SA国际影视传媒淭here is no planet B.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淚f you donSA国际影视传媒檛 act like adults, we will.SA国际影视传媒�
Among a myriad of eye-catching signs and slogans waved by over a dozen young Yellowknifers on a busy downtown street corner last Friday, the message was the same: act now on climate change SA国际影视传媒� before itSA国际影视传媒檚 too late.
Demonstrators SA国际影视传媒� many taking time off school SA国际影视传媒� gathered in front of the post office on Franklin Avenue, drawing honks of support from passing motorists, as they joined students across the globe in a call for action against climate change, dubbed SA国际影视传媒淪chool Strike For Climate.SA国际影视传媒�
Ella Kokelj, a 16-year-old Sir John Franklin High School student and a youth board member of Ecology North, was one of them.
SA国际影视传媒淧eople are starting to realize, SA国际影视传媒榦h, my futureSA国际影视传媒檚 in jeopardy; my children might not see a green future. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 definitely turning into a reality that people are having to face,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
A lifelong lover of the outdoors, KokeljSA国际影视传媒檚 passion for protecting the environment blossomed when she recently joined forces with Ecology North, the long running non-profit that advocates for sustainable living and promotes environmental education.
Her involvement with the organization and the inspirational work of 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who started the School Strike for Climate movement, pushed her to help organize FridaySA国际影视传媒檚 demonstration.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a movement thatSA国际影视传媒檚 gaining momentum globally,SA国际影视传媒� said Kokelj. SA国际影视传媒淚 want to be a part of it, I donSA国际影视传媒檛 want to watch it go by.SA国际影视传媒�
Thunberg-inspired protests led by young people have popped up in hundreds of cities across the world since 2018. The demonstrations call for collective action, from governments and individuals alike, to mitigate and reverse the impacts of climate change.
According to a 2018 report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the planet is on pace to warm to dangerous levels SA国际影视传媒� setting the stage for floods, food scarcity and droughts SA国际影视传媒� by 2030, what Kokelj calls the SA国际影视传媒測ear of no return.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淚f we donSA国际影视传媒檛 reduce our emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 SA国际影视传媒� itSA国际影视传媒檚 not hopeless but itSA国际影视传媒檚 not going to be any good for sure,SA国际影视传媒� said Kokelj.
Kokelj said Yellowknifers can do their part in curbing climate change by committing to small acts that go a long way, such as biking to work, recycling and cutting down on plastics.
Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green, who joined demonstrators Friday, told Yellowknifer she stopped by to offer encouragement in the face of what seems like an SA国际影视传媒渋nsurmountableSA国际影视传媒� issue.
Green likened the daunting task of reversing the effects of climate change to the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. In the wake of medical advances, a diagnosis is no longer a death sentence.
SA国际影视传媒淪o even though climate change feels like an insurmountable problem, we can act together to work on slowing the rate of change and maybe even reversing it,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
Green was impressed with the level of youth engagement when it comes to addressing climate change SA国际影视传媒� something not seen in previous generations.
SA国际影视传媒淚 must say I wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 nearly as passionate or articulate as she is at this age," she said. "So I really am encouraged that theySA国际影视传媒檙e taking up this activism and prompting us to think about it.SA国际影视传媒�
More than a dozen students stepped out of class and onto the street Friday to demand action on climate change.
Emma Willoughby, a Grade 12 student at Sir John Franklin High School, was encouraged by the display, too.
SA国际影视传媒淚t definitely makes me very optimistic for the future seeing all the younger generations out here generating some change and action,SA国际影视传媒� said Willoughby.
Ella Kokelj, described by fellow protesters and peers as the SA国际影视传媒渂rainsSA国际影视传媒� behind FridaySA国际影视传媒檚 call to action, agreed.
SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 definitely a lot of hope.SA国际影视传媒�
