{"id":88487,"date":"2019-10-10T08:47:14","date_gmt":"2019-10-10T15:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=88487"},"modified":"2019-10-10T11:24:31","modified_gmt":"2019-10-10T18:24:31","slug":"7-6-million-gathered-worldwide-for-septembers-global-climate-demonstrations-now-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/7-6-million-gathered-worldwide-for-septembers-global-climate-demonstrations-now-what","title":{"rendered":"7.6 Million Gathered Worldwide for September\u2019s Global Climate Demonstrations\u2014Now What?"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the end of September, more than <\/span>7 million people<\/span><\/a> took to streets around the world to demand climate action<\/span>\u2014<\/span>it was one of the largest coordinated, global protests in history, according to <\/span>350.org<\/span><\/a>, one of the organizations that helped plan the events.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Organizing their advocacy around <\/span>the U.N. Climate Action Summit<\/span><\/a> on Sept. 23, climate activists in 185 countries<\/span> gathered Sept. 20\u201329 for events that ranged from community garden planting to major, coordinated strikes, according to 350.org. Demonstrators made <\/span>colorful signs<\/span><\/a> with clever quips like the \u201cEarth used to be cooler\u201d and advocated for things like transitioning away from fossil fuels, restoring biodiversity and respecting Indigenous land. The events kicked off with <\/span>global demonstrations on Sept. 20<\/span><\/a> and culminated the same way on Sept. 27\u2014though some local groups continued to host smaller gatherings through Sept. 29.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monica Mohapatra, 350.org spokesperson, said the global turnout surpassed <\/span>initial estimates of 3 million demonstrators<\/span><\/a>, and she credits the youth\u2019s mobilization efforts for the high turnout. She said the global demonstrations were a critical moment for the climate movement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven if we did underestimate the turnout, we didn\u2019t underestimate the significance of this political movement for climate change and climate activism,\u201d Mohapatra said, noting that the demonstrations showed that it\u2019s possible to take action on the climate crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

But now that the September demonstrations are over, how are people continuing to mobilize for climate action? Organizers shared what\u2019s next for the climate movement and ways people can continue taking action.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s next?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Organizers applauded the demonstrations\u2019 high turnout, which Mohapatra said surpassed 350.org\u2019s \u201cwildest expectations.\u201d Still, she said it\u2019s hard to say how the demonstrations may influence specific policy. For now, the walkouts have changed how people are talking about climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal of the climate strikes was to shift the public narrative and to recenter the youth and their messaging, so I think [the demonstrations] accomplished that in the U.S. and globally,\u201d Mohapatra said. \u201cI think that\u2019s the biggest outcome of the strikes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Isa Flores-Jones, spokesperson for <\/span>Sunrise Movement<\/span><\/a>, an environmental group that helped organize demonstrations throughout the country, said the global action also succeeded at engaging first-time climate activists and soon-to-be voters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMany of the people who came out to Sunrise-organized climate strikes had never participated in any kind of climate action before,\u201d she said. The demonstrations gave them \u201ca taste of coordinated political action.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Activists at some of the demonstrations, she said, made demands for a regional Green New Deal, or a transition away from fossil fuels. A Green New Deal is essentially a plan for tackling climate change. Sunrise Movement <\/span>advocates for a 10-year-plan<\/span><\/a> that moves the U.S. to clean and renewable energy by 2030, guarantees living-wage jobs and creates a just transition for workers and communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Public support of such policies may help local leaders advocate for future initiatives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe climate strikes have created a political context that makes it possible for local lawmakers and federal politicians to advocate for a Green New Deal at all levels of our society,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not every community is tackling climate change the same way, though. In Hawaii, the focus is less on a Green New Deal and more on efforts that directly affect the island. Oahu native <\/span>Tabatha Knudson<\/span><\/a>, 18, said local efforts are centered on plastic reduction, clean energy use, proper waste management and solutions to rising sea levels, a result of a warming climate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that we don\u2019t support [a Green New Deal], it\u2019s just that we don\u2019t really think of it first because we are a little disconnected [from the continental U.S.],\u201d said Knudson, who is co-president of Surfrider Manoa Club at University of Hawaii at M\u0101noa.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cWe focus on local issues.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On whether the demonstrations could influence public policy, Knudson said she hasn\u2019t yet seen any measurable effects. However, she said the global actions did increase civic engagement and that engagement could \u201cdirectly correlate to more wins \u2026\u00a0 in policy and sustainability in general on the island.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kimaya Mahajan, 15, who is a state lead for <\/span>Washington Youth Climate Strikes<\/span><\/a>, said she believes the global demonstrations created a lot of momentum in her community, too. And there are enough people who understand the urgency of the climate crisis to keep that momentum going.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From her perspective, this September\u2019s climate demonstrations weren\u2019t like other marches. The momentum won\u2019t slow now that they\u2019re finished. She said she believes people will continue taking action.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not worried,\u201d she said about the future of climate action.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As for the next phase of the climate movement, Mohapatra said it will largely focus on transitioning away from fossil fuels, a form of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. <\/span>According to the EPA<\/span><\/a>, between 1970 and 2011, emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes contributed about 78% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. Organizations like 350.org are working to mobilize people at a regional level to take on large fossil-fuel projects like pipeline expansions. She said 350.org is also hosting voter registration drives and providing special support to communities fighting fossil-fuel projects around the world. People can find local events and organizations at the <\/span>Global Climate Strike website<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to drive that momentum [from the demonstrations] into tangible action, and what that looks like is people fighting locally,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

