Change is Coming

Recently, climate change has had a big place in the media. Whether it's people talking about what you can do to help or outright denying it, it has been a subject everyone has heard of. One person that has been leading the discussion is 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg. She first began activism when, at age fifteen, she started protesting outside the Swedish Government to spread awareness on climate change. She became known for her climate strike and was soon joined by many other students. Today, she has sailed overseas in a zero-emissions sailboat to spread awareness on the climate crisis and has rallied marches, sometimes with over 500 000 people, like the climate march in Montreal, Québec. She has spoken to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and has even spoken at the UN Climate Action Conference, delivering some powerful speeches along the way. Her honest, brave, and unapologetic personality has made her famous worldwide.

When looking for an initiative to help me with my personal ecological concern (coral bleaching), it's important to look at the bigger picture. Climate change is what is causing coral bleaching. Greta is fighting climate change by spreading awareness. As a 15-year-old, I can see just how she is impacting people. Personally, I feel way more mindful of things that affect my ecological footprint. I've been trying to eat less meat, drive places less, and use products with less packaging. This serves as an example as to how others in the community are also feeling. This movement will get people to push for more government action on the matter.

Unfortunately, not everyone is so happy about this. As Thunberg has said herself, she has many haters. But anyone with a strong voice that is honest about the state of things is bound to get backlash. Some people aren't willing to accept that they are the reason for the state of things in the world. I understand that it can be hard to accept, but it's the truth. Greta is not here to be a people pleaser, she is stating the cold hard facts, whether you like it or not.

Thunberg has said that she is just stating the scientific facts, with no sugarcoating whatsoever. The rising temperatures of the oceans are what is causing the corals to bleach in the first place. Every action people take to reduce climate change, no matter where in the world they live will help so many ecosystems, including coral reefs. I'm hoping that the awareness about climate change will help the Great Barrier Reef return to a state of health, one degree Celcius at a time.

Meet a Canadian Indigenous activist, Autumn Peltier, who is fighting for change, much like Greta (here).

Sources: Wikipedia, Business Insider

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash