Greta Thunberg: After two years of school strikes, the world is still in a state of climate crisis denial
On Thursday 20 August, it will be exactly two years since
the first school strike for the climate took place. Looking back, a lot has
happened. Many millions have taken to the streets to join the decades-long
fight for climate and environmental justice. And on 28 November 2019, the
European parliament declared a climate
and environmental emergency. But over these past two years, the world has also emitted more
than 80 giga-tonnes of CO2. We have seen continuous natural disasters
taking place across the globe: wildfires, heatwaves, flooding, hurricanes,
storms, thawing of permafrost and collapsing of glaciers and whole ecosystems.
Many lives and livelihoods have been lost. And this is only the very beginning. Today, leaders all over the world are speaking of an
“existential crisis”. The climate emergency is discussed on countless panels
and summits. Commitments are being made, big speeches are given. Yet, when
it comes to action we are still in a state of denial. The climate and
ecological crisis has never once been treated as a crisis. The gap between what
we need to do and what’s actually being done is widening by the minute.
Effectively, we have lost another two crucial years to political inaction.
Last month, just ahead of the European council summit, we
published an open letter with demands
to EU and world leaders. Since then, more than 125,000 people have signed
this letter. Tomorrow we will meet the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and
deliver the letter and demands, as well as the signatures....
