Following the inspirational example set by high schooler Greta Thunberg, Augustana students organized a climate strike on Friday, September 20th. Greta Thunberg, a Swedish activist, has started a series of protests called Fridays for Future. Every Friday, she encourages students and adults alike to stop and think about the Earth. She is fierce and brave in the face of harsh criticism from adults in powerful positions. Thunberg has become the face of a new trend in political activism, where children are demanding that their voices be heard, because their futures are in the most jeopardy.
Augustana’s climate strike was organized by Robert Burke and Hunter Ridley, both seniors, and emceed by senior Thea Gonzalez. Many students chose to speak during the rally event, reading speeches, poems, and telling stories. Several professors also spoke during the strike, explaining the way that climate problems are disproportionately experienced by those in poverty, and applauding the students for being a generation that can inspire.
In a touching moment, several young children of professors stood on stage to tell a story about how every bit of help counts. They represent the future, and the current climate movement is dedicated to young children who deserve to live on a healthy and flourishing planet.
The overall theme of Thunberg’s Fridays for Future is for young people to demand action from those in power. Students speaking in Augustana’s rally demanded that the college take notice of what they are asking for. They demanded accountability from the school, and asked that Augustana consider hiring a sustainability coordinator to reduce the carbon footprint of the school. Thunberg’s movement begs that world leaders begin to treat climate threats as a true crisis, and Augustana students wish the same from their administration.
Senior Robert Burke, one of the organizers of the event, wants to remind students that climate activism should not end with the climate strike held last Friday. “The strike was not a one time display over a temporary concern. We are adamant about making sure that we make big and lasting changes, and not put things off any longer than we have already,” said Burke when asked what he wishes people would take away from the strike. Like Thunberg, Burke understands that in order to truly heal the environmental damage done by humans, politicians and people in power need to be making big decisions. Augustana students need to demand that the administration on campus listens to their complaints and makes changes to become more environmentally friendly.