In support of #SchoolStrike4Climate
On Friday the 15th of March, students around the world will wag school to protest unforgivable delay on climate action.
Australia’s conservative media and political landscape are bothered by this, and it compelled me to record a quick message of support for the kids skipping school to stand up for science, and for the sliver of intensely beautiful organic life that’s covering the surface of this giant space rock.
Video and transcript below. Good luck, kids.
Hi everyone I’d like to send a very strong message of support for everybody who’s going to be marching on Friday the 15th, in support of climate action.
When I was in high school I wasn’t energised, I wasn’t an activist, I was actually a standard nerd, who played computer games, and liked science, and drama.
So, here’s the thing. You don’t need to be particularly different to make a difference.
I’ve made a pretty okay career out of communicating renewable energy and climate change and I’m still a standard nerd.
You don’t need to be a fighter to fight. Every step that you take on this march is decreasing social and cultural space for climate change deniers and climate change delayers to exist.So, it’s a really good thing that you’re doing.
You will get push back from stale politicians and even staler media personalities. They’re not angry. They’re nervous.
They’re nervous because you’re re-energising people who are fatigued and exhausted by this climate change debate that’s just been going on for far too long.
You’re toppling idiots who have been holding positions of power for far too long, and they realise that their time is up. You’re doing more than just standing up for decarbonisation. You’re standing up for the role of science in making human life better, and you’re forming a protective guard around the Earth’s biological systems and the organic life that sits on the surface of this planet.
You will be the ones who are alive when the mistakes of older generations really start to come to pass. So, you have a right to be angry, and you have a right to be demanding that they stop acting like toddlers, and start fixing problems.
I really hope that you have a great day on Friday and I want you all to know that I really appreciate what you’re doing. It’s a shame I can’t attend but good luck, and have a really good one.
Ketan Joshi 