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Children’s climate strike spreads worldwide

March 16, 2019 00:00:00


NEW DELHI: An Indian student speaking in a school strike called 'Fridays for future' to protest against climate change in New Delhi on Friday. Delhi school children joined a global movement skipping school, inspired by Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, to protest against the world's governments for criminal inaction on the ecological crisis — AFP

Thousands of schoolchildren worldwide have abandoned classrooms for a day of protest against climate change, reports BBC.

India, South Korea, Australia and France are among the countries where teenagers are already on strike.

The day of action is expected to embrace about 100 countries. They are inspired by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, who protests weekly outside Sweden's parliament. Scientists say tougher measures are needed to cut global warming.

The Paris climate agreement of 2017 committed nearly 200 countries to keeping global temperatures "well below" 2.0C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and to striving for a maximum of 1.5C.

The globally co-ordinated children's protests - promoted through posts on Twitter and other social media - have been going on for several months.

On Thursday Greta Thunberg's campaigning earned her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

In January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the 16-year-old told top executives and politicians that "on climate change, we have to acknowledge that we have failed".

Ministers in some countries have voiced concern about children skipping classes.

Australia's Education Minister Dan Tehan said "students leaving school during school hours to protest is not something that we should encourage".

UK Education Secretary Damian Hinds echoed that concern, and the government said the disruption increased teachers' workloads and wasted lesson time.


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