the 70's. So what's the plan? Religion trumps science for the majority of humanity. So what's the plan? You have a plan, half the people think you're a fool, the other half will lose their livelihood. So what's the plan? Were it so simple. So what's the plan?
4
A New Hope
Schools have failed us along with liberals pushing their agendas on the back of climate change. It’s nothing new, been happening throughout earth’s history and humans are not going to change the course of climate change. If Neanderthals could survive the ice age then we’ll be just fine.
1
I went to my Congressman and he said quote
I'd like to help you son,
but you're too young to vote.....
Sometimes I wonder what I'm gonna do..
There ain't no cure the climate change blues......
Houston, Trump says that Climate Change is junk science/fake news. Do you agree?
Alright, teach the kids about climate change. Empower their little protests.
Most of these kids don't understand exactly what their fighting for. They don't understand the root causes behind why pollution is still rising, and only know "carbon bad." I've had to deal with absolute morons growing up tell me they're passionate for climate change when they barely passed the minimum for science courses.
What the media and educational system have done is empower the kids to protest on an issue they fundamentally don't understand, and then praise them for following orders.
4
Thank you.
1
Millions of young and old on the streets around the world and New York Times barely emphasizes this? You have got to step up your coverage! Crimate Crisis!
3
The green House effect is well proven not only on planet earth but to speculate on climate change changed the hole story we need no new evidence it is happening and it may reach a point where all money in the world cannot stop it we need a big vision for a healthy planet burning fossil fuels and coal is retarded. Given the money we spend on weapons and useless wars it is a shame that humanity is not making more and faster progress. The children are right.
2
Get back to school and try reading a book instead of getting your news/propaganda from Instagram and Twitter!
2
As an adult with a history of protests that began against the Vietnam war as a child and divestment from South Africa as.Columbia student and the huge anti nuke demo in 1980, I marched today with a college friend who was with a group of us who got on the bus to protest W inauguration. We have protested for abortion rights Black Lives Matter and against gun violence, we have donned pink pussy hats and protested this last inauguration. This feels different as this is a protest against the forces of anti science and a fight for the life of our planet, our very existence. Though I am middle age, I remember the world pre-plastic bag. We must put pressure on companies to change course, or we must use the power we have, the power to buy stuff, or not, to exert pressure.
And we must vote. This next election will not be decided by those who vote but by those who don’t, massive vote for science and the future is needed and there is only one of our parties even acknowledging the problem. The Democratic Party must embrace this issue, thanks to Gov Inslee Voter registration and continued political pressure is crucial, I have seen positive changes as a result, so more power to the people including our children who will inherit this planet.
5
Et tu, Republicans?
1
The rage is not "inchoate!' Yesterday, you published another article describing " thousands" in the street, while other news sources said millions. This article copies most of the same tepid analysis but is, at least, saying "millions." What gives, NYT?
1
It is an absolute insult that the NYT placed a Chevron advertisement to proceed the video that goes with this article. An ad that claims to show how Chevron is improving drilling technology. NYT you have allowed Chevron to
attempt to deface these important calls for a serious effort to curtail the emission of substances that are killing the ability of our planet to support life. No Planet B Chevron and its enabler NYT!
1
I’d burn my elders at the stake for the world being left to us.
What the youth of the world are doing is laudable.
However, no one is laying out the HOW, but only screaming past one another at ideologically-charged decibels.
When massive change is introduced into a society, it is not borne only by the wealthy or someone whom you have labeled as an obstacle. It is borne by all people, most especially those for whom energy is a non-discretionary expense in their budget. That means the poor and middle class. That means the Left AND the Right, whatever that means. That means Americans AND Africans just getting electricity let alone air conditioning, and Indians on scooters, let alone automobiles.
So we must lay out carbon taxation in a painstaking way and evaluate both how Americans will adapt to this transition and, more importantly, how developing countries will adapt.
It is not enough to say that we will impose self-regulation without totaling the costs, because the vast majority of Climate Strike activists are still children or young adults who are thinking only of the goal, not the means.
We owe our children a rational plan not informed by a sixteen year old, endearing as she is, that lets them know we are working toward a better future. That future may include nuclear power, punishing carbon taxex which will depress living standards, and a need for respectful debate as we walk forward into uncertainty.
The screaming, as well as the obfuscation, needs to stop.
2
Good for them (I'm 79)!!! My rational voice and modest, low waste stream, energy-conserving lifestyle has been falling on deaf ears for decades now. I, like them, fear for their future.
I've learned, sometimes the hard way, that it is better to prepare for an emergency that you know is probable than to begin to prepare for it in the middle of the emergency.
Everything is moving quickly now because of a geophysical fact that is obvious: If a forcing to the geophysical "engine" (atmosphere, ocean, land) changes rapidly (sudden release rather than slow release of carbon stored in the geology, volcanism, meteor strike) then the response will be rapid.
The data for sudden release of stored carbon are in. The response is rapid, more than expected by the experts in our species who have unraveled many of the mysteries surrounding us in the ecosystem that supports us.
I hope these young folks can teach their elders this obvious fact. They are willing to take the chance to do something now, before the emergency, because they will inherit the result.
3
I am inspired and encouraged by these young people.
3
We must march with the youth. We must follow their lead. No matter how unlikely a just outcome seems. Because we owe it to them. As parents, think of the lengths we would go is our child had a serious, possibly terminal illness. Even if they had only a 1% chance of living, how much effort would you expend to support them, to heal them? I would do everything I possibly could. Now their future is grim, and they see it. Why are we not doing everything? If we want to show them our love, this is how. We need to become unlikely activists. In droves.
4
Protesters mostly blame others - big companies and their political allies - for our climate troubles. But, there's another equal culprit: our meat filled diet! Animal ag - and especially beef - is responsible for nearly as much and, in some studies more, greenhouse gas emissions as the entire fossil fuel industry.
If YOU believe in science, stop eating beef today and drastically reduce on the rest. It's the most effective way for each of us to fight climate change now.
5
The energy footprint of today’s teenagers has increased over the years compared to 50 years ago. The cell phone and all the cell towers to support them, the internet with hundreds of thousands of servers and routers, driving them around for sports practice or music lessons or competitions, the use of computers. Technology has made us more efficient at work, but did it make sense to extend it to our kids? All those social media servers and routers burning energy for what purpose? Just because we do not see the smokestack does not mean that it is clean. I grew up with a bike, playing sports with my neighbors, learned to play guitar from a neighbor, turning hand written homework (and sometimes use a typewriter), talking face to face with friends, movies at the movie theater. I do not have stats, but I suspect the energy used on a person from 0 to 19 years old is many fold.
4
In theory, it's plausible emissions can trap the ozone and act as 'insulation' increasing the planet's temperature. And that melting of ice-caps could lead to increased precipitation.
I've worked outside non-stop, doing extremely-hard prolonged physical-labor, straight-thru for the last 14-yrs thru all 4-seasons.
It does NOT seem to me that every year get's hotter & hotter, despite the headlines that it was 'another record-breaker.'
The weather / temp seems the same as it was in the 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's, etc...some days are very hot & humid and some days are bitter icy cold & windy, but overall, it seems the same as it ever was over the last 4 or 5 decades.
Also, the earth & weather have been with us for millions / billions? of years.
It would seem to me we'd need much longer climate-samples over thousands-of-years (in the least,) before raising alarms about there being major climate-change / global-warming.
I DO think it's a good idea to be mindful of climate-change and for us to respect our earth & environment, but not to the extreme that it impedes progress, prosperity or infringes on more immediate needs & issues.
Overall, it seems most climate-change-warriors have been indoctrinated, maybe even brain-washed into one giant misguided over-reaction.
It wouldn't be fair to call it a hoax, cuz there is underlying scientific-data that's worthy, however, overall it seems these climate-kids aren't on the right path.
3
These protests are truly inspiring to me. Unfortunately, politicians know that these young people don't show up to the polls in large numbers. Definitely continue to protest. But if you want change: VOTE!
3
I'm 58 years old, and I take the science seriously and vote accordingly. I've also made major lifestyle changes in the past 12 years to do what I can, personally:
- gave up my car in 2007 and moved across the US from Calif. to NYC where I didn't need one
- downsized from a 1400 sq ft house to a 600 sq ft apt in NYC
- in 2017, I moved from NYC to Paris, France, and downsized to a 300 sq ft apt
- I became vegetarian in early 2019
- I have never smoked
- I have only flown once in the past 3 years and go everywhere else by train
- I do everything I can to avoid plastic, and I buy clothing either used or from verified socially conscious companies
There are other changes I've made, but these are the biggies. Yes, there have also been sacrifices involved. It has not been easy. But the planet is worth this sacrifice to me. And corporate leaders and politicians are starting to take notice.
4
In addition to protesting, my advice to the next generation is to study hard and focus on science. We are going to need scientists and engineers to develop more efficient ways to spend energy, develop clean sources of energy, develop methods to lower the levels of heat trapping gases in the atmosphere, perfect the climate models to increase their accuracy, develop water management systems, and on and on. The focus on these protests should ask for government funding for all these scientific advances now, scholarships for science and engineering students, funding universities for research. Trust science, the future is exciting. And whether the planet warms up or cools down, or is threaten by an asteroid, they would be ready.
6
They should be angry; furious, actually. Our current tax, deficit and environmental policies will saddle them with multiple crises and enormous debt. Trump and the billionaires whose interests he serves so slavishly and stupidly is spending them into penury, spending their birthright.
6
A beach ball made from PVC plastic!?! I can’t tell you how many times I have pulled pieces of plastic or full beach balls Fromm the ocean. PVC is a I product of foss fuel. Just saying! Planting trees on every school campus around the world would say much more.
2
Those minor children who sing "I don't know but I've been told...." are the children already poisoned with contaminated fish, contaminated water from fracking waste poisoning aquifers and basins, pesticides, mercury from cement plants, and filthy air from fossil fuels. Some will die before they are 12 years old. Never ever mock them again.
We stand together or we all die together.
7
My twenty year old was there in Berlin, my fifteen year old in Essen--both are very well informed. I hope young people can help stop climate change.
http://www.thecriticalmom.blogspot.com
5
Part of this long overdue conversation needs to be about population. Yes to the green new deal, but It is time to address population and land use also.
7
Young people are rightly concerned about their futures. Now imagine how they will think about bringing a child into this world.
4
while #MoscowMitch, Trump, the NRA, and other other dinosaurs are trying to hold onto what they have, young people are dedicated to making their own world not only safer but to keep it in existence. they have one thing going for them, Mitch, Donald, and their ilk will be dead when they take the lead in the world. we only hope we are around to see part of it. it's going to be a marvelous future...
2
I never encouraged or discouraged my high school students participation in pro-life marches despite my strong commitment to protecting the unborn. My philosophy as a high school teacher was to explain a particular issue and to hold the students accountable for understanding it. I thought it manipulative, given their level of maturity, to urge them as their teacher into a mode of social action which I question their ability to understand deeply enough for such action.
Thus, even though I think climate control is a critical responsibility, I think it irresponsible for high school teachers to tell their students they ought to be marching
Bravo to these youngsters!!
5
Global warming must be on page 1A every day. Reducing oil and gas CO2 emissions and MH4 exhausts are necessary. Get out of your cars, travel fewer miles, walk more.
4
Good to see people know this is a Global problem not just the US. There’s no reason we can’t start to turn this around especially in the US...oh wait there is one reason we call them republicans.
4
Telling kids not to buy cars and to ditch their phones is insulting and ignorant and literally drops in the ocean of the problem ahead of us. This crisis needs global strategies which listen to Science and for it to become a world wide criminal act to damage the planet - it will kill us after all. USA needs to get itself back in the global community willing to listen to science and to cooperate with all other nations to protect this one and only option for a planet we have.
3
Just seeing that these kids have a banner supporting the so-called “Green New Deal” is proof positive that they have no idea at all of how the world works. Not only will it bankrupt the USA it will likely bankrupt the world. And when it is tried and there is no power, no communications, no transport, limited resources of every type, very limited employment, very little money, what will they protest about then? As is usual in these times, they will look for someone to blame and lament the futility of hyper-costly, empty, pointless, wasted efforts. The world would be far better off preparing to handle what might happen - might - than throwing trillions of dollars down the toilet and into the bottomless pit that is the socialist morass. Bjorn Lomborg has the best approach that anyone has come up with: sensible, measured, attainable, economical.
4
I apologize to my grandchildren for leaving the earth in such a mess. I hope they can do a better job.
3
First world kids who never have to face problems of second and third world kids like starvation, death from treatable diseases, eternal homelessness are the protesters. Yet those third world kids are depending on cheap fossil fuel to pull them out of poverty and into economic security. When the day comes that the third world kids protest, then that would be newsworthy.
5
Hopefully, when they are of age, they will vote appropriately!
4
Using children to promote such causes is not only shameful, it is a good sign that many adults are not convinced of the scope of the problem. It is a tactic used by criminals, and it needs to stop.
A nuclear plant just shut down (or will this month) in Pennsylvania. Where was all this political motivation to prevent that decision? If there was ever a chance to make a straightforward trade of dollars for a reduction in carbon emissions, existing nuclear plants are it. If the situation is not so urgent that it is ok to retire "icky" nuclear plants despite their huge role in limiting carbon emissions, then most people will conclude it is not so urgent, period.
3
We visited St. John, New Brunswick, Canada and were pleasantly surprised to see a group of students joining the protest. They were encouraged and greeted by horns and cheers of passersby. Their pristine environment is threatened by rising tides (already the highest in the world), Irving oil and gas exploration & refinement and Irving Paper & Pulp. It lifted my spirits and I felt proud that the values we cherish are being passed on to our children.
2
It restores faith in humanity to see thousands of kids and adults supporting their cause globally. Their governments have failed them. The current Trump regime along with the attorney general Barr is poised to enforce auto makers through the courts to reduce fuel efficiency over 10 mph and the emissions.
5
Demonstrating is fun. There is a powerful sense of shared purpose and camaraderie.
I am concerned about using really young children in the process. I remember being afraid of a Soviet attack after our music teacher shared his conviction that we were in mortal danger of nuclear attack. I would wake up in the night and look to see if the planes were coming.
I felt I couldn't tell my family about those fears. I don't know exactly why. It may have involved a sense that they were powerless to do anything about it.
Climate change is real. It's a terrible danger to us all and we do not have the ability to do a lot about it at this time. Mobilize adults and young adults. Leave very young children out of it.
First, I’d like to say “thank you” for these activist children taking on an issue that affects all of us. Secondly, to all the world’s adult reading this article you should be shamed. In particular, I site the adults of the United States. Activism use to be a popular, if not successful, way that adults (not children) brought change to political acts threatening our American rights to a quality life. Without the activist movements of the 60’s and 70’s, Americans would have been another third world country of demeaning human conditions. Now, it seems adults are more content with just reading news or watching political pundits rather than being the news.
11
"Nowhere is that more true than in the United States, which has produced more emissions than any country since the start of the industrial age." No mention of India or China's current emissions or the improvement in the U.S. because it doesn't fit the writer's narrative.
If people are serious about global warming: drop & enforce the speed limit at 55, set thermostats at 65 during day and 55 at night, set AC at 78, turn off all the excess lighting, shut down the 30% of servers which are just idling and stop building housing, etc. in the deserts. People talk, but they are not willing to do anything.
9
The real question in America is how are the Republicans going to prevent all these young people from voting once they reach 18? Preventing minorities from voting was a piece of cake. This crowd will be a much more challenging task. But I imagine Mitch and the boys have that all figured out. It's a good thing it's not the 1770's and 80's. Imagine what the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution would look like if Mitch wrote it.
13
Yesterday TMI was shut down forever, its iconic towers soon to be dismantled. Where will its radioactive waste go?
Realizing zero emission energy is imperative, so too is factoring in all costs, all possible outcomes. Shrugging away consequences worked for our ancestors who relied on instinct and triage to survive, but today, on a crowded planet, we need educated, far-seeing decision-making if we are to survive our climate/population crisis.
9
I support these young people and am glad to see them emphasize government action to address climate change. However, the next protests have to be more specific--we in the U.S. need an immediate and rising carbon tax. Americans in polls by over two-thirds majority say climate change exists and government should do something, but only one-third support a gas tax rise of even 10 cents per gallon. Huh? We need a gas tax rise of probably $2 a gallon that will encourage us to stop driving gas guzzling SUVs and start driving hybrid and electric vehicles. If we cannot get even a 10 cent per gallon tax passed with gasoline now $2.40/gallon then we know that we are not going to address climate change.
17
@john
Ummm do you understand that increasing the gas tax will hurt many folk who live on the edge in areas where a car is a necessity? Many years ago I lived in a rural area we were considered "well off" there but lower middle class in urban areas. There was no mass transportation except for a bus once a day to and from a college town. Hospitals and shopping centers were in towns many many folk lived in more rural areas most had been born there and knew of no other life. We moved back to NYC after a couple of years as my better half needed medical care the rural hospitals could not supply. Had we been one of the locals I mentioned it would have been a death sentence for my better half. To try to implement Climate Change Mitigation and Restoration those folk I mention above will need education and support.
Just an old white man's opinion based on experience.
3
Unfortunately I think it's far too late. Didn't Al Gore's book re; the "Tipping Point " state that the tipping point had been reached sometime in the early part of 21st century. I don't know if he had the exact date right but it seems to me he was pretty close. It seems to me when something becomes radioactive, cancerous or entropic whatever adjective you want to label it to explain something that's gone haywire and see the transformation happening in front of your eyes to think that you can reverse it is unrealistic.environmental behavior with demonstrations or anything else and it's already too late. You can think it's not too late and that's your prerogative, but if you observe any disease that's gone out of control your reach a different conclusion. There's no remedy at this point and fact is that if they stopped all the polluting tomorrow it wouldn't change things and then not even close to changing it tomorrow, so as sad as it may be I think you need to come to grips with it. It's going to unfold into an apocalyptic catastrophe for the planet. Just a matter of when. It's accelerating, that's for sure.
3
Its great that these young folks came out to make their voices heard.
Now show up at the polls in November 2020 when it really matters.
20
@Faisal
I believe that yesterday matters and continues to matter. These young folk are aware how serious Climate Change is. I hope this is not a one off but the start of a movement such as was the Civil Rights Movement and the protests against the war in Vietnam.
Just an old man's opinion.
4
There is a simple answer to accelerate the demise of fossil fuels; "focus fusion." Google it. Their continuing struggles for funds to bring this amazing technology to life should be noticed and everyone needs be aware of this imperative clean and safe energy solution.
1
Now...vote.
We do have it all wrong about climate change. Doing nothing will mean the end of civilization.
The planet will continue and eventually this interglacial will end. In some distant future it will team with life as diverse as it hosts now.
Without us. That is what we risk. Putting a human face on climate change is exactly what may save us.
6
The earth’s climate has been continuously changing since the planet was formed billions of years ago and its climate will always continue to change, with or without input from humans. The earth’s formation never stops - it continues to evolve today just as it has been evolving for billions of years. Humans could not have stopped the Ice Age and they cannot stop the coming Warm Age. We should keep doing what we reasonably can to keep our air, land and water clean, and doing that will have some effect on climate, but it is wrong to believe that we have the power to reverse or stop the earth’s climate transition.
7
How do you know that human activity is not a determining contributor to climate change?
1
I marched with 10,000 people of every age and nationality, on a beautiful sunlit spring day, in Perth, Western Australia. The weather gods had smiled on the event, and the atmosphere was electric. I went from crying at the thought of the young people being forced to protect themselves, to intense admiration at how they were going about it, to outright exhilaration when a 15-year-old MC yelled into a microphone, "The future is ours." It is. A sea change is in the air.
13
I have spent most of my life working on renewable energy projects. As a research scientist I want to hank everyone who turned up to march. It's hugely encouraging to see people standing up and saying this is not ok. And what's more we all have a vote to say that we demand climate action. Make it count in 2020.
15
I’m glad to see the protests, but my younger self was a part of the 450 climate protests about 10 years ago... and other protests before that. I really think environmentalists (including myself) need to think about better strategies if there is any slim chance of mitigating this. Good intentions, protests and slogans aren’t enough. The political situation and climate status is getting increasingly depressing. Some cities are planning and implementing adaptation strategies, like NYC I believe. I think as far as mitigation solutions go, better engineering of products, renewable energy technologies, transformative batteries, and pouring tons of R&D funding into that. I suppose it’ll just take another oil crisis or war in the Middle East unfortunately to get Congress to move on this...
5
I actually teared up as I neared Foley Square while attending the rally/protest/march yesterday. To see such an assemblage of children, teenagers, parents with their babies and toddlers as well as grey haired protesters from the 60's like myself - I was truly moved. I marched for Biafra and against the Vietnam War then, and to see the same pure fervor that moved us all those many decades ago was truly heartening. Social media may have many down-sides but it was obvious how tuned in and fervent the young are. I recently read about a 23 year old woman who has invented a new type of biodegradable plastic based on discarded fish skin and bones. Stories such as that and yesterday's world wide events give me a glimmer of hope.
9
Protests went on all over the world, including India. The young people organized, led and inspired all of them. They have the most to lose. As a much older American I was happy to be there, support them and listen to them. As in the protests against the Vietnam war, the same happened and it worked. This too can work if we all get with them; young and old.
10
Good for them! Most every generation of young people have ideals and strong feelings about righteous truths; this generation can do more, they can save the world!
14
I applaud them. Remember, most of the youth in these protests will be eligible to vote next year...
14
If there's no plan - and there is none - privilege and power remain entirely in the executive suites where they're firmly planning to profit from their own extractive industries and then purchase and control distribution of any coming alternatives to ride their gravy train forever into the future.
Let the children have their day; they'll get tired and fade away.
1
A 10 kilometre deep lined and capped water well can convert all power stations to clean energy, a cut of 30% in CO2 emissions. A 20% cut would come from electrification of all vehicles. 41% would come from coating all buildings in Starlite. Aircraft and Ships could halve emissions by using fuel mixed with water using an ultrasonic dibber. Aircraft account for 6% of CO2, while shipping accounts for 4.5%, so another 5.25% can be saved. The total savings would then be 96.25%. Improving soil using biochar would then cut CO2 in the atmosphere by locking it in the ground. Cement based on magnesium silicates, not only requires much less heating, it also absorbs large amounts of CO2 as it hardens, making it carbon negative.
It can all be paid for by eliminating mental illness using the Kadir-Buxton Method.
3
Hi Gary, You have a point. Fear mongering is wrong. But there is a fine line between informing people, including small children, that there is a legitimate, huge danger, and manipulating fears for political purposes. Trump is good at the latter. The feeling of fear is supposed to protect us.
10
I am a boomer who marched in support of the Youth Climate Strike in Sacramento. The young speakers were passionate and well informed. To know the science is to be terrified and understand the urgent need for action.
Green New Deal Now.
21
To all the commenters asking if we can “walk the walk”... we already are. Millennials on the whole are said to be more environmentally conscious than older generations. We are more likely to live in cities forgoing cars and embracing ways of living (i.e. having less or no children or eating less or no meat) that are different from past generations and on the whole more efficient.
Rather than looking down at us and nodding their heads, it would be great to see older generations equally up in arms at the crisis we’re facing, even if they won’t have to live to see the bitter end.
What happened to the generation of “silent spring”?
19
@Mehak Sarang
I’m so enthusiastic about what I see in your (my children’s) generation. Reading through most of these comments, it’s easy to discern between the fading thinkers of the past and those who are passing the torch with future bearing optimism. The former are pessimistic voices who sound like they are full of regret for things they didn’t do. I am so proud of what you in this younger generation are doing! We have your back.
1
Let’s make a kind of reparations for the climate crisis: lower the voting age to 16.
17
No protests in China?
Maybe there are no photographs from over there.
If the biggest polluter doesn't care, does it matter what the rest of us hope for?
5
@Bhaskar
From what has been seen is the government in China has a plan and is working on solutions. They have dragged their economy from the third world to the 2nd biggest economy in the world. The BBC, MSN, and educational programs on the internet have information on what they are doing. In the meantime the U.S. is rolling back regulations and guidelines put in place to at the least slow down the mess.
Just who is being more responsible?
Just an old white man's opinion.
1
@Bhaskar
It is very difficult to mount a protest in China.
1
I hate to break the news to the young people, but there are just too many Republicans in America. What this ultimately means is that the planet is doomed and humanity will die. Sorry about that.
4
@Eric
Well they(the Republicans and others) will cater to the rich and super rich, enclaves and protected areas will be built to keep them safe. The rest of us will just have to cope. That's what the world wide protests are about. There is some time but it's running out as the science and nature are informing us.
2
Okay...it's over. Everyone will go home, eat dinner, use water to take a bath/shower, throw their garbage away, use the toilet, put soap and other chemicals in the drain from washing up, and use their technology that requires copper and other metals that are mined, before they go to bed. Monday will come and kids will hopefully be back in school, people will drive (gasp) to work and shop and just go on with their lives...in every part of the world. Such a waste of time...the earth will be fine. India and China didn't protest...hmmm. Wonder why?
