Any Opinion on Climate Strikes Should Not Matter… Unless Given by A Person Participating in It

Any Opinion on Climate Strikes Should Not Matter…
Unless Given by A Person Participating in It

 

by Aditi Kale

           Oct 20, 2019

 

          

AUTHOR ID: Ms. Aditi Kale is an independent researcher and a writer in popular science. She has an academic background in biodiversity and is interested in ecology, evolution and climate change.

       

As a researcher and a writer interested in observing things and exploring them, I am caught between Climate Strikers and their Critics and feel a bit dizzy not knowing where to look or where to stop.


My verdict?

The Climate Strikers win this time round, because their narrative centres around science and climate justice and not on interpreting or counter-arguing someone else’s perspective.

The question that haunts me now is – is the resistance to Climate Action shifting from Climate Scepticism to leaning on Climate Strike Scepticism?

What can be done to ensure that this does not happen?

At an individual level, the answer for me is writing about it. So here it goes…


The Global Climate Strike has already created a momentum in Climate Change Awareness like no other human endeavour has. The likely reason for this is that it is supported by youth and people who have less of hidden agendas and vested interests than others. Although their logic considers money and politics, it does not centre everything else around it.

The first thing everyone must understand and respect is that the strikes are not happening because of compulsion from some outside authority. They are voluntary and self-motivated in nature. Hence, they are personal too, and have lots of stories behind them.
It is an appeal and demand from people who are going to spend the rest of their lives dealing with the crisis. It involves people of any age group who sleep with anxiety and wake up with the apprehension of what they may have to face next. That should be considered in any narrative addressing the movement, regardless of the narrative’s leanings.
It is unfair to target specific individuals in a people’s movement. The movement should be judged for the purpose it is trying to achieve and not for other things which it does not address. The movement is one way to draw attention to solutions and changes required to face the bigger global issue we are all experiencing. It does not even claim to be the only one solution. And yet, it has already proven its mettle.
The terms ‘Climate Justice’ and ‘Uniting behind Science’ and recognising the current circumstances as a ‘Climate and Ecological Crisis’; all appear to be fair claims given the facts and current climate impacts. The movement has helped bring these universal issues to the forefront. People from different regions have united for a common cause and are expressing their concerns and solidarity. It may be noted that, most of them are also involved in individual and community actions when they are not striking. However, they also have a realisation that the momentum required for urgent action is much larger than what an individual or some scattered efforts can achieve.

If one looks at majority of narratives against the Climate Strikes, they are not coming from co-sufferers or co-strikers, but from people who depend upon media or secondary information to know about the strikes. Unfortunately, they are missing on the most authentic source: the people involved, as well as social media, where the Strikers express their thoughts. 

Nevertheless, the mere fact that people are noticing the demands made by the Climate Activists, irrespective of whether they are supporting or opposing them, marks the success of the movement.
I sincerely recommend just 3 considerations for anyone writing or reporting about Climate Strikes or Climate Strikers –

1. Empathise with the agony of the individuals who are going to spend the rest of their lives (sometimes, 75% or more) worrying about and facing unprecedented climatic events.
2. Participate in the strikes near you to understand the points raised by the strikers and converse with them to learn and share the knowledge that exists.
3. Give, at least, some benefit of doubt to the Climate Strikers, that they may know more or have a better realisation than what they are given credit for.

Any comment, criticism or compliment which is given after these 3 considerations will ensure a more robust analysis of all the aspects of the movement.
This Climate Movement is big enough to survive on its own, even in the face of criticism. However, it will be a loss to anyone who cares for people or environment to not use its momentum or make it stronger with personal wisdom.
As an individual who has attended three Climate Strikes, the only recommendation I would like to give the Climate Strikers is –
You are going to face steeper hurdles as the movement grows bigger, so sharpen your knowledge of the global and local context to strengthen your cause. Once the movement accelerates Climate Action, this will also help you distinguish between the bad, the good and the best climate-friendly activities.
Ultimately, more than on which Climate Action one chooses, our survival as a species and as a society will depend on whether or not we are able to recognise a crisis and act on it.