Climate change activists are organizing protests all over the world, starting on Friday, and the Cape is getting involved. Here's what our reporters are seeing locally. Keep scrolling for a schedule of events.
. @GretaThunberg isn’t far. Around 150 demonstrators spent 11 minutes in silence at 11:00 am as church bells rang out in the distance. 37 chuches, synagogues, houses of worship on the Cape rang their bells 11:00 to signify its 11th hour for climate action. pic.twitter.com/PTwi8VJ2NG
— Eve Zuckoff (@evezuckoff) September 20, 2019
#ClimateStrike in #falmouthma. About 250 people were there. Speakers included state representative Dylan Fernandes, @WoodsHoleResCtr founder George Woodwell, and other climate scientists. Students were also on hand skipping school. Photo: @houghton_news pic.twitter.com/8cOGt31i0g
— CAI (@WCAI_NPR) September 20, 2019
WCAI’s Morning Edition host Kathryn Eident spoke with climate change reporter Eve Zuckoff about why these events are happening now and how the Cape, Coast, and Islands plan to recognize them.
KE: Set the stage for us. What are some of the highlights?
EZ: So this Climate Week is really significant and it starts off with a Global Climate Strike today, Friday. Strikes will be happening all over the world; a total of 156 countries on all seven continents are participating. In the U.S., in all 50 states, there are more than 800 rallies planned. So today's strikes really kick off the week of climate action that will end on the 27th with an International Earth strike. It's really about a larger fight for climate justice. So students and adults will be walking out of their schools and businesses really trying to raise awareness and bump climate change to the top of the priority list for world leaders, and for all of us, really.
KE: I think what's important to note is that this is largely being driven by students, by young people, right?
EZ: That's absolutely right. Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish activist, has been seen as kind of the leader of this youth climate movement. She's the founder of Fridays for Future, which has made many students more accustomed to the idea of walking out of school on Fridays to call attention to climate change. That's part of why today is really the beginning of this Climate Week and why so many people are feeling motivated, organized, and ready to walk out today.
KE: This week of action precedes the U.N. Climate Action Summit in New York on Monday, Sept. 23rd. Tell us a little bit about that event and how these protests, strikes, and rallies are coalescing around it.
EZ: Sure. At that event you’re going to have a bunch of world leaders in a room getting ready to talk about climate change. And I think that the organizers of this Climate Week--organizers like Greta Thunberg--are trying to sound the alarm for our politicians and really communicate that we're experiencing climate change now. This is a crisis that won't wait, so neither will they. But while this week's strikes are preceding that summit they're really about a much bigger movement that we're thinking about here.
KE: Right, and that means, too, that this is a concentrated week of events, but a lot of these activists will be walking out again on Fridays and staging more events and rallies in the future.
EZ: That's right. I don't think anyone sees an end to Fridays for Future anytime soon. In general, I think we can’t underestimate what the youth organizers of climate action have in store.
FRIDAY:
BARNSTABLE
What: Stand-in at the Cape Cod Commission
When: Friday, September 20, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Where: Cape Cod Commission, 3225 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630
FALMOUTH
What: Global Climate Strike and “Die In”
When: Friday Sept. 20, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Where: Falmouth Village Green, Falmouth, MA 02540
MARTHA’S VINEYARD
What: Global Climate Strike
When: Friday, Sept. 20, 10:00 am to 1:30 pm
Where: City Hall Plaza
NANTUCKET
What: Nantucket Climate Strike
When: Friday, Sept. 20, 7:50 a.m.
Where: Town Hall, 16 Broad Street, Nantucket, MA 2554
SOUTH DENNIS
What: Climate Call for Action
When: Friday Sept. 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Where: Dennis Town Hall Lawn, 685 Route 134, South Dennis, MA 02660
TRURO
What: Cape Kids Speak Out: Tell Us How You Feel About Climate Change
When: Friday, Sept. 20, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Where: Outdoors at the Truro Community Center, 7 Standish Way, North Truro, MA 02652
CAPE-WIDE
What: Ring In Climate Justice: A Cape-Wide Faith-Based Bell Ringing Action
When: Friday, Sept. 20, 11:00 a.m. sharp - bells/chimes/drums for 11 minutes
Where: Churches, synagogues, Quakers and other faith communities across the Cape.
SATURDAY:
SANDWICH
What: Cape Cod Climate Strike – A Student-Led Action
When: 10 AM on Saturday, September 21, 2019
Where: Mill Creek Park, 135 Main St, Sandwich, MA 02563
FALMOUTH
What: Global Climate Strike: Take a Stand as Sea Level Rises
When: Saturday Sept. 21, 11 am
Where: Multiple locations in Falmouth where activists will hold signs marking the expected sea level rise in that area.
Clinton Ave. & Scranton Ave. - Flooded by 2030
Surf Drive & Shining Sea Bikeway - Flooded by 2040
Falmouth Mall - Flooded by 2050
Falmouth Village Green - Flooded by 2100
For more information on these events: https://www.350capecod.org/new-page