10
@cheryl there were protests in both India and China. You can see the list of countries that participated here. https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/9/20/20875523/youth-climate-strike-fridays-future-photos-global
I’m relieved that these are the voices and leaders we have coming towards us.
1
@cheryl Well, for one, China and India have governments that don't deny climate change. They signed onto and are still signers on the Paris Climate Agreement, unlike the US.
Secondly, are some people in the US THAT naive? Protesting in China might get you arrested and thrown in jail. At worst you could be executed. How is that going to help the movement? In the US, we have the FREEDOM to assemble and FREEDOM and the young people today are exercising that right.
Third, did you read the article? There are at least protesters in Mumbai (yes, that's India) if not other cities.
Finally, do you have any contact with young people or are you just a cynical youngster? Because I'm middle-aged but teach and the young people I'm around recycle (yes even electronics), use biodegradable soap, put low-flow showerheads in their bathrooms, etc. I do the same and I'm hardly an environmental warrior.
2
@cheryl
There were protests in India. I hope this movement continues as we only have this planet. Yes we are using resources way too fast, as a species we are barreling toward creating a climate we will not like. That's the point of the protests.
Just an old man's opinion.
2
The kids have the RIGHT to protest as they are the ones that are going to live with the consequences of global climate change, not you negative fogies complaining about how they've been "indoctrinated".
How about we question the powerful rich people who have created a system based on the social construct of money that is and will kill more human beings and animal life on this planet than the last comet that obliterated the dinosaurs??? How about we get MAD about THAT????
14
this is why we must all support Bernie Sanders and the GND.
6
Cool this is going to make a huge impact like it did for gun control. Lol
1
Little robots radicalized by incompetent educators. Scary!
2
Actually, I must say that it's ironic to the max to be seeing all these young people protesting. Let us all step back and consider that these "young uns" are merely the result of continued population growth of humankind. If just a fraction of these young ones existed due to less reproduction on the part of the older generations that have produced them, well, there would automatically be less stress on the Earth. Go figure...
6
Marching does nothing without friends in high places. Failures would include Stop the Iraq War, Occupy Wall Street and Climate Change. I can think of one success; the 1963 March on Washington when MLK's sound system was damaged and Robert Kennedy called in the Army Corp of Engineers to fix it. I don't see any friends in high places for Climate Change.
5
Err... perhaps you are forgetting the Vietnam War? Sustained protests led to the passing of the War Powers Resolution and the Hatfield McGovern Amendment which defunded the war. It ended 6 weeks after I turned 18. Thanks, protesters!
1
I have read all the negative comments by old people in the Murdoch media that these kids are naive, don't know what they are talking about, brainwashed etc. I suggest that the older generation that makes those anti science climate change denial comments are guilty of what they accuse these kids of.
I am old enough to remember the protest against the Vietnam war and civil rights and it was the youth that was on the right side of history..
17
@Joseph B
The youth are on the right side of history now. They are educated, informed, and free to express themselves. The 16 yr. old who has organized a global climate strike is informed and articulate. Young people have a future to protect for themselves and their children. My generation marched against the Vietnam war and for civil rights. Years later I worked for a political law firm in D.C.; legislators do pay attention to mass marches; they have no idea how many of their constituents and their children are out there. They can see the signs from their windows.
13
@Joseph B
Come gather 'round, people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
And you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'
(Like literally given the floods we've suffered.)
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'
(And by "old", I don't mean chronologically. I mean both stubborn 90 yrs. olds and cynical 20 years olds that can't accept or consider new ideas and ways of doing things. You can be an "old" teen and a "young" 90 yrs. old.)
While occassional protests are okay, this fear monering of children on climate change, and taking them away from education that can provide science and well researched knowledge on global warming, is poor judgement on the part of immature, irresponsible and arrogant parents. Where are happy well adjusted children who participate in adult demand for social change with innocence, optimism and in a limited way? Fear mongering of children into protests is a disgusting abusive adult behavior. And I am a staunch environmentalist.
5
Maybe we ought to Keep the Sabbath, as the Bible dictates. What would it hurt if all businesses, less emergency lights and give the earth and it's inhabitants a day of rest? Think of all the energy savings, the lack of emissions and the personal money saved by staying home, doing pretty much nothing. Okay, go to church or whatever, but essentially let the people and the earth recover from 6 days of hard work?
That would be a great start. Earth before profit. God before Earth!
5
While occassional protests are okay, this fear monering of children on climate change, and taking them away from education that can provide science and well researched knowledge on global warming, accurately is poor judgement on the part of immature, irresponsible and arrogant parents. Where are happy well adjusted children who participate in adult demand for social change with innocence, optimism and in a limited way? Fear mongering of children into protests is a disgusting abusive adult behavior.
1
This shows how powerful China is. The country most responsible for carbon emmisssions on the planet, yet not one protester or commentator has the guts to call them out. Why?
2
@Pepperman, because the average American has a carbon footprint 100 times as large as the average Chinese person. No one has a larger carbon footprint than the average American. We must change.
1
When people are scared they are easily manipulated. The climate crisis is a vehicle manufactured to instill fear. These children are being groomed to live in an authoritarian state. This is indeed a disheartening sight. It's heartbreaking to see us spiral into the this political abyss and to so through the manipulation of children.
4
@Charlie L.
Tell that to the people who marched in Selma; tell that to the people who marched against the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, including veterans who served there; tell that to the young people who are now marching for enforcing good environmental regulations. Scientists all over the world have spoken out on climate change due tp pollution in the ozone. What is your basis for charging brainwashing and manipulation? We are not 'scared'; we are angry at the lack of legislative action to protect the environment. You insult the intelligence of Times readers.
While occassional protests are okay, this fear monering of children on climate change, and taking them away from education that can provide science and well researched knowledge on global warming, accurately is poor judgement on the part of immature, irresponsible and arrogant parents. Where are happy well adjusted children who participate in adult demand for social change with innocence, optimism and in a limited way? Fear mongering of children into protests is a disgusting abusive adult behavior.
"Make the World Greta Again." The unforgettable, astonishingly young Greta Thunberg is captivating the planet. With her quiet charisma, remarkable intellect, brilliantly articulate interviews, and inspiring courage she will make history some day if not today. In the meantime a Nobel Prize surely awaits her. God speed Ms. Thunberg as your journey begins.
16
We can start quickly with the government subsidizing electric cars so buying an e-car would be $10k and a gas car $25-40k.
Going electric would be a no brainer.
We could also use foldable electric trikes or mini-cars to get to and from train stations.
All e-trucks and e-cars would be subsidized so all levels of government, corporations and private citizens could easily switch to it.
Solar panels would be installed on all government and business roofs and parking lots. The savings from buying large quantities of panels could be passed on to individual homeowners.
Cities could plant trees everywhere lining streets, parks, business properties.
Some of these things are already being adopted in some Bay Area cities. Some police departments are trying out used Tesla’s.
The money can be taken from the Defense Budget. Instead of fighting over oil. We would spend on decreasing our dependence on it.
Lastly, we keep educating each other on how we can do better and how we can help other countries do better.
9
My kids were there and said it has insprired them to join one of the groups. My daughter has also been depressed and deals with anxiety about the climate crisis since she was a young child. It is good for kids to get involved and fight as we adults who have been fighting have not been getting anywhere. Now we have the disaster Trump bought and paid for by big oil and other polluting industries voted in by the "so-called" adults. When are Americans going to wake up and stop voting in the fossil fuel party? C'mon, we are running out of time!
16
There are actually two axioms associated with global warming (whether empirically measured or analytically modeled): 1) human use of fossil fuels is the root cause of global warming; 2) climate engineering is not to be allowed. The first point is ubiquitous in discourse, and the second is never stated, unless one reads technical papers on climate.I find this interesting: under "the science is settled" rubric, human (de-facto) engineering made a climate catastrophe, yet human engineering may not be used to remediate the problem. This strange paradox leads me to think of our climate problem as somewhat more political than technical: everyone must reduce their carbon footprint, yet the possible uses of technology to artificially cool the planet are off limits.I don't see how climate scientists and activists can have it both ways: 1) we are CERTAIN about our causality claim; 2) no, you can't use technology to change the climate artificially -- you must stop using fossil fuels. Why?Several technical communities are exploring engineering solutions to cool the earth. See, for example, the "Glitter Belt" studies at Georgia Tech: "High Altitude Aerodynamic Reflectors To Counter Climate Change". These approaches might cool the earth for 1 cent on the dollar in comparison to wholesale fossil fuel retirement, yet the climate authorities are nearly universally opposed.So: political issue (carbon footprint) or technical issue (cool the planet now)?
5
Hmmm...
Your point?
Science gives us data. The data is irrefutable.
5
Plant more trees. There needs to be a worldwide effort in greening the planet. Planting trees would be an easy start.
Also, promote and protect community gardens, especially in urban areas.
Get young people involved in growing vegetables and flowers. Not only does it benefit the environment, it's a great stress reducer too.
Tell kids to look up and notice the birds that are around them. Bird watching is kind of like hunting for treasure.
Get outside, put down the screens.
Plant trees and then plant more trees. We all can do our part. Even if it's just planting some flowers in a small patch of soil.
15
If climate change weren't already a complex and daunting enough prospect, we have young people whose hearts minds have been corrupted by misinformation and propaganda, marching off into protests, the particulars of which have been conveniently reduced to a very few, very flawed, assumptions.
Instead of acknowledging that it's no one's fault in particular, it's so much easier to blame today's older generation, as though they alone were responsible. Or maybe the couple who've had more than one child---or any at all! Or (as someone wrote to me in another climate-related comment thread a couple of days ago here on NYTimes.com) maybe it's "the family with children, the SUV and the huge suburban McMansion" that's the real problem! I got the sense that she would also liked to write about that "White suburban family", but she thinks she may have read somewhere that Whites are actually in decline---so maybe it's those darn hispanics or African Americans??
And just who has filled hearts and minds---not just young ones either---with such poisonous claptrap? Who is responsible for fomenting---let's see, in no particular order---such racism, sexism, class resentment, and whatever it is you'd label someone who resents others with children?
If I didn't know any better, I might think that this organization was deliberately stoking division between Americans, while of course favoring the young and gullible. They are, after all, the future (and future subscribers) of America.
1
What is denial? The only vestige left in the world still denying the science of climate change is U.S. Republicans. It's understandable since U.S. power and wealth has derived from oil and gas and, as we speak, the U.S. is the biggest producer and exporter of oil and gas in the world.
But like addicts in denial, the U.S. Republicans need a huge intervention! The truth of the science positively changes the course, while the lies of denial perpetuate the addiction. The time for treatment is now!
Go Greta!
10
Keep doing this, kids. Your future depends on it!
13
“Suffer the little children, for they shall inherit the Earth”. I couldn’t help but think of this that I learned long ago in Sunday school. Though I do not practice religion, here and there it contains nuggets of truth.
5
The powerful don't listen. Why?
Perhaps the super-rich see global heating as an easy way to kill off billions of "unprofitable poor people"?
Unfortunately for them, their plans have backfired, and they will die too.
3
The US public education system must not educate children to ecology and climate change because American adults are completely ignorant.
In Europe, children from age 10 or even before are sensibilized at school to recycling, pollution, plastic danger, balanced food, sustainable energy ,etc..
In Germany at least 40 % of plastic is recycled. In the USA only 7 %. And Americans, even children are used to eat in plastic everyday.
Nobody eat in plastic in Europe. You go to a cafe and you drink from a porcelain cup that is then washed , not a sterofoam cup or card board cup that is thrown in the trash.
Americans are so far behind.
6
Yet no one GOP politician cares. Yes, it is partisan because Republicans block any change
4
Wow! These kids make me sad I’m not that young anymore but it makes me so happy and excited for the future of my two children! You kids rock! This is how we’re raising our kids today, I hope the future is better because of them. Shame on us as adults for not taking care of our planet! Kids can teach you so much, you just have to LISTEN!
11
@Moisés López
Scientists have been trying to get adults to listen for 40+ years. Greed wins every time.
It’s a shame these clueless young people don’t realize they are being manipulated. If it’s so serious, why did you need a day off from school?
3
@Jackson
You insult the intelligence of young people who know exactly why they are marching. They are marching when people are at work and can see them from government office windows. They are welcome to take a day from school to demonstrate what they know about the changes in climate due to pollution from fossil fuels, methane gas trapped in the ozone layer. They are not manipulated; they are taking a stand; they are acting in a long tradition we hold dear in the United States. Bless them all!
1
Everyone can help
The use of the word inchoate, later portion of article, “... inchoate sense of rage” is quite unfortunate and should have been edited out by a good editor.
The word if used, interpreted correctly means “just begun, not fully formed” ...certainly dubious use, if some estimated 4M participants..,unless related to future plans.
But, unfortunately though very common in use, the word has been interpreted as “incoherent, chaotic, confused.”
Combined with rage, it implies a rather biased and tricky slight of hand to cast dispersion on these courageous, articulate and young engaged citizens.
Sociologists take note as the global youth are often caricatured as self absorb, socially awkward, not interested in politics and the broader world.
As this administration continues to eviscerate all EPA, USDA, OSHA, et al regulations and the agencies themselves affiliates purge NOAA, Geo, NSA, themselves...
and has abused its power, obstructed Justice, runs rampant with corruption and now in high Treason appears to be trading national security secrets and military arms in quid pro quo for most likely direct vote changing in 2020 by foreign power and/or “digging up dirt” on D candidates
It is the adult “citizens” who need to be scolded, spanked/time out, and sent to bed immediately after dinner no TV for their lack of engagement.
Imagine if Millions of us, in all 50 states were protesting each weekend demanding Impeachment and restoring the rule of Law.
5
Nice concept, kids bringing change to the planet. Sorry but reality is different. Until these kids are able to vote and accumulate wealth, nothing will be done, This reminds me of the old rock classic, "Summertime Blues", sorry kids you're too young to vote, otherwise we would listen to you. Are there kids in China protesting? I don't think so. China, India far exceed the U.S. in pollution. How long has Earth Day been around? What good has it done? Very little. It's like the other holidays we have; Mother's Day, Father's Day Thanksgiving, for one day maybe there is some love, and that's a big maybe... the rest of the days humans going about their animalistic rituals: killing, destroying, hoarding, polluting, stealing... and on and on...i forgot, and breeding... like rabbits. Scientists please hurrying so you can perfect gene splicing techniques so you can then splice in a "love and compassion" gene, and a common sense gene while you're at it.
2
@lou Andrews
Their parents and teachers vote; you are mistaken if you think parents and teachers don't listen to their children and students. My parents listened to me; professors at Berkeley listened to their students when we spoke up in class. In fact, many professors supported their students when they were arrested during the Free Speech sit ins; professors drove to the Santa Rita jail and bailed their students out of jail. Kids in China have demonstrated, at great risk.
4
Protesting and voting isn’t enough. We’re beyond that stage. The main cause of environmental collapse is consumerism, an overburdened resource crisis, and most of all, a massive overpopulation of human animals. Go home, stop buying, and skip having children. All else is a wasted effort. Inconvenient truths.
5
@Christopher
We are above animals, because we can verbalize our thoughts and communicate complex ideas. We can read and write. We can form complex societies governed by laws. Unfortunately for you, Christopher, people still want to have children to love and care for. We will learn how to better manage our consumerism. We will learn how to better govern ourselves without denying the right to have children. Inconvenient truth.
It's a sad day when the youth have to lead the adults. Note: trump is worthless :(
4
Climate is changing because there are too many of us on this planet already. This is due to sex being popular. Should governments act on this ?
2
That's how you make America, and the rest of the world, great again...
1
This whole protest looked more like a day off from work and school. True, it drew the worlds attention, but to what end? More talk and arguments. May I suggest that rather than asking the worlds governments to do something, each servant believer do something. They can start by shutting off the lights in their homes, even at night. They can eat a raw vegan diet - no cooking. And if they have air-conditioning, turn it off. And they can ride a bike or walk to school and work. I can suggest more but it will not be implemented. The individual, the masses, will not make that sacrifice. I call them hypocrites.
The wealthy individual and corporations and governments will buy carbon credits or carbon offset credits. These are certificates. For each certificate/credit one purchases be they a government or company or whatever, they are now PERMITTED to release 1 ton of co2 into the air. In other words, they can ease their conscience, release tons of co2 into the air and claim they are fighting climate change because they purchased that right, i.e. carbon credit. Somewhere, the money that was used to buy the credits is used to fight climate change. I would welcome some solid factual reporting on that. In the meantime, the climate change evangelists of the world keep on buying and releasing. And using (scaring?)children who do not fully understand the politics of it all to make their case.
2
@Josh McGowan
"Why is it unreasonable to demand cleaner air, water, and soil?"
That is the opposite of green energy. Obama rules allow every company to butcher 4000 bald eagles a year (1/30 of the US total) without any questions asked, for instance.
"Climate action" means an impoverished nation, with all the natural landscapes made into desolate industrial windmill farms, half not working, impossible to take down... with the soil polluted by the immensely toxic selenium needed to make solar panels, etc.
If you want a cleaner environment, develop.
Underdeveloped nations are the most horrendous polluters. Since environmental protection is expensive.
Who do you think will spend money on environment in the middle of a deep recession, caused by our candidates' $16 thousand billion green plan?
3
The cynicism, defeatism, and dismissiveness of most of the comments here (and at the NY Times yet!) makes me hope that they were actually written by pseudonymous functionaries of fossil-fuel corporations - which is a distinct possibility. I'm very proud of these young people, and I think, as they have to think, that they can make a difference. As Elizabeth Warren said, it's not about giving up plastic straws and cell phones, it's about breaking the fossil-fuel industry's stranglehold on American government. If we fail to do that, the human race is doomed, along with most other species.
15
One thing is for sure. Trump sure isn't listening because he is to busy taking orders from Putin and the Saudi's . Our new allies.
6
They are protesting as though their lives depends on it.
IT DOES!
10
The only sounds that will capture the attention of trump and the republicans are the sounds of broken glass and the thump of bricks.
1
All of these young people who are US citizens and 18 or over need to show up at the polls in 2020. All those under 18 need to be sure their parents and other relatives vote the climate deniers out of office.
They must continue their marches, especially in the month before the election. They can make a change, not by being on the screen or social media but by being sure the troglodyte republicans are voted out of office in 2020. That is the only way they can make meaningful change. Use the weapon of the vote against the bullets directed at you by the republicans.
9
I love the NYT - read it every day, often for several hours - this story should have been the lead banner, not a subset of the day.
17
So proud.
Please keep up the protests.
17
The children have done their part, now it's time for us adults to own up to the planetary damage we've all done over the past several decades.
We must demand systemic change -- in business, industry, commerce, government, and education. The process starts with ousting politicians who are in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry and retiring Trump and his enablers/sycophants to the trash heap of history (not the recycling bin -- we don't want him coming back in any form!)
9
The kids may march and chant, but it is the teachers and the principals that run the world.
2
Not for long.
@Rodgerlodger They will vote very soon.
Skip school to protest? Any excuse will do.
4
Disgusting how adults are using children to promote their political and ideological agendas. Teachers are now political operatives and indoctrinators. Schools are no longer promoting free thinking. They have switched to brain washing.
I am an environmentalist, but I think all of this is inconsequential, unless we address population growth in the underdeveloped world.
5
What exactly is it that you think the word, “environmentalist,” means?
3
Good! It was about time! Young people have waited too long as the useless who run this world destroy every single part of it. You name it: forests, lakes, oceans, grasslands, mountains! March on, you guys!
9
Why don't the cheapskate grown-ups open their wallets and buy us kids some nice climate stability and make sure that everything is perfect from now on like it's supposed to be?
2
Great demonstration on climate change, all. I am 75, but I have seen so many changes in my lifetime that I am totally willing to do everything in my power to mitigate or even stop it.
Let's start pressing the candidates now!
12
I'm in awe of these kids, especially Ms. Thunberg. She is so self-possessed and focussed and has more moral clarity than I did at twice her age.
There is one more message I would like her to hammer home: VOTE. It's not enough, not by a long shot. But maybe she and the rest of this movement can finally motivate the 18-30 year-olds to get to the ballot box. This alone would have ended Trump before he got started.
No one's been able to do this in the past, but maybe Greta and the new kids in charge can finally pull it off.
17
I wonder how many of these young people support the construction of nuclear fission power plants? The goal of becoming carbon neutral is virtually impossible without such a commitment. A pro-nuclear march would have made more sense to me.
3
Virtually impossible? I don’t think so. Solar and wind power use is rapidly expanding, and, because renewable generation can exist in a wide range of scales, is much more friendly to vibrant free markets. Nuclear power is incompatible with capitalism because it requires operators to bear heavy expenses for plants along after their most productive years have passed.
6
@rab
Nuclear fission has been examined by scientists; it has some serious problems with no fixes. Bechtel looked at building nuclear fission plants and found that the liabilities were too great.
These young people should vote in 2020 as if their future depends on it.
8
"Using the internet, young people are organizing across continents like no generation before them."...
I can't help but wonder if the rise in device/internet, computers, digital media and it's components, television, radio, and all electronics, the unearthing of the earths minerals has anything to do with the warming planet.. It seems that the rise of our popular recognition of climate change has corresponded to our use of cel phones! What a conundrum!
2
The systemic nature of the problem: when you're reading an article on the biggest international climate strike in history .... and it is interspersed with advertisements for an airlines company.
9
I am an old pragmatist dude. My advise to these energetic full of potential youthful minds to vote and take governing when their times come. Science has no ideology. GOP and Donald will be unsavory US history chapter.
7
The cool thing about kids is that every day there are more of them, while simultaneously fewer and fewer ignorant, bitter "adults" trapped in the past, who apparently see nothing wrong with mocking actual children who are demanding to have a future (how entitled, right? I blame the participation trophies).
Who do you think created the hyper consumerist, fossil fuel-dependent economy these kids were born into? Who do you think created all the smartphones and cars and fast food restaurants they are surrounded by? Who built the oil pipelines and the coal mines, despite the constant warnings that we were making the wrong choice? Who created the noxious conservative media outlets constantly pumping our corporate propaganda? It certainly wasn't these kids!
And yet now, when the flames are lapping at our feet and literally everything we hold dear is at stake, we have the gall to call them "misguided" or "hypocrites." ? They did not choose the world they were born into - yet they are brave enough to start building the one they deserve, and they will succeed, regardless of your approval.
20
That was a bit of a villainous jab at China, no? Are we to believe every single other country in the world except China had a protest today? What about the places in the US where this idea isn’t supported? Seemed like a very targeted and one-sided line
2
Thank you, young people. So amazing to see you gathering all over the world.
13
The sad thing is that in the US currently, a lot of climate-related policies are being made (and blocked) by a bunch of old guys who don’t care about the world they are destroying because they won’t be around to live with the consequences.
It is mind-boggling, however, to realize that they absolutely do not care about the consequences for their children and grandchildren.
15
Hooray for the young people and their signs . I am glad they can still use crayons and not ask their phones to do if for them . We are doomed .
3
Great! This will do a whole lot of good.
1
Contempt, just contempt.
Making demands is not making solutions. Do these kids think because they come up with some fancy posters, they contribute anything to solving this problem ? Do they think, that rational people haven't been aware of the situation ? Much ado about nothing, much ruckus to distract from their own ineptitude.
Yes, we have broken the ecosystem. But these naive idealist do not realize, that there is no quick fixing except changing the whole economy, forever.
If they will have their way, they will achieve little, create a lot of mess, and a lot of misery. And finally there will be a backlash from the people, who are suffering from erratic bickering. And that means more Koch Brothers, more Trump, more denial.
What we really need are engineers and scientist. We must be able to mass produce hydrogen oxygen fuel cells. We must achieve fusion reactor technology. We need a simple system for waste avoidance and recycling. We need smart people. And i do not think those kids on the street will be those people we need.
6
@Mathias Weitz
You insult all the young people who marched for the cause of a clean environment. You also insult their parents, grandparents, teachers, and ordinary people who support what they are saying. You state the young people are not 'smart' enough to understand pollution; methane gas trapped in the ozone forever, because it does not degrade. Young people also understand that drilling for oil in Antarctica creates the danger of drilling through the crust which traps methane gas. They understand that there is no wellhead to cap, as there was in the Gulf. If you don't believe that the next generation are capable of producing scientists, you denigrate them, their parents and teachers. You denigrate education and social progress. You ignore all of history which shows human beings evolving, learning, creating learning, e.g. mathematics. The angry, informed young people in the street are exactly the people we need. Educated young people are those who will accomplish what you want; their grandparents won't. You assume that the young people you insult are not educated; you are incredibly arrogant.
Best of luck to today's young people - they'll need it. At least here in the U.S., the biggest difference they can make right now is voting in 2020 if they are eligible and encouraging their family and friends to vote - vote out Trump and the anti-environment zealots that make up today's Trumplican party.
