Teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg put world leaders on notice again in a speech Friday that echoed across an overflowing plaza of her peers gathered outside the 麻豆传媒映画Art Gallery.
Greta Thunberg marches alongside Severn Cullis-Suzuki 鈥� daughter to Canadian environmentalist icon David Suzuki 鈥� Friday afternoon in Vancouver. Photo Kevin Hill
The Swedish 16-year-old, whose blunt messages to presidents and prime ministers about a planet headed for extinction, has inspired millions of young and old people to march in solidarity to protest inaction on climate change.
Friday in 麻豆传媒映画was no different, as a police-estimated 10,000 people 鈥� many carrying clever signs such as 鈥淢ake the world Greta again鈥� 鈥� marched through downtown with Thunberg, who was dressed in a pink hoodie, grey sweat pants and blue runners.
Carrying her trademark 鈥淪chool strike for climate鈥� sign, which is written in Swedish, Thunberg took a spot near the front of the marchers, respecting a contingent of Indigenous peoples who led the crowd through the streets.
And after they marched, they listened 鈥� and cheered as Thunberg stood high on the steps of the art gallery with First Nations leaders and spoke to the crowd.
鈥淚t is an honour for me to be here with you today, thank you,鈥� said Thunberg, who began her 10-minute speech by acknowledging that she was on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish people.
She first pointed to the lawsuit announced earlier in the day by 15 young Canadians, who are suing the federal government for not doing enough to fight climate change.
Thunberg called them 鈥渂rave, young plaintiffs.鈥�
Greta Thunberg speaks to the crowd outside of the 麻豆传媒映画Art Gallery. Photo Kevin Hill
She talked about how such actions coupled with the climate strike movement was a hopeful sign, and that it continues to pressure world leaders to act on the science of climate change.
But her hopefulness was tempered as she referred to the struggle of young climate activists before her, including Severn Cullis-Suzuki 鈥� daughter to Canadian environmentalist icon David Suzuki 鈥� who stood on the steps with Thunberg.
In 1992, Cullis-Suzuki criticized world leaders at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro for not taking care of the planet. Thunberg quoted from some of Cullis-Suzuki鈥檚 speech made 27 years ago, saying, 鈥渓osing my future is not like losing an election, or a few points on the stock market.鈥�
鈥淪evern told the world everything the world needed to know 27 years ago, and the science told our world leaders everything they needed to know 27 years ago,鈥� Thunberg said.
鈥淚f people would have listened back then, the world would be a completely different place than it is today. But the world ignored her, and world leaders continue to choose to look away from this crisis 鈥� even today.鈥�
The Climate Strike in Vancouver. Photo: Kevin Hill
According to the Global Carbon Atlas, she continued, global Co2 emissions have increased by approximately 65 per cent from 1992 to 2018. She said about 50 per cent of all Co2 emitted since 1751 dates back to 1992.
鈥淚t is shameful that for so long the ongoing climate and ecological emergency has been ignored,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is the year 2019 and the people in power are still acting as if there was no tomorrow. We young people are telling them to stop doing that 鈥� to stop ignoring the consequences of their actions and inactions, to stop leaving their mess for someone else to clean up because we do not want to do it for them.鈥�
In the crowd and joining the march were four generations of the Pilote-Carmichael-Tomczyk family, who carried signs to demonstrate their reason for participating in the event.
Renee Pilote, 86, held a sign that read 鈥淔or my great grandchildren,鈥� Georgina Carmichael鈥檚 sign said 鈥淔or my grandchildren鈥� and Danielle Tomczyk鈥檚 鈥淔or my children.鈥�
Both of Tomczyk鈥檚 children 鈥� aged three and one 鈥� were in a stroller as the family walked along Hornby Street. Her three-year-old son held a sign that said 鈥淔or me.鈥�
鈥淭his is for my kids 鈥� you want to show an example,鈥� said Tomczyk, describing Thunberg as 鈥渁 force.鈥�
鈥淪he鈥檚 incredible. What she has done in such a short amount of time is like no other, and she sets such a good example.
The Climate Strike in Vancouver. Photo: Kevin Hill
Added her mother, Georgina: 鈥淪he鈥檚 actually making a difference by making the world be accountable for itself. I think the baby boomers really screwed up 鈥� they let it go, they dropped the ball.鈥�
Lily Van Nen, 18, also marched on Hornby Street with friend Madisyn Gifford, 19. Both said they were inspired by Thunberg鈥檚 movement to make the world a less polluted and more sustainable place.
鈥淢y mom always calls her 鈥楪reta the great,鈥欌�� said Van Nen, who is from Surrey and pointed out her grandparents never had to take to the street to protest inaction on climate change.
鈥淚 am incredibly scared for my future, and I think it鈥檚 incredibly absurd that we鈥檙e here marching for our lives.鈥�
Gifford shares that concern.
鈥淚 want to protect the Mother Earth that I came from,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think that it鈥檚 so unfair that we鈥檙e destroying what created us. It makes me sick to my stomach and I want to do everything I can to protect it.鈥�
The Climate Strike in Vancouver. Photo: Kevin Hill
The friends said they have made changes in their lives to reflect the climate change fight, including buying clothes from thrift stores, using reusable products and going vegan.
Prior to Thunberg鈥檚 speech, the crowd heard from many Indigenous people, musicians and leaders who urged people to continue the fight against climate change.
Grand Chief Stewart Philip, president of the B.C. Union of Indian Chiefs, told the crowd he and others had been making speeches from the steps of the art gallery for 40 years related to social justice.
鈥淥ne of the things that all of the speakers would lament was the need to have a popular movement, to mobilize the entire population,鈥� Philip said.
鈥淚t was proven in the last election 鈥� we cannot rely on governments to protect the land and the people. For the sake of our grandchildren, our children and those generations yet to come, all of us as grandparents, as parents, as aunts and uncles 鈥� we must take our power back.鈥�
Philip鈥檚 wife, Joan, presented Thunberg with a scarf, emblazoned with a hummingbird design, which Joan noted was the only bird in the world that can fly backwards 鈥� 鈥淚 felt it fitting that it would be a gift for Greta, as she is both beautiful and unique.鈥�
鈥淲e will rise to the challenge, hold those responsible for this crisis accountable and we will make world leaders act,鈥� Greta Thunberg said. Photo Kevin Hill
In closing her speech, Thunberg said if adults really loved young people, they would do everything they could to ensure a future worth looking forward to.
鈥淏ut it feels like they are doing the exact opposite 鈥� that they are desperately trying to change the subject every time the climate crisis comes up,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t is like they are selling our future for their comfort and profit. And yet, they have the nerve to look us in the eyes and tell us that they are doing enough. Well whatever they are doing, they鈥檙e doing it wrong.鈥�
Thunberg described the climate fight as a wave of change and that together the participants make for an unstoppable force. She said young people are seeing through the lies of climate change deniers.
鈥淲e will rise to the challenge, hold those responsible for this crisis accountable and we will make world leaders act,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e can and we will. And if you feel threatened by that, then I have some very bad news for you 鈥� this is just the beginning. We will continue because change is coming whether you like it or not.鈥�
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