“How dare you.”
Greta Thunberg’s voice filled with outrage and grief as she addressed the UN Climate Summit in New York on Monday. I urge you to watch her entire heart-wrenching speech.
As Greta says in her address: she should be in school. But she can’t be. Decades of inaction on climate change have “stolen my dreams and my childhood."
Greta warns that at current emission levels, we have eight and a half years left to consume the remaining carbon budget and will face “irreversible chain reactions beyond human control.”
Most parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents hearing this will do a quick mental calculation for the youth in their lives. For me it means that by the time my four-year-old daughter is 12, she will face societal breakdown, climate chaos, and ecosystem collapse.
If we make the choice to turn our back on Greta, she vows, on behalf of her generation, “We will never forgive you.”
Nor should they.
We have the solutions; we have the knowledge to do what is necessary. Our history has shown we have an immense capacity to change.
As Hurricane Dorian shook the Maritimes, as floods swamp our homes and communities, and as forest fires ignite around the world, it is becoming impossible for anyone to deny that gut feeling that the climate emergency is a real and imminent threat.
On the edge of the precipice, thanks to Greta and millions of youth around the world, political will is building. This week, this historic moment, is their time. It simply must be.
Greta’s promise to the world is one we all commit to keep:
“Right here, right now, is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. Change is coming - whether you like it or not.”
As members and supporters, I ask you to join with our Chapters to be part of drawing the line, and making real change happen now.
Join the #climatestrike!
See you out there,
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Get out there and support Climate Strikes in your community
Join Greta and our President Lauren Scott, Sierra Youth and Quebec Chapter representatives in Montreal.
Our Chapters are supporting rallies happening across the country in places like Halifax, St. John’s, Charlottetown, St. Andrews NB, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton and elsewhere.
Aside from showing up in strong numbers, other ways to support the Climate Strikes:
- Assist in creating and getting resources for signs, artwork, and banners for the event (guides to this available on the climate strike website.)
- Bring lunches and snacks to rallies.
- Offer to help get youth to rally locations.
- Help spread the word on social media:
- If you have a child or youth in school, make sure their school knows they have your permission to participate in the Climate Strike.
- Take pictures and videos and share them with us on Facebook: @sierraclubcanada and Twitter: @SierraClubCan so we can share them with our followers.