6
This a message that needs to be repeated and heard. However, I don't like kids being used as the mouth piece. The grownups need to take the lead. We all need to change our behaviors. Walk, bike, or take public transportation. Use less plastic, bring your own cup to the coffee shop, bring your own reusable shopping bag, don't use straws, bring your own reusable utensils.
Don't rely on government or business.
2
You go kids. We’ve sadly blown it. Help yourselves. Don’t rely on the older people to save the earth. Many of us Baby Boomers had the best of intentions but some of us dropped the ball. Please help us save the planet. Run us right over if you have to. I’d be happy to have your tire tracks on my back. Do it.
8
@Sally Lisa Oh, please! Stop with the generalizations about Baby Boomers. Yes, some of our generation “blew it” as you say, but I am sure that a significant proportion of the generation represented by the protests today are climate change deniers or totally apathetic with regards to the issue.
I hate to break the bad news and the demonstrations were cool and all, but very little is going to get done in this country to combat climate change while the Republican party exists (has anyone been paying attention at all to what Trump is doing to the planet). Additionally, while the world needs a leader, once again it is not going to be us while the Republican Party exists. You can try to sugar coat it all you want, but until you solve that problem all you are doing is tinkering around the edges and really not even delaying the inevitable. If you do not see a possible civil war coming then you are just not paying attention. Either way, our prospects of surviving are not good and they are getting worse every day..
5
It was not just young people. People of all ages participated all over the world.
6
This is great!! Just think what all these children can do!
First, tear up their drivers’ licenses. Refuse to drive or fly anywhere. Turn off the heat, AC, and power at home. Don’t use a clothes dryer; wash their clothes by hand. Walk everywhere.
Set an example!! People in the 17th century got by without cars, planes, or electricity; so can we.
5
Now I wish there could be a similar mass movement in the U.S. re gun control. It's still almost impossible for me to believe that nothing is being done.
5
Well, this certainly represents a better place than the complacent slumber we've been in for the 60 years or so that we've known this was a problem.
But, pardon me if I'm not teary-eyed over it. We've stomped out a major portion of non-human species on our traverse from caveman to modern day, and haven't given a hoot until yes, the specter finally darkens our personal door.
Even if we pull our marshmallow from the fire just in time, we'll still have a sadly diminished planet under our feet. I'll skip the celebration myself.
3
If the science that has been rapidly confirming climate change is correct, and I believe that it is, then the cold hard truth is relatively simple...the planet cannot sustain a human population nearly as large as it is today.
That leads me to see only a few choices. One is that we continue as we are, and arrive at a calamity never seen before. One is that we encourage birth control on a global level. And yet a third possibility is that energy technology saves the day. Unfortunately, unless the wave of youthful protestors accomplishes the second option, humanity will see catastrophe. The odds favor the first option. The third option is a pipe dream.
And there you have it. Our future unvarnished, in my humble opinion.
7
The real problem is population explosion and, no one talks about it. India and China are big polluters as also is the U. S.of A. with less population but still. Less marches and more actions that really do something to take accountable steps to lessen the problem.
10
@Eduardo
Marches draw attention and start conversations. The Voting Rights Act is an example of change following marches, arrests, and police dogs attacking marchers. Marches can and do make public statements. Actions require a public audience informed by marches, among other things. Mexico still hasn't found all the disappeared; Mexico still hasn't dealt with the corrupt public officials who allowed murderers to walk free. Don't worry about us in the States, worry about your corrupt, toothless government. Worry about those who are stacked on our border hoping for entrance to a country where they can safely raise children without brutal gangs.
I see these young people and am so glad they did this but so sad because I don’t think it will change a single thing.
As a 44-year-old who learned a lot about climate change about 12 years ago (it was my major focus in grad school), I ended up not being able to get a job doing what I had intended because no one cared about the environment after the financial crisis. Now I’m in another industry, and experiencing more success than I ever dreamed possible, but now that I’m out of that world, I see how little people outside of the environmental and sustainability movements care or understand. And even I myself have little time to dedicate to these issues nowadays.
I worry about future generations but I have no idea how this planet can support more than 7 billion people. I think we’re already on the path to the collapse of Homo sapiens. I hope these young people can turn things around, but from where I sit, I would say the odds are low.
10
Fight pollution and carbon emission and climate change can be minimized and some day be reversed. How do we drastically reduce pollution? Rach one does their part.
5
You know how we could DRAMATICALLY curb emissions... NUCLEAR. And for those who are going to say, "what about Fukushima?" To that I say the perfect is the enemy of the good.
6
NO. We’ve got solar, wind and hydro electric! Nuclear waste is a danger to the health of our Earth! Electric vehicles.
2
@Mystery Lits
Nuclear creates waste with no place to safely store it.
We don't need a heads up from any young people regarding their plight on Climate RUIN! We are well briefed on the ramifications to come regarding our dirt and how it's affecting our atmosphere. BUT, we congratulate the young lady on getting the attention of millions -- something the current administration walks away from -- deplorable.
3
There were a few similar movements in history.
Their scientific base was just about as solid as for this one.
They were the children used in Mao's Cultural Revolution. Since they did not understand humans yet, they could be more cruel than adults.
And before that, the Children's Crusade.
None of them ended well.
In this case, the children want to stop a global warming which was in full swing 200 years BEFORE the big emissions. That is like trying to stop the seasons by government action.
The only difference is that people have seen seasons all their life. While climate changes are long term, and they are grasped either by the very old, or by those who are scientifically literate, in the sense that they are curios to check the actual measured data.
These kids are neither, and they are educated to believe what they are told without daring to check. Like religious bigots.
7
This whole issue goes beyond a warming planet. Why is it unreasonable to demand cleaner air, water, and soil? Major countries need to push for greener energy, agriculture, and waste management.
6
@Josh McGowan
"Why is it unreasonable to demand cleaner air, water, and soil?"
That is the opposite of green energy. Obama rules allow every company to butcher 4000 bald eagles a year (1/30 of the US total) without any questions asked, for instance.
"Climate action" means an impoverished nation, with all the natural landscapes made into desolate industrial windmills, with the soil polluted by selenium needed to make solar panels, etc.
If you want a cleaner environment, develop.
Underdeveloped nations are the most horrendous polluters. Since environmental protection is expensive.
Who do you think will spend money on environment in the middle of a deep recession, caused by our candidates' $16 thousand billion green plan?
2
Sorry, but I think they'll be ignored, as the moneyed interests are completely disconnected from the voices of the people.
5
If only of those protesting/demonstrating about climate change would STOP or reduce their needles consumption of stuff, emissions might be reduced. But few of us do that, I drive a Prius three days a week, make a conscientious effort to conserve water, participate in municipal recycling, and make compost, but I see my younger neighbors being wasteful. And not even doing half of what I do. But they are naive enough to think protesting will change anything, or that Bernie style demagogues will really do anything to curb our wanton consumerism.
In general, I find that the younger people are, the more engage in conspicuous consumption . Don’t they realize business just react to satisfy their inane needs?
Just ask around who is willing to do without cars and electricity or plastic junk for one day. But to ease their collective guilt, they take to the streets. Futile!
International protesting/demonstrating won’t change anything unless those so concerned about global warming radically change their consumer habits. Don’t they know everything produced to satisfy their “needs” takes place in factories? And would they get rid of the family automobiles, or stop buying gasoline? Perhaps even riding public transportation for a week a year?
8
@Son of A. Bierce
Blame the individual instead of society planning and acting responsible. This requires industry and technology.
You’re the guy blaming your neighbor for not putting out a rain bucket to catch water before a drought and saying it’s his fault for the drought because you have a bucket of water. Instead of blaming government and those that knew the drought was coming. Since you blamed the guy with the empty bucket because you pointed at him the republicans join in and blame him too!
Zero responsibility and zero planning from you as well. Thanks for helping but individual nonsense isn’t a solution when our society runs on expelling carbon.
2
I hope every climate protest starts to be accompanied by a TREE PLANTING. It's easy, cheap and fun. And probably humanities best bet to reverse global warming. It's not guess work. It's something that WILL WORK. Can you imagine what the forest canopy on planet earth looked like 500 years ago? We need to restore the trees we had back then.
16
@Surfrank I agree 100%. I 'cry' every time I become aware of yet another tree being cut down in NYC.
There used to be a big majestic tree that I could see, a few yards away, from my third floor window. And I'd see all kinds of birds flying in and out of that tree, to take rest. Then one day I heard some type of motorized sound and thought 'hmm...what's going on out there?' I was shocked at what I saw. There was now open blue sky, where there was once greenery. All that remained was the main trunk, with all the branches already having been cut off, and an 'arborist' strapped to the trunk finishing the job. By the end of the day, I could see no more of the tree from my apartment. It had presumably been cut down to the ground.
When I told some folks about it, they said 'well, maybe the tree was dying...' Yet, the tree looked very healthy to me, and even if some of the branches were unhealthy, they could have just cut them off. No need for the entire tree. Still others said 'maybe the roots were becoming problematic'. Truth is, I've no way of knowing why the tree was cut down. But I know this much: many homeowners actually consider trees to be 'nuisances'. Oh, there's falling leaves, which they might then have to rake. The leaves might also damage their precious, perfectly green, pesticide-laden lawn. And so on.
The world needs every single tree it can get. They absorb noise, provide shade, shelter for birds, prevent soil erosion and provide beauty and calm
3
@Surfrank
We are way beyond the point where trees plantings will help. We need a dramatic shift to renewables. My 28 solar panels are equivalent of 50 trees. We should plant trees, of course, but they will not affect climate change.
These kids are marching to show how desperate the situation is, and that politely planting trees once a year and recycling is not enough.
3
@Surfrank Yes! I completely agree! There needs to be a worldwide effort in planting trees. It would not be difficult to implement, and I really think it would make a difference.
2
New generation of voters - they will listen.
Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and I have something in common: We are old, white men; I'm in my early 80s.
I am the patriarch of a large four-generation family; surrounded by 18 year old plus voters who are paying attention to the politics of their generation. They are well-informed and are concerned about their future, and are smart enough to see through the haze of the current chaos and distraction in our country.
It is time for our generation to listen to the current crop of evolving public servants and let them start moving the country in the direction the under 60 voters in the country want. The past three years has proven that for the past half century our generation has obviously let them down.
I would vote for a baboon if I had to, but I clearly prefer for the Dems to consolidate and resolve the search to a final candidate who presents and can deliver a new beginning, though it may not all happen in the first 100 days!
Our younger voters are smart enough to not fall for all the free stuff and immediate pie in the sky programs. Talk straight to them - they will listen.
9
Great! Another reason for kids to skip school. Here in Los Angeles the LA Unified School District has a whopping 60% truancy rate .. One of the highest in the nation. LA Unified loses over $13 million dollars each month in state and federal funds because the kids and will not show up to school. Save the planet I get it- but let's try to save the children.
6
This is awesome. Now, will our politicians do anything about it? Will business do anything about it?
3
Without Donald Trump, there would probably be no #MeToo and these protests might not be happening today. Instead, had pragmatic Hillary Clinton been elected, the issue would not have been ignored, but she would have taken a slow and steady approach to try to placate both her corporate masters and her liberal base when something revolutionary is clearly needed. Trump, being so absurdly out of touch, greedy, and beholden to corporate interests, is the catalyst needed to hopefully eventually address the climate crisis in a meaningful way.
4
I send my children to NYC schools to be educated not indoctrinated in any of the litany of other bizarre, highly subjective, unscholarly political opinions of NYC teachers. If I wanted them to be indoctrinated into a faith-based religion, I would send them to Catholic school or a madrassa. Climate change--or specifically the claim that mankind is accelerating the warming of the Earth--is not an incontrovertible as Nobel Prize winning physicist Ivar Giaever and other renowned scientists have pointed out. However, these theories, which are largely based upon hyperbole, junk science, faulty empirical data and political motivation are being taught as facts rather than opinions. Man-made climate change is an opinion. And for the adults who don't believe it is merely an opinion, you should do a bit more research before you hang your hat on the claims of Al Gore or any of the faith-based activists he gave birth to. As Gaiever points out, climate change may or may not exist. There simply isn't enough scientific evidence to support the grandiose claims that many scientists make for themselves. Before you allow anyone to brainwash your child, you should equip them with the power of critical thinking. Provide them with a charitable account of the argument and then arguments for and against the controvertible theory of climate change.
8
Even if climate change is an opinion, why is it unreasonable to demand clean air and water?
3
@Joshua Folds "I send my children to NYC schools to be educated not indoctrinated in any of the litany of other bizarre, highly subjective, unscholarly political opinions of NYC teachers"
I think it's time to send yourself back to school.
3
Guy’s literally ninety years old, and climatology ain’t his field.
https://skepticalscience.com/ivar-giaever-nobel-physicist-climate-pseudoscientist.html
But keep trotting out the geezers.
I love these young people and am heartened to see the diverse protesters in Baltimore. And I hope the following does indeed come to pass:
“In no way is today the end goal but is only a catalyst for future mobilization,” said Azalea Danes, 16, a high school student in New York City. “We will continue to strike.”
Megan Mullin, a political scientist at Duke University, said that would be crucial.
“The challenge is translating something that is a global movement into a kind of concentrated political pressure that can influence government decisions,” she said. “It needs to be translated to influencing decision makers who aren’t already convinced.”
That the present occupant of the White House is so out of touch should be a criminal offense.
7
@Carol
Even if Trump were in touch, he is too corrupt to do anything useful.
I think all of these NYC youngsters would achieve more if they decided to boycott Starbucks for a month. Press the company to figure out how to offset the millions of plastic cups they sell every day and do nothing about their recycling. They get dumped into regular trash and on our streets every single day. Send a strong message to businesses that they need to start changing. The only message that works is voting with your wallet. Do that to one company and others will follow.
13
@VD At the Starbucks I go to, they recycle the plastic cups. And there are no longer plastic straws. Maybe NY is different or you haven't been to a Starbucks lately? BTW, some coffee places give you discounts if you bring your own cup or a specific cup they sell.
2
If these people really cared about climate, they would pause a moment to figure out how the US congress and Presidency works. Campaign Finance now depends on rich people and large corporations after the US Supreme Court Citizens United decision. Oil companies own the US president and congress. That will not change without a concerted effort by the people to change Campaign Finance laws. The rich companies and rich people are not going to give up this power unless forced; Congressmen are not going to give up this political money unless forced. The way to force it, is march on WashingtonDC with Campaign Finance as the sole focus. Getting that changed is a necessary first step to then getting any laws and policies about carbon and fossil fuels changed. I know it takes wisdom and patience to focus TWO steps ahead instead of simply at one goal, but it is much more likely to succeed.
8
They will skip school and protest but if asked to give up there phones or tablets or vacations or change the way of life that would actually make an impact no way. This is the problem, it’s time to be honest about climate change. These protests are a waste of time.
10
This is is the most encouraging public activism since #OWS. Well done! I look forward to Greta locking horns with President Trump.
3
No one in power is listening. These protests are blowing in the wind. The same can be said of gun control. Until the people rise up and elect an intelligent leader, the insults to the environment and the bloodbath of our citizens will go on.
5
@Peyton Carmichael
It took time, protests, marches, public knowledge of voter suppression, pictures of police dogs attacking marchers, etc. to get the Voting Rights Act. Sit ins at public places were seen on T.V. and in the media. Freedom riders went South; three boys from NYC were murdered and buried in a construction site. Little girls died in a Sunday church bombing. Change came.
The young should learn to mobilize, demonstrate, and most importantly vote !
If they do, they will force on a better World for everyone!
There are more of them than there are corrupt politicians. They have the power. They should wield it.
5
Doesn't matter if they may be wrong, ignore mobilized youth yearning to vote at your peril.
1
I can almost guarantee when these kids get old(over 25 and out of college and into the workforce) most will sell themselves out, just like the hippies did some 50 years ago. Have we learned anything? No. Great PR, that's about it, same said for Greta, the press loves this, it sells papers and generates profits for the media outlets (Hint) It's called capitalism. You can't use capitalism to change our climate and to clean things up. It's a matter of the soul, what lies deep in an individual, that is if they have a soul, a heart and of course common sense. Greedy people and evil people, the sociopaths, the don't. The Trumps, the the Koch Brothers, the Bezos, the Bloombergs. All are Democrats or Republicans but all are greedy as can be. so , keep on cover events that don't really matter and won't make much of a difference... it sells papers and that's what matters most.
5
"By midafternoon, the New York City mayor’s office estimated the crowd at 60,000." I think somebody needs to learn how to count.
5
So we still want to do business with China? the Times and other media outlets slam Trump for his tough stance with China, the only good thing he is doing. I know , boycott all Chinese made goods until they clean up their act and also allow freedom of speech, religion, press and assembly. what say you now NY Times? The young protesters? Not interested, it'll cost too much if we do that and we can't afford it. We want to shop at our Walmart and Dollar Stores. We love our cheap goods. Greed still rules no matter who is protesting and what the cause is.
3
I did not go on the march today because I did not want to be a hypocrite.
I recently took a vacation with my family to barcelona. On the plane ride there, they served us a meal with about 10 items wrapped in plastic. There was a tiny salad that came in it’s own plastic container. We stayed in a nice hotel with large luxurious towels. The waste that we generated from our consumption was astounding.
Last year, we visted Ireland, and also stayed at a fancy hotel where breakfast was included. When they learned our part of five was headed to an excursion in the morning, they packed breakfast for us. Two plastic take out containers per person x 5 that we had to throw away. It made me sick to my stomach.
7
As a 70 something I was touched by your perceptive comment.
@Ld So? Did you tell the airline or the hotel you visited your concerns? Because if you didn't, your being upset does nothing.
1
Why so silent about population growth? Poor people leave carbon footprints too. They destroy forest leave pollution as well.
There’s virtually no blame or responsibility being put upon many of the African countries that have out of control population growth.
So far, it’s only White and Asian countries that are being held accountable.
It’s well past due to start holding African nations accountable for
making some progress.
7
@Michael ^^^ This guy gets it. It is time to hold ALL countries responsible. It is become a tired trope to blame the woes of the world on the West.
Very proud of the youngsters who protested and the parents who supported and educated them. The protests have been so successful that, up to now at least, Fox News is refusing to report on them.
6
What a scene today! On the one hand we have news of this disastrous climate denier president who’s in up to his eyeballs in corruption and on the other hand we have the faces of the new generation who understand far more than the president ever did. Bravo to the young people! Some people have said the children are being “used” for a cause. I beg to differ. These young people (look at the Parkland high schoolers for example) are a strong no nonsense bunch. They wouldn’t let themselves be used because they know they have voices and they know their voices are powerful. They WANT to take a stand and be heard. They know they have an impact. May our Congress heed their example: speak up, speak loudly and get the work done! We have no choice but to fix the climate and we have no choice but to put this president in jail like anybody else who behaved like he has done. God bless the children.
9
If you want change YOU need to be the one to initiate, not make arrogations that other do as you say. I am a proponent of progress but not by force of fiat. Make arguments not demands and lead by example. Seek show show others how to live, not tell them how to live.
2
Baby Boomers ruined it, as I forecast. Today's youth have a chance to save the world.
Deja Vu.
1
Time for a worldwide airport sit-in...
1
When I was that age I was convinced that everyone would die of AIDS. I wonder where that giant quilt is?
3
A large section of the AIDS quilt is held in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution as a testament to those who died from neglect and ignorance.
Sounds like we might need a new quilt for the climate change era.
4
@Walker
Whe I was that age I was convinced I would die from a Nuclear War.
1
@Walker Not sure what the intent of your comment is but the reason why more people didn't get infected and die of AIDS and the reason why we have some treatments now is partly because people took to the streets like they are doing today.
And I'm sure back then people had the same doubts that a bunch of LGBTQ folks, their allies, young people, etc. could do much to stop what was happening. But they did. The protests ended up increasing drastically the funding given to finding ways to treat, diagnose, prevent AIDS and HIV infection.
Read "And The Band Played On" for a contemporary account or more recently "How to Survive the Plague." I had a few people I knew who died of AIDS and was just starting medical school at the time but I wasn't afraid of it. It was part and parcel of being a doctor.
3
Very skeptical.
How many of these kids or parents of these kids will give up a car. Or plastic. Or a cell phone. Or tomatoes in the winter time.
None.
Sorry earth. You lose.
8
Sorry Earth is doing just fine. It will continue to exist without humans. We lose.
2
This is obvious but here we go. We are not destroying Earth. We are destroying Earth's ability to support us. I'm just glad I won't be around for the inevitable food and water wars.
6
Gansu, the poorest province in the "developing" country of China, produces more solar and wind energy than they can use. The problem is not technology. It's money. Our government is for sale and the highest bidders are fossil fuel billionaires. Grassroot donations can elect a pro-environment politician but how can we keep them paid off after election day so they don't double-cross their constituents? I have been asked by stores I shop at (yes, I shop at Goodwill) if I want to round up my purchase to the next dollar for a charitable purpose. If Amazon alone did this and the money went to keep pro-environment politicians paid off imagine the slush fund that would create. Add in
Walmart and other businesses and even Mitch McConnell would become a born again Democrat and make Bernie look like a John Bircher in comparison. I'm old and couldn't begin to figure out a social media campaign that could make this happen, and who would control the pot of gold. But the younger generation is smarter than me. Just an idea.
https://www.quora.com/If-China-has-so-much-money-to-invest-in-other-countries-why-dont-they-develop-the-poor-parts-of-China
4
I’m so proud of this generation to see them fighting for their future. Persist and don’t give up. Remember
that protest has worked in the past and is a powerful tool in bringing about change.
7
Taking to the streets is all well and good, but it won't impress trump. The ONLY thing that will get his attention is if you vote. Sadly, I fear many of the protesters will be too busy to vote. Then they'll wonder why trump got re-elected.
3
@stan Actually, I'm hearing that those of voting age are planning to vote--in huge numbers. Their future is at stake and they know it.
7
I understand that these kids want "action" and they want to "arrest the crises".
Fine.
But what do they want "us" to do?
And how will they know when we've done it?
How will they know when to stop demonstrating in the streets?
What if we do everything they want and the weather or climate still don't suit them?
3
@C Nelson
Greta has said that the only thing that matters is that emissions keep going up.
She, and I, would like them to go down.
2
@C Nelson said "What if we do everything they want and the weather or climate still don't suit them?" I can't think of a more pathetic excuse for inaction I've ever heard.
1
If it cuts into shareholder value, nothing will change.
1
@Cest La Blague
The shareholder will move investments to renewable energy and companies that profit from the same. Shareholders are not wedded to the corporation, they’re wedded to an increase in share value.
6
What seems so simple is difficult because most of those living comfortable lives don’t see the need to give anything up. Their lives are not impacted...yet. Environmental racism, global food shortages, and widespread drought are some of the most pressing issues of our time. We are already seeing the consequences of our collective inaction in communities across the globe. It can’t be ignored for much longer; and we would do well to be ready for it.
Bill McKibben wrote in his book “Eaarth” that the planet will be different, but we can adapt. I’m not sure this is the case anymore without widespread change. It’s only through engaging our communities, sharing resources, and educating ourselves that we will make it through this.
I, for one, am happy that these young people are the leaders of tomorrow. In the words of one young activist today, “We vote next.” Thank goodness!
7
In the United States anyway, none of this matters as longs as republicans hold elected offices. For 30 years, they are the singular reason significant progress on reducing greenhouse gasses has not/is not occurring.
It's been abundantly clear for decades now, if you want to actually do something about AGW, don't vote for republicans for any office at any level of government.
14
@Jon Doyle
Don't let the fact that Obama had a filibuster proof majority in both houses in 2009 and did nothing for the climate dissuade you from your blatenly partisan rhetoric.
1
The less you know, the easier it looks to solve any problem, the more likely you are to see conspiracy not to solve it.
California is one of the leading users of renewable power. Problem: in the Winter/Spring months when power demand is much lower than in the hotter Summer/Fall months, the state is having to curtail, that is turn off, renewable power because there is too much. In some cases, the state is PAYING other states to take excess power.
Here is a chart showing the trends of the last three years. Note what is happening each May. The upcoming May will be very interesting.
http://www.caiso.com/informed/Pages/ManagingOversupply.aspx#dailyCurtailment
We have too much renewable power in the Spring, not enough in the hotter Summer/Fall. And no matter how much solar power is installed, it doesn't produce any power at night. After 7 PM this time of year, poof, solar is gone until 7 AM the next day.
Until we have a way to generate power in the Winter/Spring for use in the Summer/Fall we must have natural gas fired power.
5
Energy storage - like the Tesla battery bank in Australia.
1
@Howard Yadiin
As large as that is, it only supplies about 30,000 households for about 30 minutes. It is only capable of supplying very short term bridge power when there is a transitory outage. We are a long way from having battery storage that will do very much.
2
@Kurfco
We can scrub emissions to the point it is zero.
