As New York City prepares to host significant climate events, activists around the globe are mobilizing for a series of protests demanding urgent action on climate change. The demonstrations, organized by the youth-led group Fridays for Future, are set to take place in numerous cities worldwide, including Berlin, Brussels, Rio de Janeiro, and New Delhi.
In New York, protesters plan to march across the Brooklyn Bridge, with organizers anticipating at least 1,000 participants. The city is simultaneously hosting Climate Week NYC and the UN General Assembly, where discussions on climate action and funding for affected nations are taking center stage.
Helen Mancini, a senior at Stuyvesant High School and one of the organizers, stated that the New York protest aims to target "the pillars of fossil fuels" - polluting companies, their financial backers, and leaders failing to address climate issues adequately.
The roots of these youth-led climate protests can be traced back to August 2018, when Greta Thunberg, then an unknown 15-year-old, initiated a sit-down strike outside the Swedish parliament. This action marked the beginning of Fridays for Future, a movement that has since gained global momentum.
In the six years since Thunberg's initial protest, global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning have increased by approximately 2.15%, according to the Global Carbon Project. While this growth rate is slower compared to previous decades, it falls far short of the 43% reduction needed to meet agreed-upon temperature limits.
"Limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society."
The International Energy Agency reports that since 2019, carbon dioxide emissions from coal have risen by nearly 1 billion tons, primarily driven by China, India, and developing nations. However, emissions from advanced economies have been declining, reaching their lowest levels in over 50 years in 2023.
Encouragingly, clean energy sources have grown twice as fast as fossil fuels in the past five years, with solar and wind power outpacing fossil fuel-based electricity generation. The United Kingdom is set to close its last coal plant in October 2024, marking a significant milestone in the transition to cleaner energy.
Despite these positive developments, the Earth has warmed more than half a degree Fahrenheit (0.29 degrees Celsius) since Thunberg's initial protest. The year 2023 set a record for the hottest year on record, and 2024 is on track to surpass it, according to data from NOAA and the European climate agency Copernicus.
As climate activists continue their efforts, it's worth noting that the global climate movement has a rich history. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, marking a significant milestone in environmental awareness. The term "global warming" was first used in a 1975 Science article by geochemist Wallace Broecker, highlighting the long-standing scientific understanding of climate change.
The ongoing protests and climate events in New York City underscore the urgency of addressing climate change and the critical role of youth activism in driving global action. As world leaders gather to discuss climate strategies, the voices of young protesters serve as a powerful reminder of the stakes involved and the need for immediate and decisive action to safeguard our planet's future.