During the week of September 20th, hundreds of strikes against global climate change took place around the world, notably in the city of Chicago and even as locally as at Glenbard South. With a record breaking 7.6 million people in attendance, the Global Climate Strike showed promising aspiration for change. Participants protested against the use of fossil fuels and called for government action on climate change, but did these efforts reap any change and should future climate strikes be relied on?

Coming right before the UN Climate Action Summit, the Global Climate Strike was inspired by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg after she began dedicating her Fridays to protesting in front of the Swedish Parliament against government negligence towards climate change. With noticeable and life-threatening climate impact on the rise, a cry for change was made. This led to the Climate Action Summit in New York where leaders gathered to discuss how global emissions could be lowered. 

All over the world protesters and supporters of varying backgrounds gathered in large numbers to hold up signs and recite chants associated with the cause. Glenbard South’s Ecology Club chose to participate in a more local way, standing outside the main doors of the school with their own creative signs and emblems. While no legal action has been taken yet by the United States government since the Global Climate Strike, the movement itself has sparked a needed conversation that can potentially yield necessary results.

Like most grassroots movements, the initial turnout was usually moderate in size and effect, but in the case of striking against climate change, evidence was showing propitious participation. More and more local and national strikes have  needed to be held to encourage action against climate change and global deterioration and luckily, they have demonstrated positive effects. 

Logically, further discussions need to be held in local communities for any impact whatsoever. People of all ages and capabilities can get involved even as simply as starting online forum groups or local ecology clubs. Anyone is free to visit the Global Climate Strike’s own website, globalclimatestrike.org, where the origins of the movements, updates on current situations and how to further progress can be found. Right now, the results may have been miniscule, but persistent work can hopefully deter the planet away from the foreseeable climate destruction dooming humanity.