Twenty years ago I was regularly writing letters to any publication that would print them regarding the extreme nature of climate change and pointing out that humans needed to respond immediately. Now I admit I'm surprised it only took twenty years to see this idea finally getting attention. I assumed it would only happen when at least several hundred million people had died . Of course that will still be the threshold to get people to actually accept the changes needed. Cynical? No, just a careful observer of how well practiced humans are at denial and shedding responsibility.
5
I hope these young people will be equally enthusiastic and committed in November 2020. Marches are exhilarating but voting gets results.
14
I went to the gathering at Brooklyn Borough Hall today. The new generation! It brought me to tears. Yes, we are destroying their planet and their future. We need to teach them, and ourselves, how to live in a way that supports, rather than destroys. They are our future.
13
Kids love to skip school and yell at the parents.
If they truly want to make a difference, they should major in Chemistry, Biology, Physics (aerodynamics), or Engineering, but science is hard and marching is easy.
If you ask them not to charge their phone or play videogames for a week, they'll march against your request.
11
Yes, sometimes it's about skipping out. But they are, in fact, going to shoulder the burden of our excesses. So help to educate. That's the very least we can do.
12
@Mary
I was talking about education. Science education. Information is not education. Education is learning techniques and skills.
They weren't excesses. We had no idea about how pollution affected the environment. They were ignorance-s. An excess is something done with full knowledge of the consequences. We didn't have knowledge of the consequences.
1
@Mary
I sort of feel like these kids aren't intent of solving issues, but rather just on blaming. Overall, I usually feel like protests are more about assigning blame than pursuing solutions. It's thrilling and liberating to assign blame. I;d LOVE to see these kids address the issue WITHOUT assigning blame. I'm not sure why blame must be part of the process, except it feels good to blame others. Find a way to environmentalism profitable financially.
4
It is great to see so many young people involved although they could be too late. The oil companies became concerned bout this problem in the middle of last century and then when the public became aware of it in the 1980s the oil companies lied and began creating doubt about the science in direct conflict with their own reseach. A whole industry of creating doubt then emerged. These efforts are still going on as can be seen on Fox News or simply by reading tweets from Donald Trump. To stay below 1.5C would take a mobilization that is really hard to imagine. Even what it would take to stay below 2C would seem like a reach. Despite years of protests and speeches by politicians and countless international climate meetings the world is still on track to reach 4C by the end of this century.
5
I agree it might be too late, but doesn’t that make you want to get up and do something? It’s now or never. It’s act or perish.
3
This is a day that these kids will remember for the rest of their lives. They did such a great job organising themselves and peacefully protesting at inaction by previous generations to think long term. I hope we can listen and act before it's too late because they deserve a peaceful future.
14
I was blown away to find out that thousands turned out in Houston. We’re currently digging out from a particularly severe storm and flooding. We could be forgiven for attending to our most immediate needs instead of turning out for a demonstration. But maybe our fifth 500 year flood in as many years is the perfect occasion to bring light to this issue.
17
I'm so sorry for what you all are again going through. I live on pretty high ground up north. But I've been through some of the storms. Good luck.
3
Man, I wonder what the carbon footprint of all these demonstrations was? But I'm sure they can feel great about having a mass virtue signaling event. All while they go home in their automobiles or jet planes, instagramming photos of themselves on Chinese made phones they dispose of every two years, eating industry produced foods all while being kept comfortable in climate controlled environments fueled by coal....
9
Well, here in NYC, they came by mass transit. That's subway trains and bus. OR, they walked. Not much carbon footprint. But more to the point -- do you really think our children DON'T have the right to a future with clean air, clean water, clean food? Maybe best to educate them how to get there.
14
@Mary My point is that if you want change YOU need to be the one to initiate, not make demands that other do as you say. I am a proponent of progress but not by force of fiat. Make arguments not demands and lead by example.
2
@Mystery Lits
Like in the 1990's when I was composting and using mass transit, while we invaded Iraq and oil dropped to $11 a barrel and everyone was driving SUV stretch limos, and living off their home equity?
2
The crisis today's event revealed has nothing to do with the climate.
Across this country, high school teachers protected by their union or association neglect their students' need to learn how to express themselves, to compute, to understand biology or chemistry, and other real needs to play politics instead.
Not that long ago, a public school student in NYC went home and asked his parents, ''Aren't we supposed to be learning math and plants, and stuff like that?'' This quote may not be exact.
The one thing NYC's WorstMayorEver did this fall was to close all the gifted education classes for an awkwardly political reason.
Where is the line between politicizing high schoolers and child abuse?
6
I adore seeing Trumpists desperately try to appear to facts, reason, and science. It’s a lot like watching kids at Halloween dressing up as pirates.
2
@L osservatore
This is world wide. It’s more than children.
3
@Robert, you have NO actual need to correct my statement? All you have is to attack the messenger? You have ANY info?
I drive a Nissan Leaf which I love! We also have solar panels. Just 2 personal interventions. We all can work on our sphere of influence before we reach a point of no return.
11
Young people are our future. They are the most connected, educated and physically free generation in the history of the earth. I believe in them so much. This is just the begining.
16
@Orange You missed on one fact:
today's students understand less about what they are supposedly studying than students twenty years ago, and THEY were never as learned as the students of twenty years before that.
Our kids are especially cheated in the large, single-political-party cities where schools function as political agreements with teachers more than anything relating to students.
Yes, it's really that bad. Tomorrow's leaders are, more and more, NOT attending public schools.
8
Internet. They have the internet. Information is fluid and democratic in a way that it never was before.
4
@Orange Unfortunately, so is disinformation.
The global economy runs on energy - mostly fossil fuels. This has lifted billions out of soul crushing poverty in the developing world.
One may want to change the status quo to avoid global temperature increase, but simple cutting off the use of fossil fuels may cause a return to severe poverty for the most vulnerable.
The conversation is better framed as a series of bad choices that are available to us and we must soberly choose the best of these poor options with the understanding that many will likely suffer as a result no mater what path is chosen.
One such option is to do nothing.
5
@Chris said "One such option is to do nothing" Melting permafrost is expected to release as much CO2 this century as the United States. After that, it really gets started. There is enough CO2 in permafrost to triple today's 400 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere, taking it to 1200 ppm: which is extinction, by anybodies calculation. Bottom line: do nothing and humanity will go extinct. Of course, we can impose extraordinary technologies to prevent that. An 'imposition' of technologies far more cruel in the future than paying a slight carbon tax today.
Anyway, you won't have to pay that, your children will. And, if they knew that they would eventually have such extreme taxes imposed on them, they would probably be marching in the street. Oh... wait...
12
@Chris
If you patiently explain to the American public that there are only three courses of action, A, B and C, they will spend 10 years arguing over why there isn't a choice D and pointing fingers at who they think is preventing choice D from happening.
I sometimes marvel that the Second World War, which must have felt like an eternity, only lasted four years. What can this country do in four years now? Nothing.
2
Our "leaders" are not leading or even following.
They are stone walling, working only for themselves and their donors.
Meanwhile, young people are stepping up. Let's hope they vote and start running for office, soon.
17
The youth are right. Business as usual will lead to climate catastrophe. Take for example the airline industry. Airlines have ordered 10,000 airplanes anticipating future growth in air travel. As these planes are built and come into service, ever increasing amounts of jet fuel will be burned, emitting ever increasing amounts of greenhouse gases. It's unsustainable. The current paradigm of never ending growth will lead to disaster.
11
@Newfie9. So don’t fly.
This is a beautiful thing. Still, I would be hesitant to allow a child to attend a massive protest. Too many potential dangers.
3
I had those fears when I brought my two young children to Battery Park today. I am a protective stay-at-home mom, but in the end I took them. I believe firmly that if major change doesn’t happen soon we are all going to suffer terribly and probably die young, so really, what choice did I have but to bring them?
6
@Passion for Peaches
If I were you i’d be hesitant to not allow a child to attend a massive protest. Too many potential dangers.
2
@Passion for Peaches
Let's not be helicopter parents. Children face far greater dangers than participating in a protest. In fact, protesting is enlightening and an opportunity for genuine learning.
Climate change is far more dangerous than joining in a protest with like-minded kids.
If parents are so concerned about "dangers," they can accompany their kids. If your kid is, say, 12 or older, have some respect for them.
4
This is an impressive show of force. But at the end of the Day, it won't matter. A week from now it will be forgotten. Politicians can afford to ignore these protestors because they're kids...they don't vote, they don't pay any bills & have no power. What's not being reported is are voters (their parents) willing to pay more for energy. For this to “work,” the price of oil, coal, & natural gas has to go up to force consumers to use more expensive forms of green energy. President Obama’s former OMB director, Peter Orszag, told Congress that price increases would be essential to the success of any program to reduce greenhouse gases. The majority of U.S. voters will never go for this. They won't pay more for energy. Period. Every poll backs this up. The overall reality in that climate change legislation is hard to pass even in good times. Every few years, someone publishes a road map for running a country on 100% renewable energy by some date, say 2050. The resulting headlines look great, & people walk away with the impression that, hey if we wanted to, we could easily drop fossil fuels. But delve into these road maps & you’ll often find jaw-dropping numbers of solar panels, radical changes to existing infrastructure, & amazing assumptions about our ability to cut energy use that makes switching to renewables seem daunting. Are we willing to vote against our own self-interests & approve higher taxes on fossil fuels? Absolutely not. It's never going to happen. Get real.
6
Really? I'd pay more, even though I am not wealthy.
7
@Bill Brown
Question —
How is voting for continued life on earth voting against our self-interests?
5
@Dunn Arceneaux How is voting for continued life on earth voting against our self-interests? Answer. No one accepts the way you are framing the issue which is why you aren't getting any political traction. The left is basically saying fight climate change OUR way or all life on Earth will perish. This will be a slow process that will require a lot of adaptation. We will continue to use fossil fuels for the foreseeable future. The science on climate change is settled, but the politics isn't. The GOP is disingenuous when they deny the science, but let's be honest the left are even more disingenuous when they deny the cost.
4
This age group, 18-34, votes at a rate of something like 30 percent. There's the real inaction.
16
@Bompa yep.. last weeks primary election in North Carolina is a great example. Talk is cheap, so are the complaints. when it comes time to do something: I'm busy watching "Dancing with the Stars" or Pro football. You get what you deserve.
@Bompa
Let’s see what happens next year.
1
Thank you, our Youth, for this. I'm 63 years old.
I've always wished for this revolution, but my peers care for little more than their automobiles, and their lifestyles which depend on automobiles.
LEARN TO WALK AGAIN. Or ride a bicycle. If that means re-organizing our neighborhoods and workplaces, then DO IT.
13
@Kenneth Brady - :) I ride a bike as my transportation. I have not bought a gallon of gas in about 10 years now or been on a plane since 1991. I'm due for a vacation and am thinking of riding my bike from Seattle to Los Angeles. I'm 61 years old.
ALL of the millenials in my building drive everywhere and they seem to prefer the biggest trucks on the market. I asked one neighbor what his mpg was for his Hummer. About 12 miles per gallon, he told me.
They think I'm literally crazy because I walk to another neighborhood and back with groceries. Or carry lumber back from the home center to make a raised planter box for the garden. "Its so far. Why don't you get a ride from someone?" For the record, its 16 blocks of flat terrain (rare for Seattle).
I keep telling them that when they are my age that acid will rain from the sky and they will all have to wear masks. They just get back into the monster trucks to drive 12 blocks to play basketball at a park that I walk past everyday on the way to the grocery.
Only one other person in my building has a bike. Its a millenial but he doesn't ride it. Not even to work which is about 20 blocks. No, he takes the bus or drives one of the two large SUVs his family has.
When I went to the Democratic Caucus in the last election, I couldn't help but notice that the young were missing. There was some college basketball tournament playoff the same day so they didn't bother. The caucus looked like an AARP meeting.
5
@Kenneth Brady
Walking is great. If you live in a area with mass transit. Most in US do not.
It's great to say we need to reorganize our neighborhoods and workplaces, but exactly how? The infrastructure is already built That the US designed its nation based on the auto is a massive, massive problem. Many have invested much of their lives in their suburban homes, now just rip it up? Not so simple.
3
@Kenneth Brady..walk without using a cellphone, or even ride a bike without a cellphone. that's the real challenge
One change we need to make is the elimination of jet travel. We need to build battery powered ships that cross the oceans like they did a hundred years ago, without the funnels. We also need electric powered, high-speed trains, like they're building in China, crisscrossing the country. It may take 3 days to go to Europe but that's just how things must be. People can work remotely from the ship, or relax by a pool, etc. I wonder how much CO2 can be eliminated if we eliminate air travel. If the ships use renewable energy sources we can really reduce the travel industry's CO2 contribution. Just a thought.
7
@Billbo- it will never happen. We like the "Easy Button". Taking 2 weeks to go from one place to another when you can do it in 5 hours? Sheer fantasy. At best we have to make jet engines cleaner and more efficient.
5
@Billbo
Why throw the baby out with the bath water? If battery powered ships and electric trains and cars are being built? why can’t that same power be harnessed for aircraft?
2
@Billbo
Slowing down, are your suggestions imply, should be a relief to all of us. But our capitalist cultures ask us to always go Full Speed Ahead.
1
Heartening as it was to see busloads of students at the demonstration--can we lower the voting age to seven?--their grandparents' generation was well represented. (Only fair, I suppose, since we're responsible for the problem.) The mood in San Francisco was upbeat and the weather balmy. I don't know if this outpouring of hundreds of thousands of people will lead to action--I think that it will, but possibly not nearly enough--but spirits and morale were high. Given the blues-inducing state of the nation, that's a plus.
Harriet in San Francisco
4
@Harriet
It’s easy to lay the blame on one generation over the next, but harder to say all adults share culpability, what can we do to make it better?
1
The generation of my children and younger are more inclined to rent or purchase used clothing, to use less energy intensive travel methods, and live in smaller spaces thereby saving resources and consuming less energy. A 23 year old just recently developed a sustainable substitute to replace single use plastic while many of our younger generation carry their own reusable coffee cups. More and more of our younger generation eat less meat and dairy products; many do not even own a car.
What are you doing to refuse, recycle or re-purpose? What are you doing to fight for the heatlh of this planet, our only home?
@Harriet young people until the age of 25 don't have a well developed brain and act more impulsively than older people.. a scientific fact use by the Supreme Court to ban the death penalty and life without parole except for extreme cases. Now one state court will decide if those from 18-21 can also be executed siting the same medical research.. So lowering the voter age is idiotic, it should be raised to at least 21, so too military service
1
These young people seem to grasp the concept that clean air, clean water and availability of food and water are more important than the money and power people currently in power crave so much.
20
If anything proves the world can no longer tolerate nationalism, this is it. What an amazing display of unity. If there is a future, I have great hopes for it.
13
This is a global issue as it rightly should be.
In China, when asked by the gov't what issues concerned them the most, people chose the environment as their #1 concern followed by local gov't corruption. Yesterday, I learned that the city of Shenzhen changed all of their 16,000 buses and 11,000 taxis to e-vehicles within a year, which is unheard of.
If China can make changes, the US gov't can too.
11
@jaco. They do have coal plants but they also have massive hydro and wind sources as well. Even if it were 100% coal sourced power the total CO2 emitted is far less for EV busses and taxis.
I "love" how certain people attempt to discredit EV transportation with outright lies. They read about one glacier increasing in size during the previous year and then falsely claim that climate change isn't happening. Or there's the senator who said that because it snowed in NC the day before global warming was a hoax.
In the past, would those who played dumb and spewed misleading nonsense be given so much airtime or attention?
2
I am inspired by and proud of our young people. I think the protests are a terrific way to bring attention to this issue and their feelings about it.
I hope, as a next step, they discontinue purchasing the items, beyond necessities, that contribute so heavily to global degradation (climate and labour). If all our young people stop purchasing things, say for a month, that would go even further towards effecting the changes we need.
13
While this is great that young people are concerned and speaking about their future due to the effects of global warming, I do not read any of them speaking out about the main underlying cause with that being worldwide overpopulation. Approx 7.7 billion now for the first time and rising. Thereby creating the largest demand and strain ever for fossil fuels and natural resources. Young people pressure the UN to speak openly why they are not even discussing voluntary brith control of the most over populated places on the planet. India and China with populations well over 4.3 billion. And every new born person is going to leaving a carbon footprint and a drain on the earth's limited resources. Speak out to the UN and the world. This is the underlying problem. Talk about it now!
11
@fallen dem. While I agree with you I think you're asking for too much from average folks. Perhaps, though, instead of constantly looking for cures to diseases and promoting life saving vaccines and procedures we should just let nature do her thing. How many times have you heard about an animal dying and the humans saying, "Well, that's mother-nature." They don't want to interfere with nature so I say let nature do her thing with us too. Every animal group that has lost a predator that balanced the ecosystem now finds the reintroduction of predators. Where are our predators?
2
@Billbo I agree Billbo, we haven't any predators other than ourselves to help thin the herd. We humans are more like self limiting viruses which once they reach a certain number begin to feed on themselves. Over population is the underlying cause of almost all of the symptoms these students have protested about today. There are just simply too many people, (approx. 7.7 billion) living in concentrated areas of the planet to comfortably support human life. Just think of the crowded skies with the number of planes crossing it everyday & all the fuel being deposited along the earths protective layer. While it is great the teachers got their students motivated, they need to teach them to focus on solving the underlying problem of world wide over population if they are serious about stopping all of this from continuing to only get worse. The need to ask the UN why the UN would rather relocate populations around the world rather than PREVENT further population growth in developing nations is imperative. The natural resources in those areas are already scarce & can only sustain just so many people. Speak out to the UN. They are the ones behind this issues and are able to alter the self destructive course the world is currently on. Once young people are awakened to the world's over population issue, then we will begin to solve these growing problems we all face and there will be room and resources enough for everyone to live comfortable. Much like the # of fish in a fishbowl.
2
Yang is right. The bad guys have won, and their kids will own the high ground and the bunkers while countless millions are displaced, bleed in conflicts, and starve. Kids marching in the street is heartbreaking; it’s too late, and by the time they control the reins, it will be well past too late.
3
@Count Zero
An addition, I’ve read a lot of Andrew Yang’s policy statements and watched him during the debates, I missed the part where he said “the bad guys have won.”
3
@Count Zero
When Pandora opened the box and all the malevolence poured out, hope followed.
Oh, the irony. How many times did the (clever, quick, well-written and edited) ads from Chevron interrupt me as I went from video to text of this story?
10
Protesting is easy since talk is cheap.
Anyone who claimsthat climate change is an emergency and crisis but continues to use air conditioning and other nonessential energy is not serious and is a hypocrite.
7
100 companies are responsible for the vast majority of carbon emissions. Individual action is not enough to stop this.
16
@Wilson If these companies were producing things people don't need they would be out of business.
Jail the 7 billion people who use power, heating, food, etc.
4
@Wilson - Individuals are the ones who buy from companies that cause these carbon emissions.
Every person I read about who screams of global warming is expecting someone else to fix the problem but I don't see anyone trying to go Amish. Bill Gates flies around the country in a private jet telling high school students they should ride a bike to work, wear a hoody indoors, and turn the heat down. Then, he flies back to Xanadu 2.0 to hear Melinda tell him that he left the seat up on the toilet of all 24 bathrooms that they have in their mansion for 2 adults and three adult children who have moved away. An indoor heated pool bigger that what local YMCA's have? For two people? And this is the guy telling us we need to change?
5
Vote those deniers out !
If you are too young to vote convince your Parents and Grand Parends to vote them out .
It starts with donald trump, he is an old man and does not care.
16
There is no Green capitalism.
6
Untrue!! I live out west where i spot trains full of parts for wind and solar on their way to green energy installations regularly
1
@Rick
Then we die or capitalism dies first.
I am watching a weather report right now on Channel 4. The forecast is for above-average temperatures in the eastern USA and below-average temperatures in the western USA. That sounds like average to me.
7
That's weather,not climate. There's an important difference.
7
@MIKEinNYC Well, first of all, those are different regions of the country so you can't say it's average down at the level of those regions.
Secondly, at add to John's point, weather is short-term (e.g. months) whereas climate is long-term (e.g. decades, centuries, etc.).
1
@ms -:) I have lived in Seattle going on 4 decades now and nothing has changed. Every night the weather man says the same thing, "Highs in the 50's, lows in the 30's, chance of rain, back to you Jane".
2
With just a couple of minor changes in the final verse of his late 50's hit, "Summertime Blues," Eddie Cochran might be called a visionary:
...
I'm gonna take two weeks, gonna have a fine vacation
(Ba-ba-ba-bump, ba-ba-ba-bump)
I'm gonna take my problem to the United Nations
(Ba-ba-ba-bump, ba-ba-ba-bump)
Well, I called my congressman and he said "whoa!"
"I'd like to help you son but you're too young to vote"
Sometimes I wonder what I'm a gonna do
But there ain't no cure for the climate change blues
(Ba-ba-ba-bump, ba-ba-ba-bump)
6
My heart cries for our innocent youth who face this crisis. The student protest I stumbled upon in Copenhagen today moved me to tears. Our leaders seem so inept, while our planet dies and our birds disappear. Rise up children! Link your arms- let your intentions be known!
18
@Kim Czepiga The youth are not innocent, they move around in gas powered vehicles, consume and dispose of technological gadgets, sit in air conditioned environments, buy Chinese plastic garbage, and produce more refuse than any previous generation... NO ONES HANDS ARE CLEAN IN THIS.
1
Always thought curious how today’s fervent climate change adherents w/their guilt-inducing preachings & polemics- at times bordering on madness are so similar to yesterdays bygone religious people admonishing the public about the imminent Christs second coming.
9
@CK
Exactly. Same thing.
Bless all these young people! When I was a young man out protesting against the war in Vietnam in the 60's we had a saying:
"Don't trust anyone over 30."
Things haven't changed much, haven't they? Except I'm the old codger now. Sadly, the face in the mirror doesn't match the one in my heart.
20
I've read elsewhere that millions of people were protesting in the streets today. Why does this article say hundreds of thousands? I read that there were 1.4 million in Germany alone. But you probably meant just in NYC.
8
I was down at the climate demo in front of the US Capitol and it was heartening and inspiring. As someone who has studied and worked on climate change for decades this felt like a sea change. Something big had shifted.
One lack I saw was enough sense of real hope that we can solve the climate crisis. A contrast to the Drawdown conference last week where the talk was all about viable climate solutions that CAN save the planet. Not easy but doable.
Mentioned this to various activists I ran into. I hope they read the Drawdown book too.
6
I just noted that New York City teachers were not allowed to attend this gathering because someone apparently found it to be political in nature. with all due respect to those in charge, I would submit that when the sidewalk is hot enough to fry eggs, we've left the political realm. This kind of doublespeak is going to kill us. The students obviously have a better understanding of the stakes than do their elders.
13
I was 9 in 1967 when I met my grandmother for the first time. She emigrated from Ireland to New York in the 1930s. She was the first person I ever met who talked about “energy,” “waste” and “resources.” She taped notes over light switches that read “Save Energy, Turn of the Light.” While the TV droned into our home with ads to buy convenience products that promised to make our lives, better she said NO, and preached and lived a less-is-more lifestyle. People laughed at her, I was captivated. She was so ahead of her time.
16
You can have billions of protestors. Nothing will change until the lives of people with big money and super power are affected. Like everything.
7
@Vijay - Then the billions of protesters need to quit buying cars and a new iPhone every year.
Imagine that Jared and Ivanka were fighting a war over water or a crisis created by vast migration. Or even that they suffered a single day without access to every possible luxury and indulgence. Ah, you can’t? Et voila here we are.
This is purely and thoroughly inspirational.
13
My admiration for these young people knows no bounds. Wonderful, wonderful. They are representing not only my 3 great-grandchildren but children all over the planet that have no voice in what currently passes for our government.
13
Bravo! Be the change you wish to see. My singular old guy rants have had about as much influence on people as you might expect (see the funny eccentric old guy ha ha ha.....). Keep the pressure on - my rants and my votes will have your backs. First time in maybe ever I feel like hope might overcome greed and inertia.
7
The average American consumes about 250kWh per day per person. If every American was given 10 square meters of hi efficiency roof-top photovoltaics , the actual average yield of energy would be about 5kWhr per day per person. The energy yield on a solar panel is only 7 times the energy cost in its life-cycle. We cannot win by this path.
According to the institute of electrical engineers in the UK, the upper limit of all renewables in the UK combined is about 30 KWhr/d/person. And that leaves out all the NIMBY protests that impairs every single proposed installation of large-scale renewable energy production. 30 KWh is a long, long way from 250 kWhr/d/person. Efficiencies cannot painlessly bridge such a gap.
To massively rebuild the the complete infrastructure, housing, transportation, and public structures in the entire world will take massive amounts of energy, and if it is carbon based power, we are doomed. Carbon-free power of the required amounts is not currently possible.
Only nuclear fission offers a scalable low carbon pathway to the renewable future we all want. Yet ignorance and propaganda, mostly on the left, is blocking the scale-up that is required and further technological innovation. We have 400 years of fissile material in the US today. This can be accomplished.