She added that the demonstrations proved that it\u2019s possible to take on something as big as the climate crisis.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe climate strikes have shown us and the world that [people are] ready to engage in what\u2019s going to be a long fight.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How can people take action?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Mahajan admits that climate change hasn\u2019t always been at the top of her mind. But her perspective changed earlier this year when she met leaders from <\/span>Zero Hour<\/span><\/a>, a climate activism group that focuses on youth of color. Through conversations at a Zero Hour panel in Seattle, she learned how climate change disproportionately affects certain populations.<\/span><\/p>\n

A longtime advocate for human rights, Mahajan credits Zero Hour\u2014and, more largely, the climate movement\u2014for opening her eyes to the ways climate change has threatened members of marginalized communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a human rights issue all the way through,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mahajan helped organize five strikes in the state on Sept. 20. She also emceed at the Washington climate strike in March, which was part of <\/span>a larger demonstration that attracted 1.6 million people globally<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She has advice for adults and youth who want to take climate action, and it extends beyond forgoing straws or plastic water bottles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile it\u2019s really important for us as individuals to be conscious of our own carbon footprint, the only way we\u2019re going to be able to combat climate change is with system change,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

She advised people to call, email and write letters to their local representatives. She also encouraged supporting candidates who prioritize climate change. For those not old enough to vote, she said this can be accomplished through educating others about the candidates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ahmad Ibsais, 18, a college student at the University of Florida and a member of Zero Hour, shared sentiments similar to Mahajan\u2019s.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think the issue is not with individual people. It\u2019s with the government and political structure, which is promoting economy through fossil fuels,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople can reduce their own carbon emissions, but the biggest issue is the fossil fuel use through these larger companies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more: 5 Simple Ways to Act on Climate Change<\/path><\/svg><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Like Mahajan, he encouraged youth who aren\u2019t yet old enough to vote to contact their local representatives and lobby for climate-conscious policies. He said local representatives are likely to listen, given that younger generations will soon be able to vote.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf they don\u2019t fight for [climate action], they\u2019re going to get voted out,\u201d he said of the local leaders.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ibsais, who <\/span>wrote about his decision to strike<\/span><\/a> on Sept. 20 for <\/span>Al Jazeera<\/span><\/i> and has spoken publicly about climate change, said youth can also take action by educating others. He said people can find creative ways to educate all generations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely recommend whatever skill you have that it can be used in some way to promote the climate crisis,\u201d he said, citing his own passion for public speaking and graphic design, both tools he\u2019s used to highlight the climate crisis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThings can happen if youth are putting their best foot forward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the end of September, more than 7 million people took to streets around the world to demand climate action\u2014it was one of the largest coordinated, global protests in history, according to 350.org, one of the organizations that helped plan the events.\u00a0 Organizing their advocacy around the U.N. Climate Action Summit on Sept. 23, climate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14208,"featured_media":88491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[685],"tags":[1959,727,692,1484],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-88487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-global-climate-strike","tag-latest-posts","tag-news","tag-staff-society"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/news\/7-6-million-gathered-worldwide-for-septembers-global-climate-demonstrations-now-what","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"7.6 Million Gathered Worldwide for September\u2019s Global Climate Demonstrations\u2014Now What?","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/7-6-million-gathered-worldwide-for-septembers-global-climate-demonstrations-now-what","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/7-6-million-gathered-worldwide-for-septembers-global-climate-demonstrations-now-what"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/10\/image.png?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/10\/image.png?fit=2000%2C1334"},"articleSection":"News","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sarah Grothjan"}],"creator":["Sarah Grothjan"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["global climate strike","latest posts","news","staff society"],"dateCreated":"2019-10-10T15:47:14Z","datePublished":"2019-10-10T15:47:14Z","dateModified":"2019-10-10T18:24:31Z"},"rendered":"