By Anastasia Mavrakis
Originally published in Dog Street Journal's October 2019 issue.
Friday, September 20th, 2019 was certainly a day for the books. In the midst of the current wave of action to promote the importance of climate change, over 7 million people participated in climate strikes worldwide. The students of William and Mary took to the Sunken Gardens to demand action by bearing signs, holding open discussions, and protesting about current climate struggles.
The climate strike, run by the Williamsburg Sunrise Movement Hub and William and Mary’s
Young Democrats, drew over 400 students and faculty to protest politicians’ lack of action in
addressing climate change. The gathering was not only full of calls for change; protesters performed multiple musical pieces as well as poetry readings for the crowd.
The climate change situation and the circumstances which we may find ourselves in if our course of action does not change are becoming increasingly dire. William and Mary students displayed signs that pointed out specific routes for worldwide change. These options include
the signing of a Green New Deal and the abolishment of utilizing fossil fuels. Students even
called upon themselves and the College to take a stand in this monumental issue and find their own ways to impact the world.
Among the topics discussed at the climate strike were ways for students to make a difference
through small tasks in their everyday lives. Choosing eco-friendly modes of transportation and trying to limit the consumption of red meat were among some of the suggestions that could
truly make a difference in the long run for the survival of our world.
“It’s not often that social causes affect every single person on Earth. Of course, depending on
socio-economic status, it will affect everyone to a different degree. But, if we don’t act, the
consequences will be dire for everyone,” says Jacqueline Prew ’23, a member of the Young
Democrats.
Prew’s statement references the eleven percent of the world’s population who are currently
vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including droughts, floods, and extreme weather
conditions. These issues and the struggles that people of low socioeconomic status confront daily as a result of the changing climate were the basis of many conversations at the event.
Economics professor and Director of W&M Public Policy, Sarah Stafford, also spoke at the event. She was the only non-student to do so. The other guest speaker that had initially been
scheduled, Mike Mullin (State Delegate for the 93rd District of Virginia), did not attend. In order to speak at the event, speakers had to sign the Green New Deal pledge. Unfortunately, he declined to sign.
Stafford addressed the effect that climate change is currently having on coastal regions,
emphasizing the economic failure that could occur from this humanitarian crisis. She ended her speech with a sentiment that many in the crowd shared: the best way to revolutionize the world is through comprehensive education.
The climate strikes that occurred on September 20th have become the stepping stone for further public action. Most notably, Greta Thunberg gave a speech at the United Nations on the following Monday, September 23rd.
Thunberg is a 16-year-old Swedish political activist who has taken the world by storm in regards to all things involving the environment. Her story began with her participating in climate strikes outside of the Swedish Parliament, and she now plays a huge role in inspiring the climate strikes all across the world. She continues to promote her movement through #FridaysforFuture, a hashtag that many of William and Mary’s students at the climate strike hope will further drive on-campus action in the future.
In Thunberg’s own words, “sometimes we just simply have to find a way. The moment we decide to fulfill something, we can do anything. And I’m sure the moment we start behaving as if we were in an emergency, we can avoid climate and ecological catastrophe. Humans are very adaptable: we can still fix this. But the opportunity to do so will not last for long. We must start today. We have no more excuses.”
Williamsburg Sunrise Movement Hub encourages students to join their organization. The
group wants to continue their outreach since the climate strike organized such mass online
discussion and discourse for social and environmental justice. The organization emphasizes the importance of numbers. They believe that having more people stand together will influence more politicians to finally confront our slowly deteriorating environment.
“Bringing light to climate change is so important because generations to come will feel its impact significantly and not nearly enough has been done yet,” says Sophie Kidd ‘20.
In addressing the lack of significant change that has occurred, the importance of voting has been highly emphasized. Around campus, emails, voter registration events, and numerous resources provided by many of the student-run organizations, encourage students to take part in history and vote for political and public officials that will truly face the issue of climate change head-on.