On September 20, millions of protesters took to the streets to strike against climate change trying to persuade world leaders to do something about Earth’s changing climates.
I have mixed feelings about the Climate Change Protest and they are mostly negative. This isn’t because I don’t care about the Earth or disapprove of the protest but because for one, protesters are taking the wrong measures, and two, certain people who showed up and rallied.
The purpose of this protest was to get the government to do something about the condition of Earth. But why are protesters going to the government? The government is not the only cause for climate change, nor are they the entire reason the environment is the way it is. Yes, the government is regulating some businesses that pollute the Earth, but the only reason they're regulating businesses in the first place is because the people want them too.
If people really want to stop manufacturing certain items like plastic water bottles, plates, or bags, they shouldn’t go to the government. Rather, stop consuming them at all. Once people stop buying from these companies, they’ll go bankrupt and close down themselves. Instead of waiting for the government to shut down the businesses, you go to the people. When you tell people to stop buying the products, not only are you shutting down polluting businesses, but you are educating people as to why their products are harming the environment.
Dating back to the 1800s, climate change is not something new. If the government hasn’t done anything then, they are not going to do anything now. Especially with President Trump’s impeachment, what makes people think the government is going to take action with them being so busy?
Protesting to the government is a waste of time. If the government is not doing what needs to be done, it’s the people who need to step up. People need to set a leading example for the younger generation. But protesting is not the way to do it, because it comes to show that we always wait for the government to fix all our problems. Don’t like something? Go to the government. Disagree with something? Go to the government. Want something? Go to the government.
It’s great that many students were excused from school to go to this protest, but do you really think that half the students at the rally care or even know what climate change is? Students may have heard of climate change, but do they actually understand that this is affecting their lives? I doubt it because some students don't bother about climate change, they might care about the Earth but not to the point where they're willing to do anything for it. Some people at the protest are simply just there.
Though there are people like 16 year old climate activist Greta Thunberg--who started a school strike to fight back against global warming and wrote No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference filled with eleven speeches she made on climate change--was present, not everyone at the climate protest is that passionate.
What kind of progress are you making with the protest? You’re addressing the problem, but not fixing it. If pre-protesters had started their own business of reusable bags, bottles, etc. and the government had it shut down, that’s when I’m on board for a protest. At that point, protesters have my green light to ask the government, “What have you done?”
PG&E’s proclamation to shutting down electricity for a few days in October is an example of what I am trying to support. Instead of waiting around for the government to do something, they are taking matters into their own hands. They plan to shut off electricity to certain areas to reduce the risk of fires. Some think they are only doing this because they don’t want to be lawsuited, and they might be right, but this shutoff is a win-win for both PG&E and the environment. I support this because this is something the world needs at the moment. However, there are many people in my classes that have passionate opinions opposing this action.
Supporting my earlier claim, these students who used to go around saying they care about the environment are now complaining that they won’t have internet for a week. It was as if their belief of “Save the Earth!” was an offhand comment made to look good. I have no doubt that some students and adults taking part in the Climate Change Protest would hate the idea of having no power either. That’s why there is no point in a Climate Change Protest. Not everyone is actually willing to give up materials to fit the needs of the Earth. Half the people in the protest don’t even belong there, but it doesn’t matter because the protest is protesting to the wrong people.
What people need to do is not go to the government to have them fix this issue, but to be the leading example for the thousands of others. Instead of protesting to the government, people should be turning to the schools and educating the future generation. People can’t expect the government to fix everyone’s problems in the future, people have to do it themselves. And these people who do try to make a change, should be from people who actually care.
I have mixed feelings about the Climate Change Protest and they are mostly negative. This isn’t because I don’t care about the Earth or disapprove of the protest but because for one, protesters are taking the wrong measures, and two, certain people who showed up and rallied.
The purpose of this protest was to get the government to do something about the condition of Earth. But why are protesters going to the government? The government is not the only cause for climate change, nor are they the entire reason the environment is the way it is. Yes, the government is regulating some businesses that pollute the Earth, but the only reason they're regulating businesses in the first place is because the people want them too.
If people really want to stop manufacturing certain items like plastic water bottles, plates, or bags, they shouldn’t go to the government. Rather, stop consuming them at all. Once people stop buying from these companies, they’ll go bankrupt and close down themselves. Instead of waiting for the government to shut down the businesses, you go to the people. When you tell people to stop buying the products, not only are you shutting down polluting businesses, but you are educating people as to why their products are harming the environment.
Dating back to the 1800s, climate change is not something new. If the government hasn’t done anything then, they are not going to do anything now. Especially with President Trump’s impeachment, what makes people think the government is going to take action with them being so busy?
Protesting to the government is a waste of time. If the government is not doing what needs to be done, it’s the people who need to step up. People need to set a leading example for the younger generation. But protesting is not the way to do it, because it comes to show that we always wait for the government to fix all our problems. Don’t like something? Go to the government. Disagree with something? Go to the government. Want something? Go to the government.
It’s great that many students were excused from school to go to this protest, but do you really think that half the students at the rally care or even know what climate change is? Students may have heard of climate change, but do they actually understand that this is affecting their lives? I doubt it because some students don't bother about climate change, they might care about the Earth but not to the point where they're willing to do anything for it. Some people at the protest are simply just there.
Though there are people like 16 year old climate activist Greta Thunberg--who started a school strike to fight back against global warming and wrote No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference filled with eleven speeches she made on climate change--was present, not everyone at the climate protest is that passionate.
What kind of progress are you making with the protest? You’re addressing the problem, but not fixing it. If pre-protesters had started their own business of reusable bags, bottles, etc. and the government had it shut down, that’s when I’m on board for a protest. At that point, protesters have my green light to ask the government, “What have you done?”
PG&E’s proclamation to shutting down electricity for a few days in October is an example of what I am trying to support. Instead of waiting around for the government to do something, they are taking matters into their own hands. They plan to shut off electricity to certain areas to reduce the risk of fires. Some think they are only doing this because they don’t want to be lawsuited, and they might be right, but this shutoff is a win-win for both PG&E and the environment. I support this because this is something the world needs at the moment. However, there are many people in my classes that have passionate opinions opposing this action.
Supporting my earlier claim, these students who used to go around saying they care about the environment are now complaining that they won’t have internet for a week. It was as if their belief of “Save the Earth!” was an offhand comment made to look good. I have no doubt that some students and adults taking part in the Climate Change Protest would hate the idea of having no power either. That’s why there is no point in a Climate Change Protest. Not everyone is actually willing to give up materials to fit the needs of the Earth. Half the people in the protest don’t even belong there, but it doesn’t matter because the protest is protesting to the wrong people.
What people need to do is not go to the government to have them fix this issue, but to be the leading example for the thousands of others. Instead of protesting to the government, people should be turning to the schools and educating the future generation. People can’t expect the government to fix everyone’s problems in the future, people have to do it themselves. And these people who do try to make a change, should be from people who actually care.