Over the past twelve months millions of young students around the globe have begun striking from school on Fridays under the banner #FridaysForFuture. Too young to vote, they are “demanding that governments immediately provide a safe pathway to stay below 1.5 degrees of warming” (as per an open letter by Greta Thunberg and 46 youth activists, published May 23, 2019). Many students continued their strikes throughout the summer, and are preparing for further action as schools return to session around the globe. Notably, they are inviting others to join them in a “week of climate action” beginning on Sept. 20 and culminating in “a worldwide strike for the climate” on Sept. 27.
The Global Climate Strike, led by students, has been scheduled for Friday September 20th. Students of all ages will be participating by leaving classes on that day and rallying at the Legislature. In addition, the General Strike for the Climate has been planned for September 27th, in Canada. On that day, students will again be leaving classes and rallying at the Legislature. At the University of Alberta, students will leave classes at 11:30 AM, gather in the Quad to hear speakers, and then walk to the Legislature. They have called upon unions and other civil society organizations to join this strike.
These students fear for their futures, as well they should: in April, CBC news announced that a leaked federal government report revealed that Canada is, on average, experiencing warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world, and soon after, in June 2019, the federal government declared a Climate Emergency. Even more recently and closer to home, on August 27 Edmonton City Council also declared a Climate Emergency.
Students, faculty, and staff at the University of Alberta are mobilizing to deepen and broaden action on all fronts in response to the climate emergency. They are joining groups like Climate Justice Edmonton, the Climate Justice UAlberta students’ club (cjuasc@ualberta.ca), and Extinction Rebellion Edmonton, and are supporting the work of Indigenous Climate Action.
As researchers and teachers at the University of Alberta, AESC members worry about the conditions in which future generations will live out their lives, and about the effects of climate destabilization on vulnerable populations around the world. We know that there are alternative paths that could still avert the worst scenarios for global warming and address the global crisis of justice, and we are committed to realizing those alternatives. All paths to averting the worst scenarios begin with everyone showing their support for these student initiatives by showing up to these September events.