This Friday, March 15th, Morro Bay High School is one of two high schools in the area (along with Templeton High School) planning to participate in the Youth Climate Strike on March 15. Across the nation, students will strike to demand that dramatic action is taken in response to the climate crisis. The Youth Climate Strike is an international movement that began in Europe earlier this year. For MBHS, instead of a full-out strike, organizers from the Students for Social Justice Club on campus have planned a walk-out at 9:45 am.
Below is the mission statement of the Youth Climate Strike U.S. Organization:
“We, the youth of America, are striking because decades of inaction has left us with just 11 years to change the trajectory of the worst effects of climate change, according to the Oct 2018 UN IPCC Report. We are striking because our world leaders have yet to acknowledge, prioritize, or properly address our climate crisis. We are striking because marginalized communities across our nation —especially communities of color, disabled communities, and low- income communities— are already disproportionately impacted by climate change. We are striking because if the social order is disrupted by our refusal to attend school, then the system is forced to face the climate crisis and enact change. With our futures at stake, we call for radical legislative action to combat climate change and its countless detrimental effects on the American people. We are striking for the Green New Deal, for a fair and just transition to a 100% renewable economy, and for ending the creation of additional fossil fuel infrastructure. Additionally, we believe the climate crisis should be declared a national emergency because we are running out of time.”
Each High School will also strike for the issues that are most relevant to their region. For Morro Bay, that means addressing issues like wildfires, water resources, and the preservation of natural lands. For more information on the Youth Climate Strike, go to http://www.youthclimatestrikeus.org, and for additional information about the MBHS walkout, see @studentsfoursocialjustice on Instagram or talk to organizers Alexa Ford, Audrey McClish or Mikaela Bell.
