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By Jake Woodier, a climate and social activist with the UK Youth Climate Coalition
We may look back at 2018 as the defining year that awoke many in the western world to the grave reality of the impact we’re having on the planet.
Record-breaking temperatures, increasing frequency of extreme weather events, droughts, floods, widespread crop failure and the fastest mass-extinction event in history. These are just a few of the myriad and complex effects of climate change happening right now. What’s more, rampant fossil fuel extraction, intensive animal agriculture, deforestation, and expansion of transport and aviation often go toward fueling Western lifestyles.
Young people from around the world are becoming increasingly aware of the intergenerational climate injustices arising from government inaction. Simply put, we will bear the brunt of inaction on climate during recent decades, with those from the most vulnerable communities disproportionately so.
At last, 2018 seems to be the year that we are waking up to the realisation that the impacts of climate change are only worsening, and will continue to do so in the future without rapid and radical action. This is what is inspiring many thousands of young people across the world to ‘Rise For Climate’ this Saturday.
