They're people like 16-year-old @GretaThunberg, whose protests at Swedish parliament sparked a movement. Inspired by Greta's action, Fridays for Future brought together more than a million strikers on every continent last month to demand action on climate. https://t.co/un7nBhEF8i
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 22, 2019
On Earth Day this Monday, former President Obama dedicated his message to praising the young climate activists who have continued to turn out, sit in, and protest around the world in an effort to get political leaders to do something about climate change. President Obama specifically gave a shout out to 16-year-old Greta Thunberg who started the movement Fridays for Future and encouraged over a million students to skip class on Fridays and protest at their respective capitals of government. You can take a look at Greta’s impassioned speech to UK MPs this week, stating bluntly to her elders that “you did not act in time” and that her generation is being robbed of a future. Then go read this New Yorker piece titled “The Uncanny Power of Greta Thunberg’s Climate Change Rhetoric.”
Why This Matters: These young people have catalyzed a formidable climate movement just within this year, and it’s important that global leaders recognize their efforts and use their power to influence action on climate change. While President Obama is no longer in office, he is still one of the most influential public figures in the world and people pay attention to what he says and the causes he supports. For comparison this was President Trump’s Earth Day message this year, in short, it perpetuated the false narrative that action to protect the environment comes at the direct cost of our economy.
April 25, 2019 » climate change, Earth Day, Fridays for Future
