Scientists Protest for Climate Change

By Carla López, 9th Grade

Climate change is an extremely pressing problem for humanity and our environment. Although it is a naturally occurring phenomenon, the expansion of human industrialization has catalyzed it by inserting even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere through cars, fossil fuel burning, etc. Scientists all over the world have put up a strong fight and warned the rest of the population about the dangers of global climate change; urging folks to stand up and do something about it.

As a result of slow progress, scientists have become tired and made their own protests about it to see if people would finally pay attention to them. After the United Nations released an alarming report on the state of global warming, a group of scientists and activists gathered in Pershing Square in downtown L.A. Peter Kalmus, Allan Chornak, Greg Spooner, and Eric Gill chained themselves to the door of a bank to represent their protest of the bank’s investment in coal, oil, and gas projects, the main cause of climate change. Unfortunately, the protest ended with police officers, spectators, and four arrests.

At the protest, they realized acts of civil disobedience to demand the end of the fossil fuel era would be most effective in order to call attention to the climate crisis. To achieve the best-case scenario we have until 2030, although scientists have been warning us since 1990. From this derives a phrase that went viral: “Why should we go to school if you won’t listen to the educated”.

Earlier this week, a video from Kalmus, a scientist, went viral as he gave a speech about climate change. “The scientists of the world have been being ignored and it’s got to stop,” his voice broke and tears started to come down, “We’re gonna lose everything”. “We’re not joking, we’re not lying, we’re not exaggerating,” Kalmus said. “This is so bad that we’re willing to take this risk and more and more scientists and more and more people are gonna start joining us.” Before getting arrested Kalmus thanked the protestors with, “I think climate activists, especially those that risk, are doing potentially the most important work in the history of mankind”.

“Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals, but the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels,” said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, defending the scientists who were arrested. It is clear that the climate change problem will not go away unless we do our part to minimize our carbon footprints as our actions now are what our future on this Earth depends on.

Ways To Help Stop the Climate Crisis?

Reduce water waste. Saving water helps reduce carbon pollution too. So start taking short showers, reusing water, and using a small quantity of water.
Eat the food you buy and reduce meat.
Buy LED light bulbs. These kinds of light bulbs use 80 percent less energy than normal ones.
Use your car less by biking or walking. You can also invest in an electric hydrogen-fuel vehicle.
There are also two search engines that help the environment. Ecosia plants trees every 40 searches you do and Ocean Hero collects one ocean-bound plastic bottle for every five searches. These extensions have yet not proven their veracity so you may want to wait until more information is given.

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