Worldwide Protests Calling for Action against Climate Change

 

Millions of young people from Kiribati to Germany marched Friday to demand that world leaders take action to fight climate change.

In Australia, protesters marched in 110 towns and cities, including Sydney and the capital Canberra. Organizers expected more than 300,000 people to march -- the country’s largest demonstration² since protests³ against the Iraq War in 2003. A 15-year-old student told the Associated Press, “Even though we ourselves aren’t sick, the planet⁴ which we live on is, and we are protesting⁵ and fighting for it.”

In the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, students shouted, “We are not sinking, we are fighting.” Rising sea levels have already washed away some villages there.

In Afghanistan, armed soldiers protected about 100 people marching through the streets of Kabul. A group of young women led the protesters. One organizer said, “The problem in Afghanistan is our leaders are fighting for power but the real power is in nature.”

In the German capital of Berlin, about 80,000 protesters gathered at the Brandenburg Gate. In the nearby offices of Chancellor⁶ Angela Merkel, German lawmakers worked on a plan to limit the country’s greenhouse⁷ gas emissions⁸.

Hundreds of protests took place across Europe. In Finland’s capital Helsinki, a man dressed as Santa Claus stood outside parliament⁹ holding a sign that read “My house is on fire, my reindeer¹⁰ can’t swim.”

In Tokyo, Japan, students and activists¹² carried signs reading “Go Green” and “Save the Earth.” Similar protests took place in South Korea, the Philippines, Pakistan and India.

Events also were held in South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya. In Nairobi, some protesters wore hats made from plastic bottles to bring attention to plastic waste, a major threat to the world’s oceans.

More than one million students in New York City got permission to skip classes in order to protest¹. In the hurricane-damaged U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, people lined the streets demanding action.

Metal workers in Brazil joined the worldwide protests from factory floors. They urged leaders to better defend the environment.

The worldwide events were inspired by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg of Sweden. Over the last year, the climate activist¹¹ has been holding weekly demonstrations¹³ called “Fridays for Future.” Her protests have led to a rise of young people demanding action on climate change from leaders around the world.

Thunberg is set to speak at the U.N. Climate Action Summit¹⁴ in New York City next week. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres is asking world leaders to arrive with plans to address what he called “the global climate emergency.”

Scientists say global warming caused by heat-trapping greenhouse gases has already led to more severe dry weather and heatwaves, melting ice, rising sea levels and flooding. The last four years were the four hottest ever recorded.

I’m Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

reindeer - n. a large type of deer from the northern parts of the world

hurricane - n. an extremely large, powerful, and destructive¹⁵ storm with very strong winds that occurs especially in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean

global - adj. involving the entire world

emissions - n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source

1 protest   

v.反对，抗议；宣称；n.抗议；宣称

参考例句：

• I can't pass the matter by without a protest.我不能对此事视而不见，我要提出抗议。
• We translated his silence as a protest.我们把他的沉默解释为抗议。

2 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

3 protests   

n.[体]抗议；抗议，反对( protest的名词复数 )v.声明( protest的第三人称单数 )；坚决地表示；申辩

参考例句：

• The protests have forced the government to back-pedal on the new tax. 抗议活动已迫使政府撤销新的税目。
• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。

4 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

5 protesting   

v.声明( protest的现在分词 )；坚决地表示；申辩

参考例句：

• They were formally protesting. 他们正式提出抗议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They were protesting soaring prices. 他们抗议物价暴涨。 来自辞典例句

6 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

7 greenhouse   

n.花房，温室，玻璃暖房

参考例句：

• Behind the green house was a greenhouse.在那所绿房子后面是一个花房。
• The tomatoes were grown in the greenhouse.这些西红柿是在温室栽培的。

8 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

9 Parliament   

n.议会，国会

参考例句：

• She won a seat in Parliament at the election.她在选举中赢得了议会中的席位。
• The drug was banned by an act of parliament.议会的法案明令禁止该药品。

10 reindeer   

n.驯鹿

参考例句：

• The herd of reindeer was being trailed by a pack of wolves.那群驯鹿被一只狼群寻踪追赶上来。
• The life of the Reindeer men was a frontier life.驯鹿时代人的生活是一种边区生活。

11 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

12 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

14 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。

15 destructive   

adj.破坏（性）的，毁灭（性）的

参考例句：

• In the end,it will be destructive of our whole society.它最终会毁灭我们整个社会。
• It is the most destructive storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的一次风暴。