Global Strikes to Pressure U.N. Climate Summit COP25

Thousands of protesters have marched all around the world demanding from governments more solid and energetic actions to stop global warming, just a few days before the conference held in Madrid, next December 2nd, as a part of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP25).

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The strikes began in Australia, where people affected by hundreds of forest fires that devastated the states of New South Wales (Southeast) and Queensland (northeast) recently joined young activists to protest the government's position in favor of the use of coal.

News Agency Reuters reported that locals carried home-made signs, including “The climate is changing, why aren’t we?”. In Sydney, they accused the government of inadequate action in addressing the bushfire crisis. Yet, Prime Minister Scott Morrison denies his administration is not doing enough on climate change.

The demonstrations were also expected in other 2 300 cities in 153 countries around the world, according to the climate campaign group Friday for Future. The protests come as experts warn that global temperatures could rise sharply over this century with destructive consequences after greenhouse gas emissions hit record levels.

For instance, in France, protesters specifically lashed out at the so-called Black Friday. Outside parliament in London, protesters flew a giant blimp in the shape of a baby with “Guess my weight in CO2” written on its vest.

“No more coal, no more oil, keep the carbon in the soil”, was the motto of young people in Bangkok, who also staged a “drop dead” flash mob. In Warsaw, activists, some in gas masks, waved banners saying: “Save our planet” and “Poland without coal 2030”.

Protesters from Germany in swimming costumes dived into the chilly river Spree, holding up a white box in a symbolic attempt to rescue the government’s climate change package.

Swedish activist, Greta Thunberg planned to join a student strike in Lisbon, but her environmentally friendly voyage across the Atlantic from New York by yacht was hit by high winds, delaying her arrival a few days, she told social media followers.

Climate change: Greatest fear of half Europe

According to a study from the European Investment Bank (EIB), half of the old continent's population fears more climate change and its consequences that losing their jobs or a terrorist attack.

The survey, which consulted 30,000 people from 30 countries, including China and the United States, showed that 47% of Europeans consider the phenomenon as the number one threat in their lives, above unemployment, immigration to large scale and concerns about terrorism. Especially, citizens between 15 and 29 years old, in southern countries such as Spain, Greece and France, believe they will have to move to another country because of climate change.

Emma Navarro, vice president of the EIB responsible for climate action and the environment, explained that is interesting to see that many of them are optimistic about the possibility of reversing it. “Unfortunately, science says otherwise. We have an opportunity to limit global warming and mitigate its effects,” she said.

The EIB, owned by EU governments, is the world's largest international public lending institution and its task is to finance investments related to climate change, a priority for the new European Commission.