We’ve just got this dispatch from Emily Holden, Guardian US climate and environment reporter on the ground in Washington DC:
Student organizers striking for political leaders to combat climate change rallied in front of the US Capitol as part of international protests today.
With hand-painted signs reading “denial is not a policy,” and “fight now or swim l8r,” the youth as young as 12 years old demanded adults start cutting the heat-trapping pollutants from cars and power plants that they say threaten their future.
“It is time the world listens to these young people and pays attention to what we’re asking for,” said Maddy Fernands, the 16-year-old press director for the Youth Climate Strike US.
Some speakers stood on a plastic riser to reach the microphones on the podium.
Isra Harsi, a 16-year-old from Minneapolis and daughter of Democratic US Representative Ilhan Omar, said she became concerned about global warming after controversies about gas pipelines being built in her home state. She said she hopes the thousands upon thousands of students skipping school to protest will boost attention from adults.
More than a hundred students marched across Congress’ lawn chanting “What do we want? Climate action. When do we want it? Now.”
The students have demanded “radical legislation to combat climate change on local, state, and national levels,” adoption of “the Green New Deal to shift our country to 100% clean, renewable, and net-zero emission energy sources through a fair and just transition for all communities and workers,” and to “declare the climate crisis a national emergency.”
For the next 11 minutes, the Guardian US homepage is dedicated to the global climate strike.
In solidarity with the students joining today's global climate strike, Guardian US is devoting its homepage to climate change for the duration of the walkout, between 11:00 and 11:11am. To read more: https://t.co/n4VauP6kHnpic.twitter.com/jThzlbZxwi
As strikes begin to kick off here in the US, here’s what we can expect through the morning:
The Guardian US homepage becomes all about the climate for 11 minutes at 11am ET, as kids walk out of their classrooms.
Waves of strikes will happen on the hour until we reach the west coast (three hours behind).
Guardian US climate correspondent Emily Holden will report live from Washington DC on the climate strike happening there
We will feature voices of students, like these, who told us why they think the climate strikes are so important.
Here’s one of those students, Jordan McAuliff, aged 16, who lives in Silver Spring, Maryland:
When I feel overwhelmed by fear about the future, I fight it by remembering the climate crisis is a chance to create lasting justice, from overpowering greedy corporations to demanding change for people of color who are disproportionately impacted by environmental issues. Supporting the Green New Deal, which prioritizes the most at-risk people and provides alternatives to those corporations, helps me know I’m doing good, not just preventing bad.
Jordan McAuliff, 16, of Silver Springs, Maryland, is participating in student walkouts. Photograph: Courtesy of Jordan McAuliff
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Good morning from New York, and thanks for sticking with us everyone. In the US, we’re expecting the first student walkouts to begin at 11am ET. While we wait for that, here’s an excellent tweet American climate writer Bill McKibben brought to our attention.
I’m now handing over the blog to my colleague Jessica Glenza in New York, who will cover the strikes and reaction to them as they continue to happen. Thanks for your contributions and for following along.
According to the World Climate Risk index, the Philippines was the country fifth most affected by climate change since 1998 (behind Puerto Rico, Honduras, Myanmar and Haiti), with more than 300 events attributed to climate change in that time.
Protesters took to the streets today to demand more action.
Environmentalists and concerned citizens protest in Quezon City to demand climate action. Photograph: Jes Aznar/Getty Images
Environmentalists join the strikes in the Philippines. Photograph: Jes Aznar/Getty Images
Three generations of the Hancock family are in attendance at the Sheffield strike. One-year-old Josie may be the youngest protester here, sat on her father’s shoulders for a view of the speeches, and her parents emphasise the importance of showing solidarity for younger generations.
Josie’s mother, Vic Hancock, says, “it’s terrifying to think about the future now – it almost feels selfish to bring kids into this world if we can’t change what we’re doing to the planet, so this is why we must protest and why we must set the example for our daughter.” Grandmother Julia Fell adds, with tears in her eyes, “I’m finding it really moving to see all these young people sticking up for what’s important, it’s so inspiring and we’re here to show our support, to say to these young people that they’re not alone in this.”
14-year-old Patrick Wakefield has traveled from High Storrs School with his mother Lucinda to lead the protests. “Profit is being put in the way of change,” he says, his voice rising, “to the parents that are saying their children can’t come to these protests, it’s unforgivable – we will have to deal with the consequences of climate change, not them, and we need to stop it.” He continues, “we’re in the midst of a climate crisis, the sixth mass extinction, and yet the government and world leaders are doing nothing about it.”
14-year-old Edie Elliott is also speaking at today’s event. “The number of young people here today proves this isn’t going to go away,” she says, “the fact that we’re wiling to miss something as important as school – which I don’t want to fail by the way – just shows you how important climate change is to us too.”
Natasha, 14, says that “at school we’re not taught about climate change properly – all we hear is how it’s a crisis and there’s nothing we can do about it, but we can, we must. It’s so frustrating we have to miss school but if that’s what it takes, we’re willing.”
17-year-old Adam Arfield is one of the few sixth form students in attendance. “It’s so frustrating that the government is doing nothing about climate change,” he says, “I now have to miss school right when exams are happening and I even heard that some of the kids at the primary schools would be fined if they went on strike or given punishments. That’s an infringement of free speech in my opinion.”
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