Over the last year, millions of school climate strikers have been leaving their classrooms every Friday. Young people have woken up much of the world, and now they are asking for everyone else to join them in action.
We, the March for Science, an international community of scientists, science advocates, teachers, and parents, emphatically support the Global Climate Strike.
Tens of thousands of scientists from around the world have signed letters endorsing the climate strikers, including the US, UK, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, Belgium, Finland, Australia and New Zealand.
And on September 20, to coincide with the big UN climate meeting, we will support our youth’s call for adults to join them in the streets. Strikes can be a powerful tactic for shifting the balance of power by disrupting business as usual.
We urge the scientific community to stop work for a day, leave your labs, classrooms, and fieldwork sites, and participate in the Global Climate Strike.
How to join:
1. Sign the open letter for scientists in support of the Global Climate Strike
2. Take a day off work on September 20, and sign up to attend a youth-led Climate Strike event near you:
⚫ US
⚫ Global
3. Organize your lab/department/workplace to join a strike event together:
⚫ Pick a meetup location, create a Facebook event page & invite colleagues to join. Coordinate with other science groups in your area. Here is an organizing guide.
⚫ Ask your workplace to endorse the strike. Here is a template letter.
⚫ Let us know about your workplace organizing.
4. Spread the word:
⚫ Use the #ScienceStrike and #ClimateStrike hashtags and post about why you are joining the strike.
⚫ Write an op-ed encouraging scientists to join the strike.
⚫ Talk to other scientists at work or professional events.
5. Know a passionate youth who’d love to find out more about getting involved? Tell them how.
On a grossly unequal planet, not everyone will be able to take a day off or take part in the same way. But we can all take a stand and make our voices heard. You can also show your support by organizing a lunchtime action at your workplace, or taking a solidarity photo (don’t forget to include #ScienceStrike or #ClimateStrike in your posts!).
As scientists, we understand that every moment matters, and every bit of warming matters. We will join young people and workers everywhere to sound the alarm and show our politicians that business as usual is no longer an option. The climate crisis won’t wait, so neither will we.
For our future,
The March for Science Team
Resources:
Scientists’ Letter in Support of the Global Climate Strike
A Guide to Adult Allyship in Youth-led Movements
US Climate Strike website
Global Climate Strike website
Know Your Rights Guide by the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund
Guía en Español (por Guatemala Por La Ciencia)
500 Women Scientists Climate Strike Intiative
Climate Strike Educator Resource Guide
Health Professionals for the Climate Strike
Op-eds:
Why Scientists Should Support the Youth Climate Strike by March for Science (Scientific American)
Why I’m Striking for Climate by March for Science NYC leader Ingrid Paredes (Inside Higher Ed)
From Scientist to Activist (Common Dreams)
Scientists must act on our own warnings to humanity (Nature)
Concerns of young protesters are justified (Science)
Science organizations supporting the Climate Strike:
March for Science (US)
Union of Concerned Scientists (US)
500 Women Scientists (US)
Science for the People (US)
Center for Biological Diversity (US)
Field Museum (US)
The Climate Museum (US)
Public Library of Science (PLOS) (US)
Evidence For Democracy (Canada)
Scientists for Future (Germany)
Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany)
Sciences Citoyennes (France)
Research Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki (Finland)
Biophotonics Lab, University of Helsinki (Finland)
Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (Phillipines)
Movimiento por la Ciencia (Mexico)
Marcha por la Ciencia y el Conocimiento (Chile)
Guatemala Por La Ciencia (Guatemala)
ScienceAlert (Australia)
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to organize, please contact the Science Strike working group
