‘Power of Greta’ unites Vancouver teen activists
Seventeen-year-old
VANCOUVER Samantha Lin has plenty of friendships, homework and exams to worry about. The Grade 12 student also counts herself among teenagers across the globe struggling with climate anxiety, who are cutting time out of their busy days to tackle an issue they believe can only be overcome through unity.
“Climate anxiety is real and it is scary when you continue to see governments who don’t necessarily listen to you, who don’t implement those bolder targets we need,” said Lin, a Grade 12 student at Prince of Wales in Vancouver.
On Friday, Lin, an organizer with activist group the Sustain a bi li teens, will be buoyed by the participation of international climate activist Greta Thunberg in a climate strike they hope will pressure federal leaders to work harder to reduce emissions. Thunberg, 16, the organizer of the “Fridays for Future” movement, will join them for a rally outside the Vancouver Art Gallery starting at 11 a.m., followed by a march downtown.
The Swedish teen arrived in the U.S. in late August after crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a sailboat. She has since been travelling across North America in an electric Tesla Model 3, provided by Arnold Schwarzenegger, to meet with leaders and support local climate activism.
Thunberg joined a Sept. 27 climate strike — where people left school or work to participate in climate activism — in Montreal which, according to the city’s mayor, drew 500,000 people. That same day, a Thunberg-inspired climate strike led by the Sustain a bi li teens brought about 100,000 people to the streets of Vancouver, police said.
Lin said Friday’s climate strike will be her group’s ninth. It has been tough organizing the events while being pelted with criticism from people who say climate change does not concern them, but the success of the last strike and growing unity Lin has seen have left her feeling mostly inspired.
“It’s really, really empowering,” she said.
On Friday, B.C.’S largest school districts, Vancouver and Surrey, are among many where classes will be empty for a professional development day. Lin expects a good turnout.
Her group is excited to have the inspiring “power of Greta” join them in Vancouver, she said.
David Tindall, a professor in the department of sociology at the University of B.C., said he would be surprised if Friday’s climate strike draws 100,000. But given Thunberg’s “star power” and recent attention to climate change during the election, it will likely draw many thousands, he said.
Thunberg has been particularly inspiring to other teenagers and those who participate will likely retell the story of her visit for years to come, said Tindall, who researches environmental movements in B.C. and Canada.
“She’s obviously become an icon of the climate movement,” he said.
“She’s kind of a David-and- Goliath figure, in the sense that she’s an underdog. A relatively small, young woman who has this incredible determination. She started out with this solo campaign protesting outside the Swedish parliament and has continued on.”
Deborah Harford, executive director of the Adaptation to Climate Change Team in the faculty of environment at Simon Fraser University, said the teens organizing climate strikes have shown incredible leadership on the issue. But they are “scared about their future” and she doesn’t expect them to slow down anytime soon, she said.
“This is an ongoing challenge and we’re just going to be working on this for the rest of our lives, so we need to keep the momentum going, and keep it top of mind and visible,” she said.