Protesting is a good first step. But becoming informed abut the true possibilities of renewable energy and alternative approaches such as fission is more important.
8
As Jonas Salk said: our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors. Brava Greta. And thanks to all who went on strike for the earth today. I was there. It was very positive.
15
Oh just go away with the wailing well-meaning but financially and scientifically IGNORANT children
I've run the numbers.
To convert our small house to year-round 24/7 solar power with the storage batteries is a mere $167,000 (its the batteries that run up the bill) To make the solar handle the electric range (gas is a fossil fuel), it is now closer to $200,000
2 Tesla X would be merely another $300,000. (And STILL leave me stranded on a frequent trip I have to make -- too little range and in the winter, it drops to maybe 125 miles and o charging stations enroute. And it would turn a 'must do every 3 months' medical appointment into a 16 hour day with the 5 stops for recharging instead of a 12 hour day) + the panels to charge them (another $75000-100000)
Then there is how to heat the house. Geothermal pumps are a bust here - can't handle the really cold days of winter when they are in a sand dune (yeah we live on great big huge sand dunes) and they STILL need electric.
Electric baseboard heat in this climate would take 300-400 300 watt solar panels (and the enormous battery storage for when there is no sun) 375 solar panels at $280 =105,000 + the same again for a a battery system ..$210000 + plus installation and inverters and controllers........
$797,000 to live only on solar
NOT IN THIS UNIVERSE can a normal household afford that!
8
@AnnS Start small.
No one is telling you to get a Tesla. How about taking public transport? Or riding a bike or for longer distances an e-bike? Could you telecommute some days? Walk some places? At the very least, combine your errands.
How well insulated is your house? Invest a few thousand in that and your comfort level increases and your heat bills go down. How about investing in LED light bulbs? You'd save money in the long run. Do you always have to use your oven or could you use a toaster oven for some of it? Again, saving money.
Do you need to use a dryer or could you hang dry your wash? Saving money.
I'm fifty years old so not a young one. I live simply and as environmentally friendly as I can. I was raised by children of the Great Depression who knew how to get by on very little and for that I am grateful.
18
@AnnS
I've run the numbers for the housing complex where I live. Because of how our architecture is, I can't use solar panelling without the agreement of my neighbors. Basically, if you plan to live in a place more than 7 years, you will likely recoup your investment in solar panels.
Since we have occasional turnover in owners, I have not been able to get an affirmative decision for solar panels yet but that should not deter homeowner who plan to live in their single family house for a while. In some cases, solar energy can actually create a small income stream. (Also, solar is not dependent only on sunny weather.)
We've also talked about installing an electric car charger in our garage, not only to support the e-cars current owners have bought or are interested in but to possibly increase the value and cachet of our complex to future buyers.
Our complex also voted to make our landscaping low- or no- water. That saved us thousands per year.
There are ways to make sound investments that also benefit the environment but one must be committed to the idea and think long-term, not short. Fortunately, my neighbors -- tech/ science/ business people -- don't have to be convinced at all re: climate change.
2
@AnnS. You call them "IGNORANT" and then go on to complain about how current technologies are just too expensive for normal folks. Yes, let's not even try to lead a new energy future. (Fox News scientists say we don't need to change anything.) Let China and the world go there instead. They can lead, innovate, and create, because somehow environmentalism is considered a liberal, commie, pillar. "We heard about those tree huggers trying to protect a unique owl that had existed for millions of years in the same forest and we were outraged that an extinction would trump jobs or require moving the logging operation to a different mountain."
With your sorry attitude we'd be speaking German today because building tens of thousands of ships and airplanes is just too complicated and expensive to even consider.
2
No matter where in the world, there is no climate policy in any country or state that can solve the climate crisis. These protests to take action - ‘Skolestrejk för klimatet’ (School strike for the climate) - are going to continue anyway. The green parties in Europe will never be satisfied, either.
Still, I do not understand the Republican attitude. Why do the American Congress oppose mitigation? The problem is not only Trump. You can just laugh of Greta Thunberg’s bluntness or any funny remark done by her. Doing nothing is worse.
And what can the Democrats do? What would the Democrats had done if they controlled everything. Probably not much? Maybe, the strikes had been even more intense?
1
I hate to be the one who shouts out conspiracy number 99 but someone has to say it, so it might as well be me. Those entities that will benefit from climate change (cc) legislation the most are the top tier oil companies themselves. That’s a hard pull to swallow. I know. But it’s true. Oh, they look like they’re fighting cc tooth and nail, but they are not really fighting it; they’re just playing both sides.
President Trump is just doing his job within this plan. The problem we have at hand is oil is everywhere. We’re not running out at all! Normally that would mean $25 for a barrel of oil. Supply and demand, right? Capitalism 101! What’s Trumps job? 1) Vilify the second level oil producers: Venezuela, Iran, etc. 2) Allow oil exploration everywhere to allow us to access the facts of our beliefs: Where can we go to not find oil? Answer: Very few places.
If big oil can get the price per barrel consistently high then they don’t have to work as hard for high profits AND this is the good part: governments can make lots of money for programs to help people too!
Win-Win!
Actually it’s not a bad idea. I’m on board with this concept. I’m just not okay with the implementation. I desire an ever so slight change in the plan: Switch from vilifying CO2 (plant food) to vilifying CO (highly poisonous). That’s it. That’s the new and improved plan!
1
I applaud today’s protesters for their passion and willingness to voice it. But, here is word of caution.
Protests generate a ton of publicity, but usually yield very little public relations. The difference between them is that publicity is about noise, where public relations is about building trust.
Trust lead to actions, that build more trust, and the cycle goes on. Noise, invariably fades.
I belong to this tribe that believes that we are not being careful about our planet’s health. To my tribe I say: protest, but don’t forget to act.
We have daily choices. What can you do today, after the marches?
9
I thought I was too old to see the drastic effects of global warming. Yesterday, my daughter had to leave her car in the a flooded street in Houston and walked with my 6 year-old granddaughter in her arms to safety. Kids do not understand the science (neither me) but they feel the consequences of global warming caused by human activity. Watching young people marching around the globe gives me hope.
11
@Osvaldo - This has been an occurrence since the founding of this city. Take a look at some of the photos in the first link at downtown Houston during floods 100 years ago. What has changed since then? Even more urban sprawl on top of a poorly chosen spot for a city to begin with. Is it global warming that is causing all of this or is some of the blame on poor urban planning? Read about the floods of Houston during the 1930's and the damage done. It had nothing to do with global warming but building a city with very poor design.
https://blog.weatherops.com/houstons-history-of-floods
https://www.hcfcd.org/flooding-floodplains/harris-countys-flooding-history/
1
@Osvaldo Did you check whether Houston was ever flooded before say 1950?
What makes you things that floods are new and unprecedented?
Houston, by the way, became a big city when Galveston was wiped out by a giant hurricane. That was in 1900, when people used horses, not gasoline...
1
Floods in Houston are not new.
I'm seeing a lot more people at these protests than the crowd that showed up for Trumps inaugural. If they can get the parents woke before the next election Trump will be gone and the world will move on.
Let's get behind a winner in 2020 and free poor Mr. Trump up so he has time for all his litigation (and probable incarceration).
Onward,
14
@meritocracy now. I don’t know how you’re seeing that.
1
This effort reminds me of the worldwide women's march shortly after Trump was elected. I was impressed and heartened at that time, but it has led not naught in the near term,since the major audience cared next to nothing about the message. The only thing that matters is political action. These young people need to vote, and to run for office . Showing up for a demonstration does not cut it anymore.
6
what are you talking about? after the women's March there were a massive eave of women all across the country that ran for AND won office, they are in the house and Senate as we speak both on Federal and state levels writing and passing laws. just because these kids haven't stormed into the stock exchange and hostilly overthrown capitolism as we know it doesn't mean that there is no significance to an entire generation of youth being politically activated in a way neitheir my millennial generation or any other youth generation has been before.
8
Dear Connie G
I beg to differ. I believe the Women’s March led many more women to seek and win elections to local and Federal offices. Shortly after the Womens March the Me Too movement began. Women all over our country have come out to speak the truth about abuse and manipulation. Men like Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein would have been/are being brought to justice.
The Climate March at my kids K-8 school prompted 6th graders to organize a school wide community meeting where they explained what climate change is and what things we can do to help mitigate it. Everyone at that school is thinking about climate change today. Their awareness has been raised.
It’s little and big things that build upon each other that start to affect change. And yes, we must VOTE and RUN for office.
And in the meantime, these children, all over the world, are finding comradery and solidarity in the face of pessimism and business as usual, by banding together and protesting. They CANT vote yet. But they will.
6
I went to downtown Denver today to join those who are speaking up for reality, which is that we must stop producing and using fossil fuels in the very, very near future.
Unfortunately, complacency and denial is still the default setting for the vast majority of Americans. Most live in suburban homes, using electricity generated by burning coal, and then drive motor vehicles that burn refined oil. We go to offices and stores that use electricity generated by even more use of fossil fuels.
Schools? Mostly, useless and checked out on this and other vital issues. That, I think, is a big reason for the apathy and complacency. Knowledge is power, but far too many of the educators that work in our schools are focused on the latest fad that comes out of the education colleges. They worry about the amorphous idea of "social-emotional learning" that is actually the responsibility of parents and dream of someones or another's "empowerment," as opposed to delivering the actual academic knowledge that students need.
Politicians? Please. Show me more than one in twenty of them that has enough courage to advocate for even the mildest change in the self-destructive path on which our society has chosen to stay.
Business? Basically absent. And why not? The profit too many of our biggest industries and firms seek depends wholly or partially on the unsustainable attack on our atmosphere and oceans that is the cause of climate change.
Be afraid. America shows no desire to change.
4
How many kids were marching in Beijing?
5
A big waste of time and energy. They should all move to Sweden.
9
Selling out education for the sake of politics once again. This is despicable.
10
Where are the dramatists & poets addressing these issues? In Los Angeles Playwright Dr. Larry Myers is participating today at the Pershing Park rally. As of Monday he'll be in San Francisco with his Playwrights Sanctuary. California interest in his eco drama "Horizon Hiccups/ Hemisphere Hemohrrrage" will likely see productions in both cities. Myers is an award-winning tri-coastal dramatist penning plays about social issues & sharing his expertise via his theater foundation..The activist fervor informs his LGBTQIA play "...Living in Ellipses.." abut the important October 8 Supreme Court vote.
1
I'm proud of the young people at least showing us they are concerned. Unfortunately, my generation hasn't been serious about saving the planet for the next.
6
Dear NYT, not hundreds of thousands, (maybe only for the US), but millions across the entire world.
13
It would be interesting if an honest reporter or researcher would interview some of these children about what they know about climate beyond what the teacher puts on their signs.
Some one asked a child in Montpelier, VT what his sign meant and the kid just read the sign back at them. No clue what it meant. Kids are being manipulated by teachers with an agenda.
9
@mikey Five-year-olds may mimic what they hear. However, my teen was asked by a reporter what he would do about the climate issue if he were in control, and she got a discourse about program proposals to expedite conversion to renewable energy sources. Not a sound bite read off of someone's sign.
7
Regarding Amazon: Jeff Bezos talks about 0 emissions delivery by 2040, but there are steps the company and all people could take before then. How about reducing consumption, which obviates the delivery issue? How about foregoing 2-day delivery? We can’t wait a week or two for such non-essential items? Perhaps more than any other company, Amazon has led the charge to create an obscene culture of mindless consumption.
8
I also love how when you order multiple items, they all come in separate boxes from different distribution centers. Totally not cost effective and ridiculously inefficient.
3
@Ockham9 - It would help if Amazon did only one daily delivery per address just like the mailman does. When I see several Amazon trucks show up at the building day after day, along with every other online company out there, it seems something more efficient could be done.
Does it really make that much of a difference if a package arrives at 3 pm. versus 2 p.m.? Especially when most folks are at work and don't even see the package till they get home at 6-7 p.m.
And as far as you suggestion that Amazon is responsible for creating an obscene culture of consumption, I have to giggle out loud. Amazon is nothing less, nothing more, than an online version of my grandmother's Sears and Roebuck catalog.
1
@tom harrison. Amazon certainly did not start consumerism. I am old enough to remember the Sears and Roebuck catalog, and catalogues from many more companies. People of my generation pored over those things, selecting purchases, completed the order form, wrote a check (remember those?), addressed the envelope and licked a stamp, then walked to the mailbox. And then waited a week or two for the merchandise to arrive (or more likely went to Sears to retrieve it). Somehow the effort of all those steps meant that purchases were intentional and less frequent, a lost virtue in the ‘one click’ convenience of Amazon (and every other e-commerce outlet).
Great work, young people. I sincerely hope there's a world left to save by the time we can force Conservatives out of power.
13
I'm afraid that none of this will matter if global population is not front and center in these protests. It is unlikely that growing the economy to support the 2 Billion predicted increase in the near term as well as a reduction in carbon emissions can happen simultaneously.
As a bonus, the world's most difficult problems - mass migrations, unemployment due to robotization, unchecked development in places like Houston (which were the cause of Harvey's devastating impact), etc. - would be greatly ameliorated if we first understand the correlation between population and anthropogenic climate change.
11
This entire concept is so disheartening. I live in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The elementary school across the street just held their climate march. I saw 8 year olds holding signs and chanting, "I don't know but I've been told, climate change has got to go." At least they got the first part right. Kids don't understand anything about complex issues like climate change. As their parents and teachers all cheered them on, I actually saw kids who looked sad, because they are literally being told that their future is in peril because the bad people in government don't care about them and won't protect them.
Fear-mongering is always wrong, whether it is that immigrants are ruining this country, or global warming is going to kill everybody in 12 years. Parents and teachers know better, but they are so happy to create their little "activists" and post their videos on Insta. As a father, it is truly depressing to see how supposedly concerned adults will use their children as political props to deflect any possible criticism about the actual solutions to the issue.
How do we transition to renewables without a massive disruption in the global economy? Should we build new nuclear plants, which produce zero carbon emissions? Is it even fair to demand developing nations stop using the very energies that are propelling them to first-world status, and improving billions of peoples lives? Kids can't possibly know these answers, and it's truly sick to make them your mouthpieces.
318
@Gary Read! We already are in transition- solar farms in the West, wind farms in the middle of the country, waste water recycling, car manufacturers going electric, fossil fuels are not renewable - and fracking and mining use massive quantities of water - that is not renewable. New ideas, new industry, the rest of the world is decades ahead of us. Americans are spoon fed Fox “News”, opioids, and foods that clog the arteries and brains!
316
@Gary As someone who also lives in Prospect Heights, I'm sure that some of the little kids are too young to understand climate change. But the vast majority of the youthful protesters appear to be high schoolers and young adults. You are right that stopping climate change involves a lot of problems and questions of fairness that must be addressed. But when we are facing the destruction of civilization we cannot be immobilized by the complexity of the problem. We need to press our elected leaders to take affirmative action before it is too late. That is the purpose behind today's protests.
500
@Gary
Their future is in peril and the bad people in government will not, will never, protect them. At what age is too young to learn this? Many of us of a certain age are only just learning it now, and we seem especially astonished that our government is no longer a government for the people, but one of self serving politicians, lobbyists, and special interest groups. It's time for us to all grow up.
384
These protests are pointless because those in power and those who vote them in primarily care about balance of their retirement accounts and preservation of standard of living that includes large homes, beef and SUVs, etc. Maybe things will change in 10-20 years when these protesters grow up. But I wouldn't count on it because by then they will own large homes, love to eat meat and worry about how to save for a comfortable retirement.
4
@Alex. Revolutions do not wait around for 'comfort'. Revolutions happen while you are too busy polluting. This YOUTH is not wasted on this YOUNG and they are not going to wait for the likes of Trump and his Republican bodies to ruin their future.
10
At the risk of sounding cynical, the marches today are reminiscent of the marches against gun violence after Parkland. After all the ineffective actions in response to previous shootings, the Parkland young people’s movement was supposed to be a game changer. Sadly, that never happened. Climate experts have told us that while individual lifestyle actions help, the single most efficacious tactic is to advocate for political change by governments. Yet while I and millions of people have done so, the forces of status quo have advantages of money and influence that we do not have. Max Planck once said that scientific theories do not change by persuading people to change their views, but by the death of an older generation and its replacement by a new one. Whether we have enough time for this to resolve the climate crisis is unclear.
5
@Ockham9 I'm involved in advocating for more medical research and better medical care. It's not only my profession, I also volunteer for different nonprofits.
One thing a lot of people don't understand is that change takes time. Often it's not one single event or person that effects change but the accumulation of many small actions, different people, etc. that drip like water on a stone until the drips become a tusnami that knock over or destroys the stone. I've seen fellow advocates burn out because they don't understand or can't accept this. They don't know how to celebrate the small wins in anticipation of bigger ones. At this point, I've been in advocacy for 12 years and I've never lost hope.
In the business world, there's talk about the myth of the "overnight success." The media runs with this trope and business leaders like to promote it. In fact though, other leaders talk about how many "overnight successes" face repeat failures, years of hard work/ rejection, etc. before succeeding. It's the same for social movements.
2
The only way the US citizens (Republicans mostly) and the Industrialized nations are going to get out of their apathy is to get a dose of Young People showing them what is the Right & Wrong. It takes teenagers revolting against the so called leaders of this world and to HOPE for a better world. The Trumps, The Putins, The Kims, The Bolsonaros the Erdogans of this world are leading the World into Hell, they are incapable of leading the youth for a better world, a just, non violent, and non polluted world. These strikes and protests seem to me World Youth revolting more than just for Climate, but for defining Democracy for themselves. I can only say Bravo, Hat's off and Good Luck!
4
Somini Sengupta and Anne Barnard write, "Rarely, if ever, has the modern world witnessed a youth movement so large and wide, spanning across societies rich and poor, tied together by a common if inchoate sense of rage."
I would suggest the authors study a little not-so-ancient history before making such grandiose and unwarranted claims. As just one counterpoint I would offer 1968, when young people in Chicago were subjected to a police riot that handed Nixon the Presidency, when young people in Mexico City were massacred by the hundreds, when young people in Paris fought clubs and teargas, when young people in Prague faced down Warsaw Pact tanks, and when young people in many other places didn't just march in the street but risked life and limb to make a point about government policies.
In court, ignorance of the law is not an acceptable defense. In journalism, tendentious ignorance is incompetent.
3
Huh, looks like a lot of young women in these pictures.
I love it! They have the fighting spirit we need on this issue.
As they say...you go girls!!
Just a side note. I talked to my cousin in Northern Cape Breton
Nova Scotia and asked him if he was going sledding this winter on the great Bras D'or lake. He said 'where ya been bye, the lake hasn't frozen over in over ten years or more'.
3
Too bad they can't vote tRump out.
By the time they can vote, the mess will probably be beyond control.
Cue the song:
Too much, too little, too late.
1
My comment is about the reporting here, not for or against what the student strikers are advocating.
Nowhere in this article is there any hint that these events are coordinated and planned by dedicated groups. There are youth groups in a number of countries putting this together -- in the U.S., for example, "Youth Climate Strike" has an executive director, a finance director, and other national offices, all filled by people under age 20, which is pretty impressive and deserving of mention in its own right.
When you use omission to leave readers with the impression that today's events are spontaneous and organic, there's a word for that: "astroturfing."
No, I don't think having central coordination of these strikes is some kind of conspiracy. That's how movements work. But I find it very telling that the Times felt it had to craft its story by sidestepping that fact.
If there were mass demonstrations in support of a position less consistent with the paper's worldview, I'm certain the reporters on that story would have spend a lot of shoe leather nailing down who was behind the effort, who paid for what, etc. The word "shadowy" would probably have worked its way in. Or maybe there would have been no story at all.
A full accounting of this story would still be powerful and moving. But the truth wasn't enough. You had to gild the lily.
3
It's been nearly 30 years since the first report by the IPCC. Nearly 30 years during which we could not plead ignorance yet global emissions have increased 60 percent since then.
It's no wonder that young people, who will live to see a vastly changed planet, are impatient.
2
So what are China and India, the two by far largest polluters of the world doing? Nothing but building more coal energy plants
3
China has the largest renewable energy generation in the world at 6.2M gwh. India comes third.
3
@steve The city of Shenzhen replaced their 16,000 buses and 11,000 taxis with e-vehicles over the last 2 years. Both China and India signed the Paris Climate Agreement and still are signers whereas the US via Trump backed out in 2017. Per capita, the US emits more greenhouse gases (15.6) vs. India (1.6) or China (6.4).
While China and India can definitely do more to improve, at least they aren't arguing AGAINST climate change like the current US gov't and many Americans are. The debates are more about what can and should be done.
Besides, is that going to be your argument when you, your children, or grandchildren are breathing in fumes? Others didn't do anything so we decided we didn't have to do anything either.
2
the carbon output of the US is twice that of India with a quarter of the population
Good for the young--their lives are on the line!
4
These kids in the millions upon millions are going to grow up and vote. Ignore them at your own peril. Politicians who do nothing will be completely gone and obsolete in the years to come.
1
I didn't read or see anything about birth control, which is the ultimate key to climate change. Malthus was right.
5
@turbot...Dead on, figuratively, sort of. Get an elected leader, any leader, to answer this question: what is the upper limit of human population on this planet and in this country? Plan to grow old waiting for a quantitative answer.
2
Good luck with this Maoist Struggle session... until the youth decide to make the change for themselves and not suggest that it has to happen "systemically" or "by government mandate" or "by tearing down the system" (what ever those platitudes mean). When the youth stop buying cars, stop buying new phones ever two years, stop buying and consuming Chinese plastic goods, I will believe they can make the change. Until then this is a bunch of young naive idealists who want to control what others do and say in the new secular religion called "Progressivism". To the youth: You be the change you want to see. Forcing and bullying others will not accomplish anything.
5
To save species, slow warming & have a future, we must ramp down economic activity instead of maniacally increasing it.
Since 1950 global GDP has shot up like a rocket. https://ourworldindata.org/economic-growth
So has global temperature.
https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/
So has species extinction and human population.
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/extinction/index.html
It's crystal clear. The planet can't take what we do NOW. But politicians, corporations, economists, banks & the media tell us economic growth is heathy, natural & essential. 4% annual growth doubles an economy's size in 19 years. Unlimited, exponential growth on a finite planet is a necessary fantasy when over 90% of money banks debt which must be repaid with interest. 'No one loses at musical chairs as long as the music never stops.'
No politician talks about slowing down—or even stabilizing—the economy. Not Gov. Inslee. Not Elizabeth Warren. It would be political suicide.
The NYT sends profoundly mixed messages. Articles like this one appear alongside 'Can Anyone Hold the Global Economy Together?' where economic historian Adam Tooze bemoans Trumps erratic trade wars & the lack of global economic leadership spooking investors. "...globalization is no longer supported by the combination of investor-friendly economic policy and congenial politics...long taken for granted."
We must ramp down. Now. No matter how painful.
2
How can you take protest marches seriously when the marchers have no idea what they are marching about? How many know the science? How many have investigated the research rather than just regurgitating what they've been forced to learn in school. But the protests are important because they show how deeply embedded progressive theology has become in the public education system.
I challenge any public school educator who gleefully let their kids out to protest to explain clearly why they believe the climate is changing. And don't say AOC said so, or that 97% of scientists (climate) say so or because Bernie wants to spend 16 trillion to save the planet -- not his money of course, our money. Come on. I know you must be tired from a hot day of protest, but let's hear it.
2
@Ralphie It's really not that complicated of a science. In fact fairly straight forward of how global warming happens. If you take a couple of science classes in elementary school or middle school you understand it. I learned in my Geography class in elementary school.
2
@Ralphie So if 97% of physicians agree that Pill X is going to cure you, you're going to go with the 3% who say otherwise? Because that's basically your argument. Sure -- as a somewhat rebel myself -- sometimes the outliers are right but in this case, many of the outliers are funded by business interests who are looking at the bottom line, not at the environment, impact on health, etc.
2
Everyone protesting who has not already registered to vote should do so asap!
1
It is a terribly sad sign of the times that kids and young adults need to take a stand to shake awake the older generation of power holders, who have let climate and environmental damage proceed at a rapid rate for the last 50 years.
It reminds me of that PSA from the 1970s that used to run on TV in the US, with the Native American seeing a highway running by and people throwing trash out the window. People started pollution, we need to stop it. But 50 years later doesn’t seem we’ve learned much. I share in those tears he cries at the sad spectacle that is humanity.
See it here:
https://youtu.be/8Suu84khNGY
2
There are a lot of critics here, who link active climate change with forgoing all technological advancements since the wheel. Not doing that? You are a hypocrit. That is reductionist and ignorant. Individuals alone cannot change the world. We need systemic change, across all spheres of society, including the economy.
but the critics are correct on one issue: real change requires sacrifice. Which means, adults, next strike? Support the next generation by not going to work despite the possible repercussions. Because that is what it will take to get neoliberal, profit and growth driven politicians and businesses to change. A direct hit. That, and dont vote for them.
