Speaking Truth to Power
Our house is on fire—let’s act like it. We demand climate justice for everyone.
Swedish teen Greta Thunberg has inspired a generation of youth to hold adults and politicians accountable for the lack of action on the climate crisis through her speeches and her personal protests outside the Swedish parliament each Friday. This year’s Climate Strike, organized by youth around the globe, is the week of September 20–27. In the Madison area you can find a list of upcoming events at Madison350.org.
In case you have not seen Greta Thunberg speak, here is her TED talk and a welcoming letter/editorial that appeared in The Guardian. Her collected speeches and a family memoir have recently been published.
In the U.S., 19-year-old Milwaukee native Katie Eder, Executive Director and founder of Future Coalition (one of the lead organizers of the 2019 Climate Strike) tells her climate story and how she came to be an organizer in a video interview with Think 100% from Hip Hop Caucus. The Hip Hop Caucus is a national, nonprofit organization in the United States, which aims to promote political activism for young U.S. voters using hip-hop music and culture. Think 100%, their award-winning multimedia platform, highlights solutions to climate change and environmental injustices, including a just transition to 100% clean energy for all. Subscribe to the Think 100% podcast for interesting interviews. “Guests include government and community leaders at the frontlines of climate change, cultural influencers, business leaders in the clean energy economy, and young solutionaries.” Their first episode is a year old but sounds like it was recorded yesterday.
Now is the time to decide what actions you are will take to address the climate crisis! Here is a list of ten steps individuals can take to help stop global change. The suggestions were put together by The David Suzuki Foundation, a Vancouver-based nonprofit that uses evidence-based research, education and policy analysis to conserve and protect the natural environment. [Spoiler alert: #10 is “Get politically active and vote”]