Young people are taking their climate change fears to the streets on Friday. Around the world, across the U.S. and in Wisconsin, they’ll be out for the Global Youth Strike for Climate. Sophie Guthier is executive director of Wisconsin’s Youth Climate Action Team.
“We’re going to continue fighting for this. They don’t get to just ignore and hope that we won’t say anything after this. This is going to be an ongoing fight, an ongoing struggle where we’re going to continue disrupting the status quo, until we get what we need to survive.”
Guthier says young people hold both political parties responsible for the failure to address the climate crisis, and after rallying at Madison Gas & Electric, they plan to occupy the Capitol.
Scott Blankman, Director for Energy & Air Programs with Clean Wisconsin, said climate change is already making itself felt in Wisconsin.
“We’re already seeing some of the impacts of climate change here in Wisconsin, with the historic flooding that we saw last summer, and even the flooding that we’re continuing to experience here in late August and into September her in Wisconsin as well as throughout the Midwest.”
Inspired by @GretaThunberg, students across WI are joining people around the globe to strike for #climate tomorrow. We sat down with @ycatw activist Sophie Guthier to talk about why youth are getting involved on this critical issue. #FridaysforFuture #climatecrisis pic.twitter.com/LRnS8PaZ8U
— Clean Wisconsin (@CleanWisconsin) September 19, 2019
In addition to Friday’s Global Youth Strike for Climate, the United Nations Climate Action Summit begins in New York City on Monday.