Spring has sprung, Comets! We hope y’all are enjoying the warm weather while simultaneously avoiding the mental breakdown that final exams might bring on. Outside is nice and beautiful right now, especially when basking in the sun at the Plinth. However, we can not ignore the recent news on the climate activism movement. Scientists all over the world have been participating in climate disobedience demonstrations to warn about the imminent threat of global warming. Four scientists in the United States chained themselves to the front door of a JPMorgan Chase building to protest the company’s financial contributions to the degradation of our environment. Then close to a hundred police officers showed up. To arrest four climate activists. If this doesn’t set off alerts in your head, something is wrong. Think about how much power is being put into silencing scientists speaking out about protecting the Earth. Scientists are asking for a liveable Earth. And the fact is a lot of people have been asking for sustainability, protection, and conservation for many, many years. However, there are powerful people who have enough money and enough resources to stop any progress from occurring.
I know you may feel small and you may feel like you can’t do much. But spreading the word is powerful; sharing on social media is powerful. Join clubs, on-campus or locally in the community. We have strength in numbers and the more people participating in climate activism means there is a greater chance of having our demands met. Peter Kalmus (@Climatehuman on social media) was one of the scientists who chained himself to the front of that building, and his call to action is something we all need to hear. He says every day people are doing great by reducing their emissions and eating less meat. But there are more effective things we can do. The most effective thing we can do is support and participate in civil disobedience. We have websites and books, and we’ve tried asking nicely. What we need is revolutionary thought and behavior. We need to disobey until those in positions of power can no longer ignore us and continue destroying the Earth. We need to be able to accept a change in our livelihoods, which means no longer relying on fossil fuels and non-renewable resources. I know it’s a lot, but the catastrophes that will be (and have already been) brought on by climate warming will be so much worse.
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