By Hannie Durham Arnold & Anya Markovitz, Year 11
On Friday the 27th of September an estimated 3,500 people took to the streets of Geneva to raise awareness about climate change and the lack of action on politicians’ behalf to tackle the issue. Many students from LGB participated across years 11, 12, and 13, prompted by the two groups running for StuCo to participate.
Climate marches and school strikes have been occurring more and more frequently across the globe since activist Greta Thunberg started Fridays For Future, a school strike for the climate in August 2018, rallying schoolchildren to protest outside the Swedish Parliament. The 16 year old activist has spoken at climate rallies across the world, attended United Nations meetings, and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize (as one is when they are named one of the world’s most influential teens by TIME magazine).
Another previous climate march across Switzerland on the 20 of September had almost 2,000 people in the cities of Basel, St Gallen and Lausanne participating in demonstrations. “The crisis concerns us all, whether we are from the right or the left,” one speaker said at the march. Approximately 500 people in St Gallen, including many school children, marched in the streets, criticizing Swiss politicians, banks and big businesses’ failure to tackle the issue.
The Swiss government has declared that Switzerland should become climate neutral by 2050, based on findings published by the IPCC. “Switzerland plans to reduce its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050, thus meeting the internationally agreed target of limiting global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C when compared with the pre-industrial era,” the government stated. “As an innovative country, Switzerland has the best conditions to achieve the target,” said Environment Minister Simonetta Sommaruga.
Even if you are unable to participate in the marches, there are many other ways to support the cause. Any effort to reduce waste and pollution can help. Becoming an ally to the strikes and providing support can make a difference!