Good for you. And we have until 1987 to begin to clean up our act or else...
3
The Climate Crisis will at some point get the majority of Americans to at least make the effort to vote for substantial immediate change but only when their backyard is 8 foot under water.
And for all the commenters defending politicians and corporations here I blame your own ignorance.
3
Do glad to see young people tearing themselves away from their phones and lap tops to take to the streets and say ENOUGH!!! It’s their future that hangs in the balance, it’s going to be up to them to stop the wholesale destruction of the planet before it’s too late!!!
If you don't VOTE, you are wasting your time. Millenials and Generation 2020ers hardly go to vote. And without flexing that muscle, you hold no sway over politicans whatsoever. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE.
1
The other day I spent several hours in a wildlife refuge. No birds heard or seen, just Turkey and Black vultures. Scary.
2
Someone show trump the size of a really large crowd
3
I love the passion and the engagement. I want to know what these multi-generational individuals are doing in their own lives and personal choices. Are they consuming less? Upgrading their electronics less frequently, wearing the same clothes rather than following changing fashion, living in high density housing and moving out of speaking suburban enclaves as well as 2000 square foot or 3000 square foot flats for two or three people? I presume they are walking and using pubic transit instead of personal vehicles (electric or otherwise) and forgoing Uber and Lyft? Too often I see large scale protest for government action without the concomitant change in individual behavior. You do not need a government mandate to change your individual behavior.
3
This is a red herring. Individual shifts are great but they only scale so far. . We need a carbon tax and broad govt and societal support for real change. What are you doing?????
1
Protest and demanding your governments make change is GREAT!
The biggest impact young people can have is the following:
1. Curb your personal consumption
2. Demand your family to curb consumption
3. Speak to your parents about living smarter:
smaller house
smaller car or better yet electric car
installing renewables in households that can afford such
4. Asking your parents to consider your future by electing
politicians that take Climate Change seriously.
Governments will be the last to change, ALL interested parties can make changes today that will make a positive impact and we have to hope that HIGH VOLUME small changes will at least start a swing the pendulum the other direction.
7
@J. R. yep, do as Al Gore says, not as he does.
I thought Martin Luther King's March on Washington was the most dramatic and powerful outpouring of human empathy and unity I'd ever seen. But I never dreamed how human empathy could be connected through the internet to young people around the world. Bless them.Their commitment makes me tear up as they give me hope for people power.
10
Hopefully this will inspire young people who sat out the last election to vote in the next and the ones that follow. Assuming we still have valid elections.
7
The future is with the young people. However they see fit to protest, then it's ok with me. And it's never too young to teach the really young kids. If they can have active shooter drills, they can have to nerves of steel to make this world a better place.
But I also hope that they all practice environmentalism in their own lives. It's impossible to do everything right, but pick a few things and stick with it. I stopped eating red meat and pork many years ago, I rarely drive as I use mass transit or walk. (and when I fix my bike I will do that), I can't afford to buy organic all the time but I try to go to farmer's markets in the summer for the cheap items, I shop second hand mostly, and I have tried to not buy anything with glitter, etc, etc. And I always vote Democrat---NO MATTER WHO THE CANDIDATE IS. But I also use heavy duty bleach products to clean my moldy bathroom if I get lax on wiping it down every day to discourage growth. Once it settles in, only the high test products work, so I have to be vigilant to prevent using them. I've tried every natural remedy. Making the earth better requires some sacrifice, but I draw the line on a moldy bathroom. Oh well. My guilty "pleasure". Cleaning the bathroom.
5
Why do we have to protest for action on Climate Change? It's like protesting for action on gravity. How can it be that anyone denies either one? Whatever happened to facts/logic/reason...the scientific method? How can there be a political debate about the physics and chemistry of the world we occupy? Our world is well-described. It changes everyday. We can adjust our behavior now or our future will be done unto us
Instead of complaining about the student protesters, i.e. arriving in cars or whether the New York Times is correct about rally size, some previous commenters need to look at the EVIDENCE - that WE ARE IN THE BEGINNINGS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
The snow capped Himalayas, Mt. Kilimanjaro have lost much of there covering. the polar ice caps have melted to the point where countries are exploring new shipping lanes and are seeking new areas for oil drilling and other minerals.
Consider the many wild fires around the world or the unusual loss of bird population just in the U.S. [the canary in the mine?].
Those who complain about student protests on climate need to do something: either prove them WRONG with FACTS or do something to HELP our EARTH.
Anyone can sit and complain. That takes no thought. Taking time to RESEARCH information from UNBIASED SOURCES is a smarter thing to do. Be the SOLUTION, not the PROBLEM.
10
As a high school teacher, we were told by our administration not to demonstrate any support of the walk out today. I'm sure this was to quell parental discomfort about conversations around climate change. It was disheartening that we are trying to squash important critical conversations in schools between people with different perspectives, and ridiculous that a religious minority get equal standing for their bizarre, faith-based beliefs that threaten our planet. We should all be practicing our mental and physical discipline of sustainability to move the conversation forward. The only disagreement at this point should be about how to reduce human impact. On the other hand, kids should be allowed their response and movement without adult interference or guidance. Let's not use them as pawns, co-opt their energy, or put it on them to solve our problems. Of course they're afraid. They should be, but let's be there to support and guide them. Adults should take responsibility and the lead in making change.
11
I grew up in the 1970's. Back then we had "Earth Day" where tens of thousands of young people rallied and held signs each year. the messaging was similar, emotions ran high...and nothing happened. Why? Because we couldn't vote.
By the time we we were old enough to vote we all into moved into the "pro" and "anti" sides of the debates about abortion, LGBT rights, gun control, women's rights, and yes, the environment and once again, nothing has happened.
The bottom line is that we tent to vote based on the things we feel impact our lives NOW, not at some point in the future.
Unfortunately, its easier for us to deny climate change is real then for us to vote for elected officials who offer solutions that will cost us more money in taxes or to migrate to more expensive products that have less of a negative impact on the environment.
Until those concerned about climate change vote in a block, much like the anti abortion and pro gun rights voters do we will continue to see many colorful signs at ever increasing protests but still, nothing will happen.
5
@KEG
That's truly depressing and hopefully there will be a reaction to counter that trend.
.
I am proud of these Climate Change protesters I am encouraged by the fact that the young are making their voices heard.
I am a Baby Boomer and I was upset that scientists were not acknowledged as experts but dismissed and discredited by those who are afraid of change. I clearly remember the warnings that scientists gave us up to 30 years ago about what we are seeing today and we have failed the children that are the future of our species that's appalling.
During my working career I tried to help the human condition as best I can but even though I believed the scientists I was focused on what I thought I could do for some. Maybe I was wrong maybe I should have been more assertive in what I saw outside the narrow focus of my attention. In my defense I had seen where some were being treated with less than a minimum of decency and in my small way I could help. Now I think maybe I was wrong as there were bigger things needing corrective action. Well I tried to help what I saw as a critical thing as these folk needed help. To be clear I just wanted to help I never considered that I could do more than help a few but even that was better than nothing. Now I wonder if my decision was right. At least I tried.
Just an old man's opinion.
4
I would think nuclear power is the sustainable solution for much of this problem.
3
@MikeDouglas
There is a major problem with the storage of nuclear waste. I agree that it's part of the solution to our current problems. However there is a problem with the storage of waste of nuclear waste as well as the supply of materials that can be enriched to keep nuclear energy as viable.
Both are of concern.
Just an old man's opinion.
3
@MikeDouglas
Ask those that lived near Fukashima about that.
1
@McGloin The perfect is the enemy of the good....
1
Even these demonstrations and Bernie's Green New Deal are not a complete match for the magnitude of the crisis. That I can say that bares the absolute inadequacy of other candidates' plans, which are cartoons by comparison. At least these youth and Bernie come closer than anything has in my lifetime. It has been understood for decades that we are headed for a precipice. That calamity is now staring us in the face. We must establish governance that actually functions on this planet and for this planet.
3
Gary, children are present in the demonstrations because it is their future that is at risk. They may not understand the complexities of climate change, but it is the responsibility of adults who do understand the scientific evidence to support their protests. Please reconsider your skepticism.
10
I hope the Times covers these climate strike protests in greater detail. This could become something bigger--people who do already vote, but who are silenced by political systems such gerrymandering and the electoral college that disenfranchises millions of US voters these days--only have a few ways to make themselves heard, and that is sadly only if the media cover it.
We need to hear about these brave souls who voted with their hands and feet, the young worried ones and the old worried ones, who represent majorities in many parts of this country, and in many other countries. Who organized these protests? We thank you! Who showed up in rain or heat, with signs and costumes, to let your voices be heard? You have our gratitude! We, who may not have heard of these in time, support you, who represent all of us who hope it is not already too late!
We will join you next time, please keep up the good work! And publicize these broadly, so we can know to join.
5
@Sandra Campbell
I hope you are aware that the Democrats have a majority in the House and gerrymandering wouldn’t affect any Senate races. So I guess what makes people upset is that there is an opposition party to the Democratic Party.
These children will inherit the earth. They are right to question our inaction.
It isn't a question of the science. It is a question of responsibility.
Take care of what you own or you will lose it.
6
A big problem is scientists keep releasing unhelpful information. Everyone knows that all climate change is due to mankind, but today I read that millions of years ago there was twice as much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the average temperature was 26 degrees Fahrenheit warmer. Another article said space dust caused a cooling of earth and the ice ages. Mentioning things like these damages the claims that people are the cause of all climate change. If natural events can cause major climate change, it is impossible to blame humans for all change.
1
@Richard Wright There’s not a single scientist who ever said that humans caused all climate change. Not one! It’s like claiming that smoking can’t “cause all cancer” because cancer existed before smoking was invented. You’re bashing a claim that was never made by any scientists.
Right now humans are doing much to drive climate change in a direction and at a pace that will cause a lot of problems for future generations. We still have an opportunity to minimize the scope of the problems we will leave them. Our children are asking us to do that. That’s all.
1
Don’t you think we should assume that the current climate problem is caused by humans? otherwise we will have catastrophic devastation of our current society. No sense in waiting until it’s too late
1
It's great to see all those kids united in a single cause, expressed in every language of the world. If we want to make a difference we should not drive or fly anymore. Work near your home so you can bike or walk. Your income will drop, but that may be good: less money to throw around on needless jet-fueled vacations. And don't buy anything made of plastic - especially toys.
5
Today was similar to the "Million Mom March" of 19 years ago. After it was over, the moms went home to their McMansions, SUVs and cappuccinos.
5
Beautiful day for a protest. In New York the weather was wonderful. Not too hot not too cold. Just perfect.
1
How about if everyone over 18 registers to vote and then, actually votes. We are well beyond the point of waiting for the perfect candidate. Just vote for any candidate with a "D" after their name and let's run Trump out of office before he destroys not only the environment, but our nation. And volunteer in Kentucky and get Moscow Mitch packing.
5
I have just returned home to Weymouth, MA. USA south of Boston. I wish I could upload photos. I am not "young" and I saw plenty of my contemporaries in the march. We filled the large City Hall Plaza with overflow to the streets and I believe there are still people in front of our State House. This impacts us all and reaches far beyond any single demographic. NYT, you can come up with more thorough and accurate reporting and headlines right?
5
To all the commenters accusing parents of inappropriately allowing or encouraging their children to join this global (!) protest about inaction on climate change, may I remind you that it was a child who effectively sounded the alarm.
Children are not stupid. They may be immature and not have the answers, but they sure seem to get it that something serious is happening and that it is their lives that will be affected by the consequences of today's adult ignorance and inaction.
I have cared about the environment my entire life -- rivers, birds, agriculture and more. Now I am old and I care a lot about this planet-threatening issue. We all should, no mater our age.
11
If I could give these demonstrators one piece of advice it would be this: if the demonstration is a fun outing it is a waste of time. If there isn't tear gas in the air, nobody will take you seriously.
3
Where is the leadership in the US? Other than our solo decisions?
1
Arrest Donald Trump and all climate-denying politicians and lock them up! They staying locked up with no voice in our national and global matters is the very best thing they can ever do for us adults and for out children. Climate denying, delaying any action to mitigate it, and even making the situation worse by removing car exhaust standards, encouraging coal burning, ... these are no laughing matter. This is a serious crime. If someone is stockpiling nukes to blow up at sometime in the future, is it a crime or not? Climate deniers who are crippling our human action to mitigate it are committing even worse crime. Nuclear explosion is still local. Climate change is the whole entire earth. We must arrest Trump and all climate denying politicians and lock them up. That is probably the only way this country will do something about CC. And this won't happen. So the frustration and the children taking it to the streets. What's the point of going to school when they have no future?
2
"Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of cancer cells." Worth repeating here.
7
For the wicked upon the Earth these types of distractions will not work. As the children of Yahuah awaken from our slumber in our captivity, your end draws near.
Try as you may with Trump, climate change and all the other lies, the words of Yahuah is clear. In the last days the sun will burn the skin of men. We are not fooled.
Sometimes I just smile when I see Millennials. The future is theirs yet they allow the Republican Party and Trump to threaten that future. Unless they get out and Vote, then they deserve what they will get when Trump and I are long gone from this earth.
2
Hey kids, you really, really want to make a difference and reduce your carbon footprint exponentially.... Don't have kids. The majority of the problem with climate change is the FACT that we have a MASSIVE world overpopulation issue. Which make the conversation even more uncomfortable when you look at the statistics that most of the Western world has a net population decrease.... meaning those third worlders are the ones creating the population explosion. and we are not supposed to critique them because of (reasons).
2
Bless the young people and shame on my generation for putting selfishness and greed first. All that dither about family values means nothing when you elect and support slash and burn candidates with those same self-serving priorities. It's your children's and grandchildren's future you're destroying.
4
all the useless chanting and marching ...energy consumption without any result. we are doomed.
2
These Friday strikes for climate change started when a concerned 15 year old autistic girl sat by herself in front of the Swedish Parliament to protest against inaction just over a year go. If everyone of us is Greta from now on we will get meaningful action..
4
Beautiful!! Beautiful Beautiful Beautiful.
There's the future right there.
"The old road is rapidly aging....please get out of the new one if you can't lend a hand..."
There's a lot of tired old geezers who'll still back you up, kids. Bless you.
Carry it on.
5
I'm surprised that this story is lower on the Times' website than a story about Donald Trump calling a whistle-blower "partisan". It seems to me that this is the biggest story not just of the day, but of our time.
5
And remember kids, if you're 18 on November 3, 2020, you know what to do.
7
There can be solutions to the climate crisis if there is a strong will by citizens. Technical ingenuity and simple problem solving can do a lot. Every time there’s a war, strategies, new weapons, delivery systems, secure communications, etc. are developed in extremely short timeframes. This happens because governments are focused on winning and facilitating survival.
We all need to put our governments in a position where they must focus their attention on the climate and extinction emergencies as if they were engaging in war, because this is a war for the continued survival of all species. The first step in doing this is voting in government and political leaders who place climate preservation at core of their platform.
1
The article says, "In the United States, climate strikers — nearly two-thirds of whom are women and girls — have been unusually engaged." This fact is worth more than a passing sentence. The patriarchy has created and fights to sustain systems that are anti-life in every way. Women and girls now clearly see the destruction and oppression these systems have wrought. They will rise up in every nation on earth to nurture, protect, and sustain life in all its forms. This is a perspective the patriarchy is unable to see, let alone embrace, and in the end, this will cause it to fall.
4
If massive amounts of new technology nuclear power were part of the green new deal, I think everybody would surprised to see how many additional people would be on board.
1
Any among those out demonstrating today in the USA needs to be registered to vote, investigating candidates, and VOTING in EVERY ELECTION for the rest of their lives while also recruiting others to do the same.
1
Bernie said climate change is the biggest national security threat to the US and was laughed at by the mainstream media as out of touch.
Seems like he saw this coming and was right again. As he has been time and time again: he said no to war in Iraq, no to arms sales to Saudis, no to undeclared war in Yemen and of course on the urgent need for Green New Deal.
Electing someone who is serious about climate change is on the top of my list. Knowing that so many others think this way too gives me hope.
7
@DC...in reality the Climate Change list is not just one thing. It’s a hundred different things. It started out as one thing, but it’s not the one thing any more. It’s everything from A to Z: economical, social, political, environmental, etc.
The home ship of the Climate Change revolution, the IPCC, is represented in New York City at the UN building, which was renovated in 2015 for over 2 billion dollars. The only problem is, if we are in a dire situation and the UN is onboard with that 110% why didn’t they move their offices to higher ground instead of leaving their HQ in the flood zone? Sounds like they’re speaking with forked tongue.
I wonder how many protesters arrived by car rather than by bike, public transportation or by walking. Or is energy conservation someone else’s job?
7
@Richard Wright
I would expect...very few. Big cities usually have public transit options. I know a bunch of kids heading for the UN & everybody's taking the subway.
6
Wouldn’t walking be healthier, especially on such a comfortable day weather wise...
2
@Richard Wright
Good one. :)
I want action! (But not by me, the government!)
Somini Sengupta and Anne Barnard write, "Rarely, if ever, has the modern world witnessed a youth movement so large and wide, spanning across societies rich and poor, tied together by a common if inchoate sense of rage."
I would suggest the authors study a little not-so-ancient history before making such claims. I would offer 1968 as just one counterpoint, when young people in Chicago, Mexico City, Paris, Prague, and many other places didn't just march in the street but risked life and limb to make a point about government policies. Police riot, massacre of hundreds, massive ongoing street battles and strikes, Warsaw Pact invasion. That's what young protestors in those four places faced.
In court, ignorance of the law is not an acceptable defense. In journalism, ignorance of history is not an acceptable defense.
2
Maybe if the world’s youth could put down just a handful of the electronic gadgets they carry around, a little electricity could be saved.
7
It's too late.
We will be using technology, like pushing particles into the atmosphere to reduced temps.
We can't even be assured that Trump will leave office, never mind deal with environmental issues. We are not a resilient species for long-term calamities.
1
While I am so proud of these young people for their activism, it will be a waste of their time unless each and every one of them vote. When politicians have their jobs on the line, they will listen to the calls for action.
7
Each and every parent whose child(ren) believe in the dangers of climate change should not allow their child(ren) to use any form of transportation but public transportation derived from renewable energy. No car for you, no Uber for you, no airplane or fossil fuel powered buses for you.
Lets see how quickly the majority of the child(ren) change their spots.
6
I was reading we
here they use a potent green house gas to cool electric transformers for solar power ...its 10,000 more potent than co2 and last way longer ...
at the rate it leaks ...solar is worse than coal ...
Can we do something about that?
1
@ron First off, how about a citation for this thing you were supposedly “reading”? Let the rest of us read it and judge its credibility.
Climate strikers and others (including most of the Democratic presidential candidates) refer to climate change as an existential crisis. According to Judith Curry, a climate scientist and former professor at Georgia Tech, this is pure nonsense. The Earth has warmed about 1 degree Fahrenheit since satellite data collection began in 1979.
4
What's your point? Everyone with the most basic climate knowledge knows this, 1 degree still has had negative effects, and it's just going to get worse
America's youth will have to convince their parents to make the right choice for their future. If their parents are Republican supports, it is only contributing to their demise.
5
The irony here is that all these images of people demonstrating constitute a perfect illustration of the human cause of global warming, overpopulation.
4
@Raz
No, over consumption is the real problem. That's why the US (population 330 million) is a bigger polluter than India (population 1.3 billion).
6
To all those who think that reducing carbon gas emissions is pointless until the entire human race participates, consider that it takes decades for any molecule to work it’s way out of the atmosphere.
4
I think a major reason why nothing is done is that no one is settling for for the steps between an actual renewable energy and zero waste model.
We continue to just put trash in Landfills because people attack things like waste to energy facilities. Its economically impossible to go cold turkey on landfills and have tons and tons of trash people need to figure out what to do with. You can recycle and compost trash sure but are still left plenty of trash that is not going to fit into those categories. Waste to energy facilities still emit CO2 so immediately people just prevent municipalities from implementing them and spending money on them, however they fail to realize that means more trash into the landfills. If you want more green energy you need to settle for the fact it requires half steps to at least stop using landfills which are the most damaging to the environment along with coal burning.
Sweden has moved to almost exclusive Waste to Energy model in an effort to eventually divert most of this waste to recyclables and compost as process improves.
But here in America, no we attack every plan to build facilities like these, and the ones really benefiting are the coal companies and the landfills.
2
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin'
Will soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'
10
The most important issue. We need this but we need huge corporate worker shutdowns too. 1000 from Amazon not enough! Google, Facebook, Apple, Disney and every media and entertainment company should have mass walkouts! Don’t execs at these companies with or without kids know the world’s on the way to the end. We’ve been warmed for fifty years- now it’s time to take control!
5
Grown-up environmentalists go to schools to tell young children that the world is poisoned and they have no future. Hence, a Childrens Crusade. It's not going to end well. Already, there is grotesque resource misallocation - the Energiewende in Germany, for example, which is shutting down their nuclear power and substituting strip-mined lignite (worst coal) because windmills and solar under-perform. The examples are legion - the wealth destruction is terrific - disgraceful!
The beastly cold regions are warming up most. The leaf cover of the world has increased by an area equivalent to the US. A similar area of secondary growth forest is thriving, with little species loss. Crop productivity is four times what is was 50 years ago.
No good news makes any difference.
True belief marches ever onward.
3
I think (hope) we are at the start of a sea change initiated by today's youth similar to what happened in the 1960s.
3
Mark Twain said it all: “When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.”
7
Just got to the NYC protest. What do I see at the gate?.Young people being registered to vote.
Protest and voting go hand in hand. Both are stronger worth the other.
Vote, but don't "just vote." Hold your politicians accountable between elections!
10
@McGloin
Best news I've had all day!
2
Harbinger of a globalized dangerous populist mass movement with apocalyptic vision ..probing the effect of their manipulation on the youngest generation today!
1
What matters more than protesting is getting out and voting! Imagine if we could channel all this energy into civic participation!!
2
Chant and gather all you want; nothing will change, except perhaps things will get worse.
1
Interesting details. Biggest per capita CO2 emiision countries are US, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. The one that REALLY surprises me is the UK at 5.99. Could CO2 emissions be a measure that is somehow favorable to that statistic? Has their economy shifted away from heavy industry that great an extent? Or are they doing something I just didn't realize?
And the emissions of China equals the sum of the next 4 or 5 combined.
Is petroleum drilling and refining the single biggest contributor?
What's with Australia?
Country totalCO2Emissions perCapitaCO2Emissions pop2019
China 9040.74 6.59 1433783.686
United States 4997.5 15.53 329064.917
India 2066.01 1.58 1366417.754
Russia 1468.99 10.19 145872.256
Japan 1141.58 8.99 126860.301
Germany 729.77 8.93 83517.045
South Korea 585.99 11.58 51225.308
Iran 552.4 6.98 82913.906
Canada 549.23 15.32 37411.047
Saudi Arabia 531.46 16.85 34268.528
Brazil 450.79 2.17 211049.527
Mexico 442.31 3.66 127575.529
Indonesia 441.91 1.72 270625.568
South Africa 427.57 7.77 58558.27
United Kingdom 389.75 5.99 67530.172
Australia 380.93 15.83 25203.198
Italy 330.75 5.45 60550.075
Turkey 317.22 4.1 83429.615
France 290.49 4.37 65129.728
Poland 282.4 7.34 37887.768
@David...Where’s Norway on the list? They pump out and sell 2% of the world’s oil output...which they don’t use in their own country. Does that make them good? Please don’t make the argument that those who make the gas are not somehow responsible for those who use it, because if you would want to do that, there’s a historical occurrence from 75 years ago you would have missed. A big one!
1
Hilarious to me that this video is preceded by an ad for Chevron. Like if they just say the word "renewable," they're "poof!" all green now!
I’m proud of the children!
6
God spent five days putting this together, and another one putting people on it. Why aren’t the conservative Christians out there screaming about Trump hastening the destruction of God’s penultimate creation? Christ is going to be really disappointed if his second coming is to an empty planet, scorched by irresponsible stewards. I presume that “Thou shalt not kill” applies to the planet as well as each other, but it’s not entirely clear.
Ten Commandments, and instead of a specific prohibition on destroying the planet, we get one commandment against adultery, and another one against even thinking about it. Makes me wonder if maybe Moses was having girlfriend problems when he showed up with those tablets. Notice that nobody can find the originals....
5
Climate change is a lie. I heard it on Rush, and if Rush says it then I believe it, just like with the president. Also, the world is flat.
2
Dramatic and well meaning.
But barring divine intervention - or the arrival of some extra terrestrials who wish to save us from ourselves - ain't nuthin' gonna happen, unfortunately, from all of this youthful clamor.
I'm not exactly sure what these kids want us to do.Everyone seems to be in agreement about the problem, but I haven't heard much about the solution.
These protests are one of the most hopeful actions I have seen in a long time. It is all too easy to give in to despair - we desperately need the energy and optimism of young people, and we need to not let them down. We will keep doing our part, voting, volunteering, contributing, and through individual actions. Each individual contributes to the powerful whole.
