School students in several countries to hold strike against climate change inaction tomorrow

Stockholm, March 14: Even the youngsters know today how threatening is the issue of climate change and they are not the ones to back out from the fight. On Friday, March 15, students of schools of at least 40 countries are likely to take part in what is called the "school strikes" against climate change inaction, according to a report in Reuters. According to 350.org, a climate advocacy group, the number of countries is even higher -- 72.

From where did this idea of students taking up such a fight take shape? The school strike movement was inspired by Greta Thunberg, a teenager in Sweden who has been holding strike every Friday outside the country's parliament since last August, demanding that her country abide by the Paris pact on climate change.

Students from other schools in other countries too have joined her cause but the March 15 strike is expected to be the biggest international movement, Reuters added.

Thunberg had also caught eyes at the COP24 climate talks in Poland's Katowice last December where she had lashed out at world leaders for doing nothing on the critical issue over time. The teenager even posed a futuristic question to the leaders about the coming times. "The year 2078, I will celebrate by 75th birthday. If I have children, maybe they will spend that day with me. Maybe they will ask me about you. Maybe they will ask why you didn't do anything while there still was time to act," she said in a powerful speech.