Flyers began appearing around the campus of Winthrop University leading up to Global Climate Strike Week, which ran from Sept. 20 through 27. The premise of the week is to support those participating in climate strikes and demand an end to the age of fossil fuels.
A local climate strike was held at Fountain Park in downtown Rock Hill at noon on Friday, Sept. 27.
“This week should have more emphasis on its importance,” said Chris Van Aller, a political science professor and faculty advisor to Model U.N. at Winthrop.
Students from around Rock Hill came together with signs and shirts to support the cause. They held signs which bore phrases such as “honor thy Mother,” “climate change is not a hoax,” “rise now or swim later” and simple drawings of peace symbols. Students marched with their signs to the Rock Hill office of Sen. Lindsey Graham to sign a petition for action in response to climate change.
“I am marching for my future children and grandchildren’s future,” said Sarah Kelley, a freshman early childhood education major. Kelley said she was at the event to “be a part of something bigger” than herself. Kelley emphasized that she wants leaders around the world to “Wake the [expletive] up” about the implications of climate change.
Elynora Johnson, a freshman psychology major, said that she was happy about the turnout to the climate strike and shared her fears about climate change.
“If I have children, I do not want to bring them into a world where they cannot breathe,” Johnson said. To law makers and leaders, Johnson had a simple message, “F— you.”
Rock Hill-area students who came out to the event to do their part in making a change expressed their anger with lawmakers and concerns about a changing climate.
“College educated people are very important to this cause,” Van Aller said in response to the event and the role that young people have had in bringing these issues to light.
Sarah-Isabel Pointdexter-Ibarra, a 17-year-old senior at Rock Hill High School, organized the climate strike at Fountain Park. She was inspired by the actions of 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg, as well as the number of South Carolinians who care about the topic but aren’t as informed. Poindexter-Ibarra posted about the event on the Fridays for Future website. Fridays for Future is a global youth movement of climate strikes around the world inspired by Thunberg.
Pointdexter-Ibarra posted flyers around Winthrop’s campus and skipped a class Friday to attend the event. She said that she wants to educate people on the importance of holding lawmakers accountable.
“Just because it will not affect you because you are old doesn’t mean you should just forget those who will have to live in this world,” Poindexter-Ibarra said of lawmakers.
Van Aller urged students who want to make a change to write letters to lawmakers. While that may seem like not a big deal, letters are read and are taken as opinions of a larger group.
“Climate strikes are important to the future,” Van Aller said. “The step I worry about students taking is being active in politics.”
These climate strikes are reminiscent of the Occupy Wall Street protests, which made headlines across the country but ultimately had little-to-no effect on the issues that were being protested against. Van Aller said that he hopes for a leader like former U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt to spark inspiration in the people. One of Van Aller’s areas of expertise is environmental security which is becoming more of a concern. Environmental security examines the relationship between environmental events and the way they affect people. While there have been several projected time frames warning citizens about how quickly they should act, Van Aller said that he does not think anything substantial will be done in the immediate future. However, he spoke on how there is still hope and last-ditch efforts do exist to postpone effects of climate change temporarily. Van Aller went on to talk about how authoritarian governments, like China, have made more strides in the fight for environmental security, as they have implemented big efforts in solar panels and other forms of energy conservation. Van Aller stressed the importance of education on the matter as well as importance of college-educated people passing that knowledge and information along. He also noted one of the greatest setbacks in the fight for environmental safety.
“Americans are in love with cars,” Van Aller said.
Victoria Howard contributed to this story.
Photo: Kevin Seabrook/ The Johnsonian