3
We adults can, for now, easily ignore climate change with our hyper consumptive lifestyles that create it, but we can't ignore an international movement of those who angrily aware they've been handed the bill.
4
Personally I am very proud and happy to see the young of today doing what they can to reverse what is happening. As someone who lived during the Vietnam War protects I am am encouraged by young folk who are speaking to authorities in a clear voice.
Probably one of the reasons the Vietnam War and other conflicts the U.S. was involved in were not protested by teenagers and younger as they are today.
I am thrilled encouraged and have much admiration for these young folk who are standing up for what they know is right. I am further encouraged by the protests happening worldwide something that had not (could not) before this day and age.
I fully support their attempt to influence their future and I truly hope they are successful.
Just an old man's opinion.
3
As an old woman I so agree.
1
This may be a start, but what is needed is real and constant pressure like the kind going on in Hong Kong now. We need strikes every week that disrupt the normal flow of life.
5
Climate change activism is in direct opposition to a movement which we have all grown accustomed to: globalization. Everyone wants cheap air flights, their every whim delivered to their doorstep in mere hours, international food tastings, the list goes on and on. In my opinion, to take actual steps to change the health of the planet is for the collective to relinquish the forbidden fruits that has caused it.
9
Its a natural earth Cycle that we can trace back thousands of years. 5 thousand years ago the planet was much warmer then it is now. How is that possible? Sure us human do add a small percentage of pollution into the atmosphere that adds to global warming, but global warming of itself is completely out of our control. Even NASA just recently put out an article about how our Elliptical orbit around the Sun is closer than usual right now. surely this along with other natural disasters on our planet couldnt be adding to the Global Climate Change.
Whether you believe in climate change or not we have everything to gain and nothing to lose by switching over to clean renewable sources of energy.
It's a no brainer in my mind.
12
I just got back from the climate protest in Chicago. I was happy to see so many teenager and young adults there to defend their future and demand action. What really baffled me, though, were all of the people just watching the protest out of their office windows. I know that many of them care about climate change too. Why not come down and join us? The time for action is now! Join our protests, write your representatives, take as many personal actions to reduce emissions as you can, and VOTE!
7
@E
Because they have jobs
3
Yes this was inspired and created through the efforts of young climate activist, Greta Thunberg who started well over a year ago. And yes the message was clear and our well informed young people are protesting. But they are not alone, many of us who are very much older also joined them. I'm in my seventies and I attended our local protests and so did many associates and friends from my working years. We should all be taking part in these rallies. There has never been more concrete evidence that our governments are bought and sold by Fossil Fuel interests. Just like history has proven in the past there are those who would sacrifice our young through war for profit and now there are those who would sacrifice the planet for profit. Skeptics present the silliest of arguments defending the status quo just like they did in the face of science when defending the Tobacco Industry about tobacco related deaths like heart disease and cancer.
8
These young adults have every right to hold our culture to account for the damage we have inflicted on our environment and for our lack of interest in reversing the harm.
We are leaving them the mess and we are leaving them with so much debt that they might not be able to fix it either.
7
So does every corporate worker of all ages!
St. Pete resident here. Attended the march today, Friday, 9/20/2019. Incredible energy. Hundreds of people.
But not enough business professionals. This isn't just about us young people. This is about everyone. This is about the present, and the future.
8
@BB: Understood, but to get to the protests downtown today would require driving, which seems counter-productive. So instead, I stayed at home; skipped the long, hot shower and the morning coffee; ate a vegetarian lunch using food already in my fridge; hung the wash out to dry rather than using the gas-powered dryer; and opened the windows to keep the house cool rather than using a/c. I'm with our young people in spirit, but I think we can both agree that the above is a better use of my time and talents in supporting this movement than driving thirty miles in wall-to-wall traffic to march in a protest.
3
To all of those angry young people worry about living conditions in our near future I say go out and vote on 2020, every single one of you eligible, our country needs to lead the way for a serious fight against climate change, and it's not gonna happen with the GOP in power, it's never gonna happen.
7
Are they going to give up their electronic devices? Their gasoline cars? Their Instagram jet-setting lifestyles and consumer lifestyles? Every ‘fad’ heats up the planet EXCEPT staying home in a hot house in July and knitting.
6
@Md: "Are they going to give up their electronic devices?"
No.
Humanity, like any unchecked species' population growth, will strain ecosystems worldwide. A new steady-state will be established, which may decimate the overpopulating species. Even us.
At the same time, technological advances have saved lives, allowed longer lives, nourishment, comfort, health, and improving knowledge and innovation.
The ideal approach would be rational decisions for how to use our resources, our know-how. We have not been defeated before by challenges to progress; no need to give up now. But we do need improved science and math education, as well as skills to evaluate evidence and lying politicians. We must expect to cap population growth. This includes family planning and reproductive health choice. Our predominantly conservative government is not behind this. Other countries are.
2
@Md
How about we adults start by giving those things up first? Why are kids supposed to be more responsible than the grown-ups?
6
@Md
not in my backyard ...
NYT headline: Angry protestors
NYT synopsis: Angry protestors
USA Today headline: the youth will not back down
Guardian Australia tweet as reproduced by USA Today: the climate strike crowd numbers are phenomenal
Ahem, could it be that the numbers are impressive because these people are mostly children who were prompted to protest by their teachers?
The hundreds of climate strike protestors I saw in New Jersey didn't look excited at all.
Oh, and it's interesting to realize that the "youth not backing down" means that kids will walk out of one class on one day, and then it's back to business as usual.
I don't that much appreciate the NYT and USA Today crafting the headlines at the top of their websites to make it look like there's about to be a left-wing revolution against Trump. When really it's clear that what they're reporting on is more like the effect of the Pied Piper of Hamlin.
The NYT and others in the media constantly ignore is that to many, Trump and other right-wingers represent protection against rape, theft, murder, displacement, harassment, fear, and humiliation. Amazing that this is ordinarily totally dispensed with, and the media acts as if the only thing that can be said is that Trump is a monster.
Granted, climate change is a totally legitimate issue, and something should have been done to stop it-- while there was still time.
No thanks for irresponsible reporting.
6
It’s good that youngsters have taken to road for such a vital cause. I wholeheartedly support this movement wherever it takes place in the world. However it must continue. Further each and every participant must contribute in a small way in reducing global warming for the benefit of one and all.
7
I can’t wait to have this story and it’s comments printed in full in 2029. Just before the next climate protest. And see if anyone can tell the difference between the 2019 comments and the 2029 comments. I know I read the same comments printed today in 2009 and 1999.
2
@Shamrock The comments on 2029 will we about containment not prevention, if nothing is done now.
1
If current trends continue those comment sections will be nothing more than another part of the machine. Surveillance and population control technology is growing exponentially, and Im not simply referring to capabilities but to sales and usage as well. As of right now theres absolutely nothing slowing that down either.
Pink lungs matter.
7
If your only comments here are the cynical ones, the “no doers ones”, then maybe you can take a moment to reflect...that maybe... just maybe...you are the problem, not just the politicians.
5
Trump is no idiot, but he’s certainly evil. I would expect, just before the election, he’ll act sympathetic to reversing climate change to try and recruit some younger left-leaning folks. Republicans in America are beginning to understand the threat of climate change, so it probably wouldn’t dissuade their votes. Then he’ll just proceed in the Trump status-quo way (hugging lumps of coal) in his second term.
There will be major confusion sown in America by the president in 2020. Don’t be fooled.
5
This is a strike to get governments to act. While that may seem hopeless in the U.S. at the moment, where idiots averse to science are running things, the rest of the world can help. Since 1988, just 100 companies have been responsible for 71% of global emissions and just 25 corporations and state owned entities have been responsible for over half of global industrial emissions. Vote Blue in 2020 if you want even a hope of our country doing its part in reversing the trajectory the planet is on.
7
For those who are curious as to what “adults” can do, the first thing you can do is to educate yourself. Read about the science of climate change. Listen to the voices of those who have been and will experience the devastating impacts. Try to deepen your understanding as to what you can do. Then, take actions by prioritizing things you can do (now, short, mid, long-term).
Resources:
Kids and impacts of climate change: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/issues/kids-and-climate/
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: https://www.ipcc.ch/
Investors/companies on climate change: https://climateaction100.wordpress.com/
3
There are many comments here spewing misinformation about the movement. This is a Youth Organization. There are no manipulating adults brainwashing kids. India, Africa China are participating. NYT please don't print misinformation.
https://www.fridaysforfuture.org/events/map
6
Kids going on strike makes for good optics. Whether it will lead to anything is another story. Parents and single working people are the ones who should be striking. We don't have the Koch's fortune, but we all work for them one way or another. That's the only power we have.
But before I get wrapped up in my own enthusiasm, I forget, we are owned by the banks, our 30 year mortgages, credit card debt, school loans, expensive healthcare. That's how they control us, how they make sure we never rebel. And our children holding up clever signs and skipping school is not going to do it.
4
@Zg There was a rally here in Portland. Would have loved to attend. I am single and working. Financially speaking, I can afford to attend. Working in professional services, from a client commitment/deadline perspective, I cannot afford to attend.
@Zg
There is the old saying "Out of the month of babies" I truly hope that is a true saying.
Just an old man's opinion.
Politicians and corporate America won't think the public is serious about fighting the worst effects of climate change until we make serious lifestyle changes. The most obvious and symbolic would be to disengage from the ongoing love affair with large trucks and SUVs, which clog freeways during desk job commutes. If we can afford $45,000 gas guzzlers which spew more carbon emissions, then we can clearly can afford a hybrid or EV.
3
@SallySD
Our children are are screaming at us the stupidity of what we do. I truly hope most of us listen.
Just an old man's opinion...
Vote kids Vote
Protest , Walk the walk
And Vote these rich politicians who are not listening out of office
Make a change
I’m proud of these people !
6
@Peter Wiesner
I agree however most are too young to vote. I hope their parents and others listen and vote accordingly.
Just an old man's opinion.
2
I am beginning to worry that the way this political movement is taking shape is going to turn one generation against another at a time when people of all ages need to work together. Humans of all ages have a way of over-simplifying situations.
1
@Clarice
The destruction of our environment is in question? I think these young who are more aware of what is happening have every right to protest what is happening and demand change for their future. We have failed them miserably and they are trying to save their future lives. That's not a bad thing it's actually admirable.
Just an old man's opinion.
1
These young people will soon be voters, and every political operative should be able to guess which way the wind will blow if they vote in substantial numbers. Add unchecked gun violence, rising income inequality, job insecurity, fractured healthcare, crumbling infrastructure, and racial divisiveness to the mix and you have the seeds of an electoral revolution. A revolution probably powerful enough to overcome the structural advantages of the Party representing a shrinking minority of the electorate.
1
Although I don't have offspring, I do care about the future of our planet and want it be a livable world for the coming generations.
I do my share to protect the environment - no central heating in winter, no ironing of casual clothing, save electricity when possible, use public transport etc.
5
I hope every one of these young people of voting age get out and vote in 2020. Vote out the climate denier in chief!
3
To all the commenters who think kids are not ready for this, should. not be part of this, are too young... I recall tucking my child's head beneath my arms as 'instructed', lining the school hallways on our knees to practice survival skills in case of Russian nuclear attack. I recall realizing how insane adults were. Now we expect kids to focus on academic skills, to prepare and plan for a future and a world they KNOW, if things continue as they are, is likely to be barely livable, chaotic, violent, fundamentally insane. Most adults give 'cognitive dissonance' a whole new meaning for these kids. lf you, as a parent, a voter, a teacher, a pastor... are not giving climate change top priority with and for these kids, then you are likely 'out of your minds', too.
5
I grew up protesting Vietnam. So I am wondering how long it will take for the current slime in charge to bring out the National Guard the tear gas and the water cannons.
3
Do you have an estimate of how much addressing the problems of Climate Change will cost corporate america? ......and of course the tag alongs?
Before these Technobrats surrender I think they will try to destroy life on this planet, as we know it.
3
The insatiable, psychopathic greed of the few will be the end of humanity, and that is the truth.
1
Dear NYT,
The article attributes the following quote to Jemima Grimmer, 13, from Sydney:
“Adults are, like, ‘respect your elders.’ And we’re, like, ‘respect our futures,’” said Jemima Grimmer, 13, from Sydney. “You know, it’s a two-way street, respect, and I’m angry that I have to be here.”
This quote, in print, contains a grammatical error.
In modern English, there are two kinds of "likes" that might be considered slang. One "like" is a placeholder; instead of using "um" or "uh," I could use the word "like." The other, typically found in conjunction with an auxiliary verb, means "says" or "said." These two uses are very different, and require different punctuation.
Including the comma before the "like" implies that the person speaking is using a placeholder, not describing what someone else said. This is a small but important distinction. In my experience, people over the age of 30 often bemoan younger generations' use of the word "like" as a placeholder, claiming it makes them sound unintelligent or lacking conviction.
By including the comma before the "like" in Jemima's quote, it is my opinion that you are (perhaps accidentally) contributing to this notion that young people are not capable of forming complete, coherent thoughts without the help of a placeholder word like "um", "uh" or "like." Clearly, this is not the case. Jemima makes a fabulous statement here, but y'all, like, totally ruin it by, like, making her sound like a nincompoop.
1
I’m so proud of these kids. I’m so proud that they’re not afraid to tell those of us who have the power of the vote and the power of the purse what they want and what they need. Because, we sure as heck haven’t been listening as we buy bigger cars and houses. Sure, we get sad about starving polar bears and mourning orcas that can no longer reproduce, but we can’t seem to connect those fleeting feelings to actual behavior changes.
Anyone else thinking of “Teach Your Children”? Like the song says, they’re feeding us on their dreams. Will we listen?
3
To quote Bill Clinton "It's the economy, stupid."
They're not stupid, but overlooking the economy would be a stupid mistake. To fix climate change, we have to figure out how to live comfortably without constant expansion, with each individual having a much smaller footprint. And we definitely have to reverse population growth.
All that will require retooling our economy. And that will require knocking some oligarchs off their high horses.
The baby boomers overlooked the economy, and so here we are. Let's hope the current generation of protesters realize that economic democracy is a necessary part of sustainability. And let's hope they can figure out how to make it happen.
3
I hope Mr. Trump can see the next Nobel Prize Winners!
1
It is a shame there are this many young people thinking they are smarter than their parents/elders; this shows they are correct in the lack of parenting that has been going on. Secondly...go protest in the 3rd world countries where all the pollution is coming from (look at Global pollution maps). Tell your congress(person) to back Trump on sanctions to bring manufacturing back here. We will be the 3rd world if we don't turn this around now! Finish school and learn from History. Don't let non-citizens vote in elections or count in any census where we get the electoral votes ---- that is just dumb!
1
This will likely get deleted, such is the way with climate alarmists and the media that pushes this nonsense, bu what a load of nonsense. These children have been indoctrinated. They actually think they have no future and they are suffering from depression and anxiety because of the brainwashing in school. There is nothing, NOTHING unusual about the climate. Current planetary temperature is not outside natural variability. These children and are being abused with misinformation.
3
What these youth (and others) are doing is phenomenal. They should be commended and our leaders should listen to them and act! Now.
To continue the fight, a social activism project called We Are Watching was launched two days ago. The idea is to unfurl a flag with the eyes of 77,000 people (each representing 100,000 people) at the upcoming COP25 in Chile in October.
Please, join the movement so we can *SHOW* the world leaders on the world stage that #WeAreWatching!
www.wearewatching.org
4
Yay!!! Just...Yay! Keep it up. Kick my generation in the shins and don't stop until something meaningful gets started.
5
I teach elementary school in rural Nevada where our biggest industry is mineral extraction. Today I shared 3 articles from the Times with my 10 year old student: "How Long Before the Salmon Are Gone? Maybe 20 years?", "Birds Are Vanishign from North American", and this one. One of my student's questions to me was telling of political and industry propoganda in our rural area when he said, "You mean you actually believe in global warming?"
Talk about a teachable moment.
456
@Shannon Though it is upsetting to hear this, it is unsurprising. The same types of social and cultural forces that perpetuate the belief in a god or higher power serve to perpetuate the denial of climate change. We have strong evidence to scrutinize the existence of climate change - and for the existence of god? Not so much, and yet religions are some of the largest institutions in the world.
The process of non-thinking is dangerous, be it in religion or science.
35
@Shannon
The disappearing birds are a consequence of us destroying their habitat, through overpopulation, not climate change.
If you are teaching them otherwise, you're twisting the facts to pursue your personal agenda, and that would disqualify you from being a teacher.
Same with the salmon.
9
@Shannon, how did you reply to that student?
I hope you presented a few facts - things that are actually happening now, such as the sharp drops in bird and bee populations; how the loss of much of the Amazon rainforest means less oxygen in the air - which is already happening in some places in the world; the release of methane as arctic permafrost melts; the melting glaciers, etc.
All of the above are examples of what is actually happening or has happened to our environment NOW.
Whether we call it global warming or climate change - and whether we "believe" or not, it's happening. It's bad now and will be far worse everywhere for everyone in a few short years.
The good news is: there ARE things that we - governments and businesses and communities and individuals - can do to keep things from getting much worse - and perhaps even reverse some of these effects.
As many of this kid's peers throughout the world are pointing out: there is no "Planet B."
26
I live south of Houston. My home received almost one foot of rain from Tropical Storm Imelda. It got over three feet of rain during Hurricane Harvey and was damaged during Hurricane Ike several years ago.
It has been predicted that climate change will produce more frequent and heavier rain events. If what we're experiencing in the Houston area now isn't proof of that, then nothing will penetrate the thick skulls of climate change deniers and those who lust for profits over the survival and well being of the world's population.
I'm a pessimist when I look to the future. Politics runs on money and the moneyed fossil fuel industrialists will continue to fund the status quo and their need for profits. Conservatives in many countries will continue to block needed changes to reduce CO2 and methane emissions.
In my view, the root cause of climate change is the ever increasing world population and our combined individual needs for the energy to make our lives possible and to meet our "wants" and "nice-to-haves" for conveniences such as gas powered transportation, electronic devices, air conditioning, etc. The so-called greater good for all mankind is viewed as a lower priority to the niceties and conveniences of our individual lives.
Medical advances have reduced child mortality, conquered diseases, increased life spans, and thereby increased the world's total need for energy. The population growth during this century will negate any effort to promote climate change.
2
Wait, the last thing he said was "I don't know if I could ever live here." Awesome. My father grew up in Duluth, eventually came east, was never interested in going back. It will be a hard sell. My dad always chuckled about the very short summers. Economic opportunity and climate change sanctuary should do the trick though, especially for those who want to take advantage of the great outdoors.
Slogans and chants do not change the reality of this complex issue. Yes, we humans are impacting climate change & work must continue to reduce our impact. But the technology to effect rapid change just isn't there yet. Nuclear as a stop gap strategy is doable, but many are opposed to nuclear. However, base load power & fossil fuels are required to sustain the lifestyles to which we've become accustomed like jet travel and autos (hey, electric vehicles have to have some source of power to charge them) and hi tech medical care and A/C and heat 24/7 and smart phone production etc. etc. Research what Germans pay for power and honestly ask yourself if you are willing to pay that or think the poor among us can pay that. Don't forget the millions in China and India who today live w/o power.
2
Yeah, turning down the thermostat and the hot water heater, wearing a sweater when it’s cold and opening a window when it’s hot, cutting back some on meat and throwing out less food, reading the MPG and emissions sticker on the new car, getting down and weeding rather than spraying poisons and fertilizer, riding a bicycle some, not setting fire to the Amazon—really complex, tricksy stuff.
Good job I got a phD, huh?
1
@Robert
I support individual actions. When I renovated my house 10 yrs ago I put in on demand gas fired water heaters (17+ years to recoup the cost but reduces my carbon footprint); insulated to the nth degree; installed double paned windows; bought the most efficient dishwasher on the market & we never run the dry cycle; installed a back-up gas fired heater for the really cold days when the heat pump can't get the job done - thus, avoiding the strip heaters activating which are power hogs. Every year we plant several trees in our large yard. Decided to live with one vehicle which we share by coordinating calendars. So .... think I'm pretty much doing what I can. Your post, however, was not responsive. You point out obvious actions but they are not root cause solutions.
1
Children in China and India aren't out protesting. Their busy studying while students here are skipping school to pointlessly virtue signal. No wonder the US is falling behind.
10
@Mary
And millions of those children in China and India live without electricity in their homes. That is why the Paris Accord allows those 2 countries until 2030 before their carbon reductions are scheduled to begin. And - of course - our earth doesn't know from whence the carbon emissions originate. So, on a per person basis the U.S. gets a bad grade; on a total emissions basis China and India are by far the largest contributors.
4
@Mary
According to news reports they were certainly marching in India, and in Hong Kong and pretty much everywhere else, representing most of the planet.
4
@Mary If you read the article, children from all over the world are out protesting. It is not just in the U.S
3
Today's protests have inspired me to ask myself what I can do right now, at this moment, to be part of the solution.
Can I go without a 20-minute hot shower and washing my hair today?
Can I skip the morning coffee and the huge environmental footprint that goes along with it?
How long can I last without using the car? Could I use my bike to run nearby errands instead?
Can I make a lunch using what is in the fridge and pantry rather than going out to eat? How about making it vegetarian?
Can I hang my clothes from yesterday to air out rather than mindlessly throwing them in the washing machine?
Can I line-dry the clothes and linens that do need washed rather than using the gas-powered dryer?
Can I open the windows rather than running the a/c today?
The answer is: YES! Of course I can do these things and many more.
I may not be out in the streets myself today, but I'm with these young people in spirit. Go, kids, go!
8
the real test is recycling - washing - dirty diapers rather than using disposables
1
I remember when I was young, "Earth Day" was a big thing. All the cool kids wanted to show how environmentally conscious they were. You were shamed if they caught you throwing something in the garbage rather than the recycling bin.
The thing is, decades later we make more garbage than ever. And the environment is in more danger than ever. I think some of the self-righteous "environmentalists" I knew in high school even went to work for big, wasteful corporations.
The lesson, standing around and "protesting" accomplishes nothing. Talk accomplishes nothing. Until everyone -- and I mean everyone -- is willing to take a major reduction in the quality of their lives (no air conditioning, fewer cars, fewer plane trips, drastic reduction in consumer goods and electronics, etc.), NOTHING is going to be accomplished.
But that won't stop the grandstanders from signaling their virtue -- and tweeting it out to the world to show how noble they are.
5
This is admirable and wonderful, all at the same time! Unless one has their head in the sand, climate change does have a human component, as its cause! I just hope that not many of these youngsters are using the protests, as just another way to meet a cute girl or guy! I write this because back in the day, objectively speaking, a good number of protesters were more concerned with improving their social lives, than making it a more peaceful world! I was there!!!
3
From Earthday.org: "On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies." I was born a month later. Not much has changed since.
2
Until China, India and developing Africa are FULLY on board all of this is theatre.
2
Somebody just ask anyone of these teen and subteen protestors what they know about CC. The answers will be sad. For they know nothing. Except they are getting a lot of attention. And you get to look really earnest and smart too. Wow.
Yeah it's fun to protest. Really fun to be a guru who leads the protestors. It's like, dude, free love and drugs for all so we can stop the world from blowing up man. Especially for me man, cause like, I'm the guru.
This is so staged and idiotic. The NY School district should be ashamed. What if some kids want to protest against those on the left who want to take away guns. Or protest against abortions. Things like that. The schools going to let them out?
4
Pro tip: if you absolutely have to sink so low as to be a Trumpist, NEVER bring up the subject of massive ignorance.
It...draws attention to your guy’s worst qualities.
Now the Koch brothers, Donald Trump, and any reality denier has a taste of how history will view them.
1
Using children for political gain is despicable.
And filling their mouths with phrsases that they would have never consrtucted on their own is despicable.
It is also entirely predictable.
It's a methodology right out of Makarenko's writings on inculcation of Marxist-Leninist social doctrine into children.
And implemented by the Komsomol.
And the American progressive leftist doctrinaires.
Those responsible for organizing and scripting this absurd theatrical exercise are enemies of our republic, and our children.
5
Ummm, Editors, not sure you noticed but the card being held up mentions something about Trump and an immoral, albeit likely, act with his mom.
I'm not complaining but, you know how this upside down world will react.
First the Mothers Who Love Too Much will come out all upset their motto was lifted then Ruddy will drink his way to any open mic and defend / argue / sulrrrr / sweat / insult / his way into a confession.
What drama - I'm all a quiver.
2
There are more people at this demonstration on global warming than at donalds' 20 of January 2017 inauguration.
1
Just breastbeating about this with the same old slogans will not achieve anything.
The greatest obstacle to fixing the climate crisis is the government of the United States. These people need to demand that world leaders impose sanctions on the United States, cut off relations and bring the American economy to its knees. When they feel the pain, that will bring them back to their senses. Americans need to made to understand that they cant hold the planet to ransom.
