A wilting flower sits outside during a snow storm. An enviromental activist is a person that works towards protecting plants and animals in nature. The activists could end up hurting the Earth though with their actions and protests. (Photo by Kaili Martin)
Helping or Hurting
Environmental activism without purpose or solutions contributes to the problem more than it helps
Environmental activists get a bad wrap and are helpful and essential towards the future of our planet
Remember back to US History class, when Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC and twerked on national television, or when in protest to the Vietnam war, peace activists flew into Vietnam and set it ablaze with Napalm? Of course not. These protests would’ve been ridiculous instead of game changing if any of that was true. So, why does the climate hysteria that has gripped the world in recent months expect to be treated seriously? Starting with #ShutDownDC, an event that aimed to block major highways to force government action. Instead, as recorded and later posted to social media, protestors twerked, littered and threw confetti (which they didn’t clean up) and glitter into the air. Glitter is awful for the environment; it kills marine life. That combined with the fact that several protestors thought “twerking” was a form of protest. It isn’t. Not to mention police had to, as journalist Julio Rosas reported, power a gas guzzling generator to destroy protestor-erected barricades. Great job, protestors. Then there’s Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swede who made headlines after sailing across the ocean in a zero-emission yacht to avoid a plane ride. Except she flew in a crew. Also, as Vox and Bloomberg explain, not only would Thunberg’s trek not decrease plane emissions for a single flight, but it’s counterproductive. Flying overseas is when planes are most environmentally friendly. It’s also impractical: not everyone can borrow a millionaire’s yacht. Upon arrival, Thunberg threw a temper tantrum at the UN, like a child. She has no moral supremacy because she’s a child, nor is she immune from critique. Thunberg been made a victim of climate hysteria, not climate destruction. Both of these were virtue signals. Real environmentalists aren’t twerking in DC or building custom yachts. They’re cleaning up trash. The same time as the DC protests, real activists went down to Los Angeles to clean up 50 tons of garbage. Even Stream Team in Missouri and Recycling Club at FHN have done more to save the planet than these “protests”. It’s time we stopped giving legitimacy to those who don’t deserve it. (Story by Connor Peper)
The earth is heating up. According to NASA, the earth has heated up about 0.8 degrees Celsius since 1880. This has been caused by the increased carbon emissions due to fossil fuels. The United Nations has stated that it has a goal to keep global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. For this to occur, action must be taken in order to change policies regarding carbon emissions. Environmental activists express their concern for the government to provide a better future for the planet. Environmental activists are key to getting policy to change regarding climate change. They communicate to the government their want for better policies on climate change. During the week of Sept. 20, there were a series of international climate protests demanding action to be taken against climate change, with CNN reporting 7.6 million people taking part. Without their voice, nobody would know their demand to prevent climate change, and policies would not change to prevent it. The EPA shows that 45 percent of global carbon emissions come from two countries, China and the United States. They only have nine and 12 climate laws respectively, relatively low compared to Brazil’s 28 climate laws. Brazil has about two thirds of the population of the United States, and yet they only account for about two percent of global carbon emissions. China and the United States need to regulate their carbon emissions, especially since they are two of the most industrialized nations in the world. The activists are demanding policies that would decrease carbon emissions by phasing out fossil fuels, creating sustainable agriculture and more. Activists hope to keep global warming to well below two degrees Celsius. Left untreated, climate change will lead to stronger storms, more droughts, heat waves and rising sea levels, according to the EPA. More people are going to be affected by global climate change, whether it be through more and frequent strong storms, or they may be displaced due to rising sea levels. Every voice is necessary to help get the world to act on climate change. (Story by Justin Christensen)
Do environmental activists help or hurt the environment? 42
FHNTODAY.COM | 11.20.19 | OPINIONS
“It is good for the enviroment, it allows others to see what others are doing for the enviroment. It spreads awareness.”
Emma Musselman, 10
“They have admirable passion, but there is no actual effort being done by them or influenced by them.”
Julian Washington, 9
“What enviromentalist do is imperative to the survival of the human race. Everybody should strive in one way or the other to protect the environment.”
Logan Holloway, 10
PAGE BY AADHI SATHISHKUMAR
