“The only wealth in this world is children, more than all money, power on Earth”, said the American novelist Mario Puzo. In today’s 21st century, these words have been proven to be true by youngsters, especially pupils around the world. It all started with a small poster in front of the Swedish parliament that read "Skolstrejk för klimatet" ("school strike for the climate") by a 9th grade Swedish girl Greta Thunberg. Now a noble peace prize nominee, Greta was 15 when she began this movement outside the Swedish Parliament.
On 7th of September 2018, Greta's ‘Fridays for Future’ sign sparked fire in the hearts of many youngsters around the globe. What started as a school strike from a single student in Sweden demanding reduction in carbon emissions as per the Paris agreement has today become a movement of an estimated 1.4 million pupils around the Globe. It is a movement of us youngsters, to fight for our future. Or rather, according to a recent report from BBC about only having 18 months to save this planet, a fight by the youngsters for the present. With the current environmental situation we wouldn’t have to call them ‘Fridays for Future’ but ‘Fridays for the Present’.
Despite being a global movement, its effects are still unclear as it has received bittersweet reactions from authority figures. However, today, to me as a youngster it is not only the results of the strike from official authorities that matter; to me what is more important is that people from our generation understand the depth of the problem, that we understand that action must be taken regarding this issue, that we begin with change from ourselves and do everything in our power to bring about that change. It is not only posters such as Greta's that will make a change, but according to me, it is the mind set of those that have decided that they will take action for this planet that will make a change.
Although this initiative is a great beginning towards action in order to change the current situation, we need to go further. Even though authorities have a big part to play, I feel our part is not small either. Carrying those metal water bottles instead of buying water with non-recyclable plastic packaging matters, using those wooden toothbrushes matters, choosing those public transport trips matters, and even saving that one glass of water matters.
Therefore, it is now left to us youngsters to save our future – and our present – on our planet.
