Global climate strike: Greta Thunberg and school students lead climate crisis protest – live updates - The Guardian

Lovely thread by Mary Hamilton on what to do if you cannot make the strikes today but still want to make effort to reduce your waste.

Mary Hamilton is stockpiling schadenfreude (@newsmary)

So for a little while I've been trying to reduce the amount of waste I produce, especially plastic, and of the various things I've tried there are two that make me happiest:
1) milk delivery
2) wormery
September 20, 2019

Mary Hamilton is stockpiling schadenfreude (@newsmary)

All of which is also by way of saying that if you - like me -can't #climatestrike today for whatever reason, there are other things you can do to join in. Not everyone can do worms or milk delivery obvs. Would love to hear more ideas.
September 20, 2019

Mary Hamilton is stockpiling schadenfreude (@newsmary)

Useful links!
Find a milk delivery service in your area: https://t.co/qCl1iG1iUV
Composting/wormeries: https://t.co/IMTdcZ8YBp works with some local councils, but usually easier to google [your local council] + "wormery" as each council seems to have its own scheme
September 20, 2019

Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday)

Greater Manchester mayor @AndyBurnhamGM addresses climate protest: “My generation has failed you - and I include myself in that”. Loud cheer greets his declaration that “fracking is the past - it does not belong in the future.” pic.twitter.com/QeQqrUpAE4
September 20, 2019

Ruby, 10, and Dougie, 7, (pictured below), were the first to start striking outside the Scottish parliament, back on a cold dark 11 January. Back then it was just them and the police. Seeing how big the movement has become, Ruby says she feels “happy and proud”. “Amazing,” says Dougie.

Staff at the Guardian will be striking today at noon, so there will be no posts on the live blog between 12:00 BST and 12:30 BST.

The fashion industry is a fossil-fuel-guzzling operation, as many of our clothes are made from petroleum-based textiles such as polyester. Even natural fibres such as cotton have a huge carbon footprint and require a large portion of the world’s pesticides.

In a bid to solve this disastrous environmental equation, scientists and designers are creating completely new textiles from fast-growing, carbon-sucking organisms such as micro- and macro-algae, mycelium (elements of fungus), bacteria and fermented yeast. These new biotechnologies efficiently convert sunlight and CO2 into mass raw materials, suck carbon out of the atmosphere and pave the way to a carbon-negative wardrobe.

Making carbon-neutral clothes out of algae: the designers taking on fast fashion – video

Tens of thousands of young people and adults are already streaming into the streets around Westminster in central London, and organisers say the protest, which was formally due to start at 11am, already dwarfs previous school strike demonstrations.

Among those gathered in the sunshine were a group of medics. Isobel Braithwaite, a public health doctor from London, said they were there because the climate crisis was also a health crisis: “From heatwaves to floods; food shortages to devastating storms, these things are having a huge impact on health now and it is going to get worse.”

She said it was time adults listened to young people who had taken the lead in addressing this crisis. “We need urgent widespread action and it must happen quickly... we are running out of time.”

Matthew Taylor (@mrmatthewtaylor)

Medics join tens of thousands of climate strikers in London. “The climate crisis is a health crisis... we are running out of time.” pic.twitter.com/pDXL7jF9OP
September 20, 2019

Glorious scenes in Edinburgh as thousands of children, parents, students and musicians gather at the Meadows for the Climate Strike.

“This is our Earth and our future. We need to take care of it,” said 11-year-old Leila Koita, pictured here with friends Eilidh Tedesco, Norah Turner, Tilly Torrie, Megan Berger and Nan Zhang.

Norah’s mum, Jo Spencely, says she hasn’t been on a demo for decades but she is here to show support. “I’m massively concerned about their future. I almost can’t bear to read about the climate. It’s so scary.”

The march sets off at 11:30am and will pass through Edinburgh city centre and end with a rally in front of the Scottish parliament. As in London, police have imposed restrictions, in this case by refusing permission for the marchers to walk down Princes Street.

As elsewhere, this is just the start of a week of climate action. On Saturday, activists will stage a “die in”, Monday will be a “day of disruption”, musicians will join a “Love the Planet festival” on Wednesday, and there’ll be another rally outside parliament the following day.

Even Emmeline Pankhurst has joined in the protests in Manchester. A statue of the suffragette hero has donned a bright orange lifejacket and has a placard that asks: “Ready for rising sea levels to reach this height?”

The stunt was the idea of Katie Bradshaw and Ryan Griffiths, both 31, who described themselves as first-protesters who felt the need to act today.

“Emmeline still carries that Mancunian spirit of standing up for what she believes in and great causes,” said Griffiths. “Climate change is so important and we think it’s an issue she would be at the forefront of if she were around today.”

Bradshaw added: “We’ve got to do our bit, even if it’s just putting some signs up and making people realise we need to look after our planet. If she was around today she’d be supporting it.”

Friends of the Earth, an international network of environmental organisations in 74 countries, is calling on people across Britain to join young people in striking against climate change.

Muna Suleiman, a Friends of the Earth campaigner, said:

Most of us want to fix the climate crisis. And it can be done. But we need our politicians to act. Climate breakdown is already hurting people around the world, with many of those who have contributed least to the crisis being subjected to the harshest impacts.

“And right when we need our leaders to step up, they continue to let us down. From filling the skies with more planes, to backing fracking in the UK and funding oil and gas projects abroad.

“That’s why we’re standing shoulder to shoulder with young people to call on our politicians to deliver emergency climate action now. And we’re asking everyone to join us.”

Climate strikes protest in London — \ Photograph: Friends of the Earth

Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind kicks off Berlin’s “Klimastreik” to huge cheers from the thousands gathered, although no official estimates of the numbers attending are available yet.

Contender for banner of the day is: ‘Grandpa what is a snowman?’ Hundreds of people are streaming through the portals of the Brandenburg Gate, through the Tiergarten Park and from every direction onto Platz des 18. März.

A sign at the protest, reading: Grandpa what is a snowman? — Photograph: Kate Connolly

Lots of Berlin’s young are here with the blessing of their parents and teachers, though many have defied their schools to be here.

Berlin’s “Klimastreik” — Photograph: Kate Connolly

At 1pm, the student strikers are planning to let off alarm clocks across the UK, and are encouraging businesses to set off their fire alarms at the same time in support.

Jake Woodier, the campaign co-ordinator at UK Student Climate Network, said: “Young people across the world have taken the lead in highlighting the need for urgent climate action over the past year.

“They are calling for adults to join them for the global climate strike, just three days before the UN climate action summit to pressure our governments to act to tackle the climate crisis.

“Raise the Alarm will help draw attention to the climate emergency in workplaces across the breadth of the UK,” Woodier said.

Students at Torquay Girls’ Grammar school have made a video about climate change.

What’s the carbon footprint of my trip?

The square outside Manchester’s grand central library has been taken over by a sea of people carrying homemade placards and chanting. Hundreds of those gathered sang “Whose planet? Our planet!” with scores of children among the protesters.

Nellie Jacobs, 10, and her mother Helen said they were motivated to take part in the global climate strike after their hometown Whaley Bridge was evacuated earlier this month when it was deluged with months-worth of rain in a short period, causing a dam to burst and dozens of properties to flood.

Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday)

Nellie Jacobs, 10, and her mum Helen felt compelled to be at the climate strike in Manchester after the serious flooding in their hometown Whaley Bridge this month pic.twitter.com/sNjlmRcXKb
September 20, 2019

Nice cartoon just in from reader Jesse Leonard. You get the picture, literally. Possibly the first time the climate crisis has been likened to a purple piano, but why not?

If there are any other artists out there with climate emergency sketches/drawings/cartoons, send them in via this link.

2019-09-20 10:37:00Z
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2019/sep/20/climate-strike-global-change-protest-sydney-melbourne-london-new-york-nyc-school-student-protest-greta-thunberg-rally-live-news-latest-updates