2
We have failed the coming generations with our current US Regime.
2
It is almost funny to see the cynicism of many, many comments. That explains why we have a set of elected officials throwing snow balls in Congress and stating there is no global warming. But it isn’t funny.
4
The issue should be the major story in all countries, every day. The protestors are doing the right thing.
The Paris agreement which Obama agreed was not a solution but it was a step towards the solution. Nature is not mutable, man cannot control it, it works as it has for billions of years. Despite Biblical stories and the numerous myths of favorable invisible forces rescuing man from the harsh ways of the natural world, the forces of nature are never altered by anything. Our science is the more accurate forecasting means that we have and it says we are headed for permanent climatic changes and persistent extreme and destructive events as long as global warming persists.
We can reduce carbon emissions and cultivate new growths of forests to revers the trend but it will require decades and the costs will be staggering. Nobody for the rest of this century is going to enjoy the comforts of previous centuries. We will all be living on tight budgets and devoting our efforts to reversing the problem.
2
In the rural area where I live people are in total denial. Tons of people use those outdoor furnaces that should be totally banned yesterday. When you ask anyone about climate change they roll their eyes and change the subject. People need to realize what it is like in areas like this - TOTAL DENIAL. How do you fix that? Wait until it's too late to fix anything?
4
There seem to be a lot of people writing about “real change,” because marches and student protests don’t actually do anything.
They are wrong. Global warming/climate change has been known about for decades. Virtually nothing has been done. I’ve known about climate change and environmental destruction since I could know, but this is the first time I’ve felt that there’s hope for humanity and our actions regarding the planet.
Change is enacted by laws, but it is started by inspiration. And I haven’t been this inspired for a long while now. Kudos to every single protestor.
5
Long overdue.
7
Climate is far and away the most important matter facing humanity. Too bad it wasn’t on the front burner 30 years ago when action might have prevented the worst effects we are now facing. The biggest pills to be swallowed are the automotive industry and its wingman, the oil industry. Hundreds of millions of jobs will be at risk globally and resistance will stiffen when the costs become real. However, it is alarming to think that global temperature rises of 8 degrees centigrade or more are possible. Who would want to live in such a world?
6
Maybe this new generation will be able to reshape the political structure that, thus far, rewards corporate growth at all ecological costs.
7
Praise for Greta Thunberg and all the other young people from Marjory Stoneman et al who are doing something to save the earth, and make the world a better place. They have & continue to inspire adults around the globe. I am a retired NYC teacher, former Manhattanite. I am disappointed about De Blasio not allowing teachers and students to participate in Climate Change events. Not surprising on some level for when I lived there until 2007, NYC did minimal recycling under Bloomberg ...I think only glass and newspapers. In addition, though the teachers and students would recycle, we discovered that the janitors would just put everything together, and that was just one school. Schools use to have reusable trays for lunches now they use disposable ones Not to mention the millions of plastic utensils. In society, there is so much excessive sadly even here on the cape. I have even seen artichokes in plastic containers. Restaurants take out and take home need to reduce their plastic packaging and supermarkets need to create bins for people to bring their own containers and charge for this ubiquitous plastic containers. And ...Unfortunately too many are too lazy to recycle.
I am shocked to see so many doom and gloom comments and dire warnings to young people of what they will need to give up to save the planet. I wonder how many of those giving dire warnings do or will practice what they are predicting youngsters will need to do.
3
"And a child shall lead them." Isaiah 11:6
11
Outrageous. All this kids have been brainwashed to love their planet and care about their futures.
14
@Devin G
Cause, like, the earth is going to, like, end in 12 years, like, really.............
I went to FOX NEWS to see how their coverage of the 150 countries children were being reported. It was ZERO reporting. An angry racoon in NJ was a more prominent news story on FOX than 1,000 protests in the USA ALONE. SICKENING. Also sickening is Walmart banning VAPS=e-cigarettes after 8 deaths, when AR-15 is still legal.
5
Wait, the Times just ran a Chevron ad when I opened this video. Am I the only one who finds that the most unfortunate use of ad space EVER?
2
“Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities, Can Make You Commit Atrocities.” - Voltaire.
These children are being groomed for Authoritarian Government.
7
Or you've been groomed by a government and media bought by oil companies.
5
@Charlie L. Just the opposite. The absurdity you belief (that we are not slowly) suffocating (climate change denier) is making you commit the atrocity of polluting more and killing us all.
1
@G: Media? The media love and promote the climate hysteria. Take for example the article you are presently commenting upon.
Government? Every democratic hopeful has bowed deeply to the Climate Change Gods. Few politicians stand up to it. Heavy climate taxes coming soon. Outside of these two inconsistencies, your comment is poignant.
Who's going to break it to these kids that their future means walking, growing and cooking their own food, sewing their own clothes, turning off the one light when not in the room and living in a preindustrial world again? There is no app to touch for saving the planet.
7
Protests feel good because your are part of a group. I understand - it's exciting. I hope they also hear from people working to address the problem, and from leaders in industry that deal with economic issues, and from politicians who can explain the legislative process, and from people in other countries that have implemented practical solutions as part of their daily lives. Maybe they will become leaders that understand how to work together to solve problems.
I hope that some of these young people have enough charisma to take on the leadership of the democratic party in this country--some old folks who don't want to let go of power and are unable to act/effectively work to find solutions to the pressing problems of today's world.
I hope that young people around the world will challenge the aged ways of old thinking as well as the ineffectiveness of the leaderships in their countries: People in power are co-responsible for degradation of ecosystems around the world. Keep them accountable.
4
if they all show up on election day and vote - the change will begin immediately.
i hope they vote - all of them.
4
Invocation of the mantra "Green New Deal" is a bit disappointing. A slogan is not a policy, as Occupy Wall Street sadly discovered, and as the Parkland students re-discovered. You don't have a protest movement if you don't have a demand. You don't even have a political movement.
It is more like Woodstock ... a celebration of something pleasantly but hopelessly vague.
1
Bravo, young people. I am heartened to see that people around the world have had enough of the inertia and brainwashing. Those of us over 35 will be lucky if we aren't all pushed off a cliff when the next generations take charge, as punishment for leaving them a world so damaged when we could have been addressing this decades ago.
4
Wow, this is really serious, the crowds are almost as big as those around the Apple stores every time there is a new release.
3
Truly inspiring!
No doubt the politicians and corporate leaders will respond with faux condolences and insincere thoughts and prayers for the devastation they will leave their kids.
The adults in the room may be fooled by the greedy powers that be that are destroying the world for ungodly planetary destructive wealth, and should go back to school and learn the truth, like science and math for a change.
3
The climate is changing. Scientists agree with that statement. We all agree on that. The new climate will not be good for human beings. Most people will agree with that. Humans are the cause of this climate change. Virtually all scientists agree with that statement. A majority of people agree with the scientists.
If climate change were not caused by humans, there has to be some natural catastrophe that we cannot see that is causing such a rapid increase in carbon dioxide, acidification of the oceans, and complete change in weather patterns. It has to be larger than el Niño and a few volcanic eruptions and it must be global. If what we are experiencing is/was caused by natural events, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Pray to god, build a wall to keep out the desperate immigrants and buy your shotgun. The end of the earth is near.
Since global climate change is caused by humans, then humans have the power and ability to reverse global climate change and do it quickly and immediately.
2
Here are some things that young people can do to fight climate change beginning today.
1. Stop using and buying products made in repressive, polluting China. Never buy new Chinese-made smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Replace with used. Don't buy books printed there.
2. Go to community college/local college and live at home, instead of traveling to a distant college and living on-campus there. This saves so much carbon emission. Don't pad your college resume with "medical missions" to Honduras.
3. Lobby mom and dad to sell their homes and vacation homes and move to a single 600 square foot apartment. Subdivide and share rooms as needed. Staycation for the next 5 years.
4. Pledge to drive nothing but electric cars and stick to it. Better yet, use public transit whenever possible. Take the bus home from college, don't fly.
5. Be vegetarian starting today.
6. Buy and wear only thrift store clothing and shoes for the next five years. Learn to sew and repair frayed clothing.
7. Take a cue from the French and lobby for more nuclear power plants. France gets 70% of its kilowattage from nuclear plants.
8. Commit to enrolling in a STEM major, not Wokeness Studies. Technical innovation will get us out of this.
7
This is great, but until these kids threaten to disown any parent who votes for a climate change denier going forward, nothing is going to change.
It's the climate change deniers on the political right that are making these young people future nightmarish.
5
Many reader comments claim that these young people are being manipulated by teachers with a liberal, progressive agenda and that they are simply being obedient and doing what they are told. The comments then continue by saying that the students should not take to the streets but, rather, stay in class. In other words, they should be obedient and do as they are told! Perhaps these students are, for the first time, exercising free will.
4
One of the signs in the image reads, "There is no Planet B." Unfortunately, there is: it's Mars and only the most elite will be permitted to go once they have left the Earth too unattractive or inhospitable to remain. Science fiction? You are missing the writing on the wall.
Thank you young people of the world. Keep it up until we change our political and personal behaviors towards being more friendly to mother earth.
5
No healthcare plan stands the slightest chance of saving any of us from the planetary catastrophe for which we’re heading as a result of science denial, lack of will, lack of imagination, bought politicians, widespread and institutionalized addiction to carbon-intensive fuels, a focus on nearly immediate gratification (i.e., short-term “thinking”), and deer-in-the-headlights stupidity.
The Democratic Party—our only hope—is letting us down, and massively.
1
Why all the cynicism? Everything starts somewhere, with a positive thought. People laughed at the thought of the crazy idea that the earth was round, someday landing in the moon, racial equality, etc. If everyone was cynical, nothing would get done.
7
Young protesters with an “inchoate sense of rage” you write?
Many of the young people I witnessed marching to demand their leaders take action on climate change appear to have a much more sophisticated idea of the problem, and of the urgent policy changes needed, than do our inchoately-raging president* and his minions and enablers in Congress.
4
This is pathetic.
We do have to take action to preserve this planet, the only one we have, but manipulating children into the streets to protest something they don't yet understand does nothing.
Governments can do very little to correct this problem, unless we allow them to put limits on the how many children we can have, and enforce those limits with harsh penalties.
The root cause for climate change produced by humans is overpopulation. All other human factors are a consequence of this.
T
he solution is for people to take PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for climate change, including restricting their biological parenthood to two children, and stop looking to governments to solve the problem.
It is utterly hypocritical to rage at government inaction, and do nothing ourselves.
2
“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.”
— John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
Today they give me hope.
5
Just out of curiosity, were their marches in China, Russia, or North Korea? You will note that these are Trump's buddies.
I would suggest that rather than storming Area 51 because of some joke, people should storm the White House to say "This Is No Joke."
In my capacity as a PR advisor to Tasmania's Hydro Electric Commission, circ. 1977, I attended perhaps Australia's first protest conference between admin executives and those opposed to a long-term plan to dam a remote river to generate 'clean' power for the State grid. Many protestors arrived from interstate.
I put it to them, the hypocrisy of their argument.
"How did you get to this meeting?"
Of course they had arrived and would return by air and land, using atmosphere-polluting fossil-fuels in their journey to make their point.
And this same point applies today where protestors gather, now as armies, to remonstrate against the man-caused future perils of global warming. I would like to know the logistics supporting the tens of thousands, gathering at these protests covered by the NYT.
Were the polar and panda-bear suits synthetic and their manufacture harmful to the atmosphere? Did the hordes jog across town or cross-country in bare feet and loin-cloths to demonstrate their commitment to spare Mother Earth the ravages of manufacturing to meet the demands of modern living?
I see signs scrawled with thick ink probably from made-in-China pens, arriving on made-in-China skateboards and scooters; protestors neatly attired, wearing spectacles...an en-masse assembly of young consumer hypocrisy...and ignorance.Scientists said a decade ago that it would be as costly to the economy to stop global warming as to ignore it. Extreme weather events suggest it is now too late.
Be sure and let me know when China and India and developing Africa get on board... because THEY are the ones who we need to change most... until that happens the rest of this is theatre.
2
So-called adults use "walk out of school" as a lure to get many, many, many student aged folks to be on the street for something the adults are pushing. Does anyone NOT see through that ploy!?? It is just so craven and dishonest - as is much of what has gone on with the "Global Warming . . . oops! didn't happen, well just change it to Climate Change and then we can't possibly get caught again!!"
2
@Spike. This is a YOUTH MOVEMENT started in 2015 by one young Swede: https://www.fridaysforfuture.org/events/map
1
Today the kiddies were protesting in my town too. They’re savin’ the planet! Never mind that the Rhine river was dead years ago until environmentalists put pressure on the surrounding governments to clean it up—of course the kiddies weren’t even born yet when that happened. But they’re complaining about their bad grownups! Forget about the fact that every retail store in Germany has a plastic recycling machine for bottles; the high deposit of 28 US Cents each insures that people will bring the bottles back—yet another initiative that was decided upon before many of these young kids got out of their diapers! Forget as well that the green party got Germany to commit to shutting down ALL nuclear power plants In Germany (CO2 free—oops!) and of course all the countries surrounding Germany are not playing ball having more nukes than you can shake a stick at! Also, you can completely ignore the fact that every single automaker everywhere is advertising the CO2 free e-car...it’s so endearing...the beautiful and hip photo models even wear hoodies! The carmakers, with government blessing, advertise their fantastic cars as requiring ZERO CO2/kilowatt hour! Now isn’t that just fantabulos! Except for one thing: We just put the VW Dieselgate scandal behind us, where VW cheated us on poisonous gas output on their diesel cars via manipulated computers, and now, as an extra bonus, carmakers get to ignore the true CO2 output at the power plant (500gr/kwh avg. in Germany). Where’s the truth?
1
Baby Boomer, 1969: "You can't trust anyone over 30!"
Baby Boomer, 2019: "See what I mean?"
1
Until China, India and developing Africa are on board this is all just theatre.
@Mystery Lits
Who says they are not on board?
There are several thousands of strikes and it includes Africa, India and China. Check out the MAP https://www.fridaysforfuture.org/events/map
Sorry, but the biggest challenge facing the world right now
I am reminded of the song "Do It" by The Doors from "The Soft Parade." Repetitive but it gets the point across.
"Please, please listen to the children". "You are the ones who will rule the world."
Not only "rule the world" but, one would hope, "save the world".
2
How many strikers took a car today? How many will eat from plastic containers today? A march is one thing, but what if each of those kids exercised their personal power to stop using things that contribute to climate change?
3
@KJ: How do you know that they did not walk, cycle, or use public transportation? Why do you think they did not use canteens and other reusable containers to pack their meals? These are pretty basic things for eco-conscious people. I'm no environmental saint, but even I haul a Kleen Kanteen, a metal tiffin, a set of reusable flatware, and cloth napkin in my bag every day, as do many of my middle-aged peers.
1
@Allison My question is "how many," which presumes that some -- perhaps a lot -- did, indeed choose eco-conscious options. But do you suppose there was no garbage or traffic generated by today's marches? Next week this will be out of the news cycle. But if every one of the millions who participated in today's march, and every one who wished they could have participated, stopped buying even a little less stuff in disposable packaging and started using alternatives to fossil fuel vehicles even once a week, etc. that would force change from the bottom up. Ask, "Do I really need my parents to drive me to school/practice/my friends' or can I walk this time?" "Do I really need that bag of chips or bottle of soda?" "Do I really need to buy another shirt?" "What is this item made of, and how is it produced?" Money talks. Corporations use their money to influence politicians. If we're not buying their eco-toxic products and services, they won't have the money to buy policy and they'll have incentive to do things better for the environment. That's perhaps the most powerful tool we have and we can use it every day. #MakeChoicesThatMakeChange
Humand have "urbanized" (definition: small hovels to major metropolitan regions) just three percent of the earth's landmass. The earth's landmass constitutes just twenty-five percent of the total surface of the earth. Therefore humans have urbanized just three percent multiplied by twenty-five percent or just seventy-five one-hundredths of one percent of the earth's total surface area.
That is 0.0075 of the earth's total surface area.
We and our consumption of fossil fuels are insignificant compared to that big bright light bulb at the center of our solar system.
I am not a denier. I am not a skeptic.
I am learned in the sciences of chemistry and physics.
I am a truther.
Go ahead. Attack away. Let the ad hominems flow.
I can take it.
I am on the side of truth.
2
Young people of the Earth: You are the future. I believe in you. I thank you for marching and for caring more than the politicians do. My heart and mind are with you. I salute you!
14
Motivate people to vote for your cause!
Be the change you want to see! Our global system is corrupt and we need to accelerate away from fossil fuels, period. There is no planet B. We've got to turn this around. Stop flying everywhere, people! My God, you do have a choice! Vote with your dollars. If we all stopped flying, just think what would happen.
My heart aches as I watch the catastrophe unfold. Rise up, people and let's get it done. This is a ground up movement as our leaders are doing nothing. And those in the WH are the most despicable.
5
As I am reading this article and looking at all the pictures, I am wondering how many more young adults would have showed up to the rallies in this country had they been standing in line at the Apple Store for their Iphone 11. Walk the talk !
2
There is nothing that can be done about the fossil fuel industry. They are determined to get the last dollar of profit from oil and gas, even if it will destroy the planet. The reason nothing can be done is, there is no known alternative, and none of us, even the very climate scientists and protesters most passionate about the problem, is willing to turn off an air conditioner or a forego needed car ride, or plane trip. I won’t do it, and neither will you.
There are rumors, some of which are credible, that the US government has the advanced technology to replace gas and oil, but that the tech is so sophisticated and so dangerous that the Unacknowledged Special Access Programs which control it will not release it. These include technologies that any MIT grad will laugh at, and tell you are impossible, because they defy current laws of physics. Zero point energy, anti gravitation devices and cold fusion are among them. See siriusdisclosure.com and Hal Puthoff.
If these technologies are real, they could save the planet. If not we are in terrible, terrible trouble. But if they are, there may as yet be no safe way to deploy them, and the clock is ticking.
1
The question is often asked, “how do we address climate change without causing economic damage?” Well, I say who cares let’s just address the problem. Let me say that I am a cancer patient and I tell anyone who says we should think first about the economic impact of doing something about climate change, “so I should not take my cancer drugs because I don’t like the side effects.” Needless to say, I take my cancer drugs regardless of their side effects, and we need to deal with climate change despite any negative economic impact.
10
I’m shocked by the ignorance (naivete?) of this opinion. Insurance companies, banks & governments are trying to measure current & predict future economic costs (risk, exposure). The economic damage is already happening. Our financial exposure is inversely related to taking mitigating action.
2
@rob economic damage equates to more homelessness, more crime, drug addiction, and angry people who have lost their jobs. Not to mention global migration on a scale that will dwarf anything we've yet seen. I think that global climate change is the most severe problem facing our world today. However, to underestimate the social chaos that will ensue for as a result of continued economic dislocation is, in my book, naive. I don't have the answer to how these competing forces can be balanced (if they can). However, to stick with the medical analogy, the old saw, "the operation was a success, but the patient died," keeps running through my head re negative economic impact. However, we must try and I thank the climate kids for being out there in the streets today.
the adults have failed to such a degree the kids feel as though they are literally fighting for their lives/ future. They are.
But man - it does not help their anxiety. How do you reason with a preteen to do his homework when his response is - "Why? What's the point? We're not going to be here in 30 years anyway?"
He's not wrong. But neither are the kids for pushing back. It's sad the adults have so failed them, that they have to.
7
We all know something has to be done for the climate and the first thing we need to do is raise awareness that will trigger political action. Those marches help a lot in achieving that first goal. Then people have to actually change their habits and we can't fool ourselves: consuming differently, paying a higher price for better quality products with less plastic, traveling local, not taking planes, all of this is very hard in a society that is not design for this; it's really hard to "be the change". That's why we need strong political action that unites everybody behind this cause. It's doable and has been done in the past for the second world war. This change would make us live differently and change the economy and probably the way we perceive value. And it's not a big deal people have lived differently in the past, they were happy (luckily expectations reset) and we might even end up consuming less anti-depressor than today. We also have a clear constraint on energy and raw materials so if we don't want the change it will happen anyway (except if we have improbable scientific discoveries) so it's better to manage it and control it. To conclude I perceive those manifestation as a very positive first step for the society toward changes that is ineluctable. That said, the kids shouldn't bear this task alone and we need need to help them envision the future positively even if we fail at fighting climate change. After all expectations will reset.
5
I applaud the students who are protesting around the world. I hope by the time they are old enough to make a difference by voting and by running for office that its not too late. The people in power now are not about to relinquish it.
5
I'm so glad to see the young people speaking out, and protesting to keep this issue in the forefront. Protests are definitely one great way to get an issue noticed - however, the only way - at least right now - for actual change to happen is use the political system to vote in politicians that will fight for your cause. EVERYONE of voting age needs to get out and VOTE! Your futures depend on it.
7
I read somewhere that a person's political attitudes over his or her lifetime are formed by the political times they grew up in. The sight of these young people warms my heart -- most will be activists / progressives for a lifetime. Thank you, Mr. Trump, and thanks to all your enablers as well.
8
I understand that it won’t get someone elected, but I remain surprised that there hasn’t been a one-issue politician running for president. I’ve worked in the Arctic. My father is a glaciologist. I’ve listened to him explain to me what would likely happen in my lifetime, which means I’ve listened for more than 40 years. The Arctic he first visited in 1961 is gone. I’ve been to the North Pole twice. The first time I arrived at 90 degrees north, there was no ice. The year was 1994.
286
@Tom The problem is that it takes a lot of money to run for congress and much much more to run for president. The whole green concept requires using less stuff, and our economy is based on people using more stuff. In order to make the changes we need a lot of people are going to have to figure out how to enjoy life with less stuff around them.
Now go tell the boomer generation that new single family homes are limited to 3,000 sq feet or less, you can't use a motor boat unless it's for commercial reasons, and even then it must be electric, and you cannot have more vehicles registered to drive than drivers in the home.
Those aren't crazy ideas, but just toss that out there and watch older people's heads explode.
And those are moderate changes compared to whats really needed.
35
Jay Inslee, the Governor of Washington, was the single-issue Presidential candidate, running on a climate action platform. Now that he’s dropped out of the race, Elizabeth Warren has adopted his platform on climate, which he had made clear was open source. That was a smart thing for Elizabeth Warren to do.
132
Jay Inslee.
54
i think protesting is a fairly good idea but, we should really be taking action instead of sitting if we want this to work. we should raise money for different organizations and come up with plans to slow down climate change becuase stopping it is immposssible
there will be a time when the ice age returns or our planet has some catastophic event. we are not causeing climate change to begin with it is natural but we are speeding up the process of it so it is an important issue to bring up. the question is how do we slow ourselves down?
what can we do that will hault our downfall for humanity maybe we can even come up with an idea to make it better for us to live and the eniviorment around us
Shoulda', coulda', didn't, and won't.
even on a day when millions of young people around the world are assembling to raise awareness on our climate crisis, the story of climate change fights with Pres Trump's latest controversy for the lede.
just yesterday a Cornell study was released which found that 30% fewer birds are in North American than in the 1970s, i.e. about 3 billion fewer birds. that story truly shook me. it was reported in all the major outlets, but for most as a "minor" story.
what will it take for climate change to be the "major" story today and everyday? how many more children need to march in the streets? how many more biologists and climatologists and meteorologists must issue dire reports and warnings?
4
Mass hysteria on a global scale. There isn't a single thing any of these marchers can do that will make a shred of difference to the climate. Mother Nature isn't listening. She has her own agenda and if that includes raising the temperature of the planet she will do so as she sees fit, despite anything these pesky fleas burrowing into her skin think. And if she finds these fleas too much of a burden on her, she will shake us off in her own good time. If we all changed our ecological behavior overnight, she wouldn't care one bit. As the great philosopher-historian Will Durant put it: "Civilization exists by geological consent--subject to change without notice."
5
Barron Trump will need to live on Mars or the Moon to avoid the consequences of his father’s and others’ inaction on climate change. The wall will not hold it back.
5
You want to see why the kids are so fed up, frustrated, and mad at the politicians who won't do anything about climate change?
See this video of Senator Diane Feinstein "handling" some school children and their teacher when they talked about climate change to her. And Feinstein is a Democrat!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu-VzZ45MwI
Really nothing is going to happen until we get the big money and the polluting influence of self-serving individuals and corporations out of politics in this country.
And stop criticizing the children for protesting against the stonewalling and inaction by adults to address this significant global problem of climate change.
We teach children to be responsible citizens and now they are.
I also know that some polls have shown that a fair number of adults object to teaching activism as part of the civics curriculum in the schools--in fact, some school districts have done away with even teaching civics because some parents complain or only want their particular partisan point of view taught.
Also, if you know children well, you know that many have a strong "phony detector" that can quickly spot an adult hypocrite or recognize wrong and hurtful actions when they see them.
But, of course, to some adults, children must be seen but not heard. Listen to the children, please! Feinstein did not, and I am sure she was a great disappointment to those eager kids.