The Climate is Changing, Why Aren’t We?

There is no Planet B is probably the most popular slogan painted on banners and signs at the Global Strike for Climate. Today is Friday, May 24th, 2019. For six months the demonstrations Fridays for Future have taken place in various countries and cities, in order to fight for a better future and demand that actions are taken to prevent our planet from dying right before our eyes.  

However, today is not a regular Friday. This time, the demonstration has spread all over the world and nothing will stop the passionate chants and powerful speeches of millions of people.

The streets of Munich are flooded with students of all nationalities fighting for one same goal. Their power and energy are so intense to give the goose bumps. There atmosphere is electric; you can feel the determination of people who want to take over the world and make a difference. After all, if the Swedish 15-year old Greta Thunberg managed to do it and started the campaign Fridays For Future, what is stopping everybody else?

This is not a violent demonstration; the only purpose is to be active creators of a change that involves all human beings and the only home we are given: our planet.

The crowd marches through the city streets, while a student guiding the parade is chanting some slogans through a megaphone. Everyone follows and repeats. They ask for change but demand their right to a better future to be respected.

A sea of banners and signs is being waved above everyone’s heads. Some of them have catchy mottos, for instance “Be a part of the solution, not a part of the pollution”. Some others use cutting irony and sarcasm, make references to films, songs or memes, in the perfect millennials style. One in particular stands out, reciting “The Titanic would have no problems in 2019”. In the end, it does not really matter how you say it, as long as you say something and make other people listen.

It is safe to say that everyone knows what is going on and has done some research. This is not just an excuse to skip school for one day and make some noise in the city streets. Some students really show their commitment to the cause and knowledge about the matter, waving a sign that explicitly asks to respect the Paris Agreement.

There have been several attempts to bilateral and multi-lateral deals between countries regarding the environmental issue, however the biggest concern stems from the USA withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. According to specialized researchers and statistics, we should reduce the gas emission by 45% by 2030, on a global scale. But how can it work if we do not cooperate? Jane Kenny is one of the students who expressed her opinion about this whole matter, saying: “Every country is a key actor. Change is only going to occur if we all take action simultaneously”.

Some other students are inviting politicians to “Make the Earth Great Again” by taking immediate and radical actions. It is already late to fix the situation, we put our planet in, there are not many chances to make things right. According to Chiara, an Italian student, there is the natural tendency to wait for something horrible and irreversible to happen before acting, rather than working on precautionary measures. “We know what is happening because we hear it on the news, but it still feels far away from us. It doesn’t feel real, therefore people don’t take it seriously”.

She also compared how Italy and Germany approach the issue, stating that public transports in Germany are very efficient, therefore it is not strictly necessary to own a car. Unfortunately, it is not that easy to do the same in Italy. Another Italian girl from Milan joins her to affirm that there are alternatives to using a car, in order to decrease pollution, such as public bikes, scooters and car sharing options. However, commuters who live in the suburb of the city need faster and more reliable transports, such as trains and busses, which unfortunately do not really work too well in Italy, due to often occurring strikes. Chiara concludes by saying: “We can cut down pollution by using alternative forms of transport instead of cars, but we need to make sure that these new options are reliable and effective”.

As the march proceeds, students take pictures to post on social media and raise awareness. Videos that show the demonstration are filmed from all different angles, showing the multitude of colours used for the banners and the signs, which are too many to be counted. All the voices are united, but every now and then it is possible to hear conversations between smaller groups.

A girl makes an appearance, standing out from all the other words that are piling up in the air. She says she is positively surprised by the turnout of people who decided to speak up and act. It is a good sign, yet she does not understand how such an initiative could actually and concretely change anything. Successively, a guy with a thick American accent takes the floor and answers: “Awareness doesn’t change the world, but it helps a lot of people to know that the world needs to get changed”.

Actions speak louder than words, it has never been a more suitable statement. The hope that these demonstrations will have more direct political outreach is everlasting and even though it is just one simple movement it can only get bigger.

We are putting at stake everything that keeps us alive, yet we are completely blinded by other more futile and shallow problems to recognize it. So far the earth has given multiple signals that humanity is going in the wrong direction, we still have time to fix our route. The planet has spoken, we just need to listen.

For more information about Friday For Change and The Global Strike for Climate check the links below:

https://www.muenchen.de/aktuell/2019-05/fridays-for-future-globaler-klimastreik-24-5-2019.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ_QkjieLmw

FB Page: Fridays For Future (Deutschland)