Climate Strike: A Call for Action, A Call for Sustainability
Written By: Shefaza Esmail
What is Sustainability? Sustainability has become a buzz word. It’s on everyone’s agenda, a popular goal.
But, what is sustainability?
On September 27, 2019 people rallied across the nation in a united front to strike for the climate. The greenhouse gas effect that allows life on earth to thrive has now become a hotbox that is threatening all life on earth. Human activities since the age of agriculture have been a source of greenhouse gas emissions, which increased gradually since the industrial age until the “great acceleration” in total human activity following the second world war. Increase in fossil fuel use and resource exploitation have led to an increase in overall global temperatures.
Climate change is a natural occurrence; the earth has gone through freeze-thaw cycles such as the ice ages. In fact, the last ice age left us the Great Lakes when the ice receded. But now, all the ice caps are melting at an unprecedented rate because human activities have accelerated climate change. The history of human impact is fascinating.
The real question now, though, is what will our future look like? With the accelerated change in climate and annually increasing global temperatures, biodiversity, soil health, food production, and natural ecosystems are at risk. If the biota dies, we die. But, the earth is a bio-chemical-physical system that is apt at surviving. Even now, humans are still discovering new life at the depths of the ocean and in the soil. Even if we die, the earth will live on. So, who are we fighting for when we strike? A sustainable future?
But, what is sustainability?
There are many researchers in the Faculty of Environment and other faculties at the University of Waterloo who are investigating this very question. Perhaps in the framework of water issues, or soil issues, governance or gender issues. The signage at the strike on Friday showed that sustainability is at the nexus, the core of other issues. The prevailing perspective of our society is our single-use, fossil-fuel driven economy, supported by the governments. But, people are rising against it in a unified call of action against this perspective. Calling for a change. A change away from fossil fuels, a change away from single-use plastics, a change away from resource exploitation. Because those are not sustainable, most definitely not.
The call for action — the call for sustainability — was not just attended by adults. The most inspiring part of the strike was the participation of children and pets, too.
For their future, have you thought about sustainability?
What is sustainability for you?
