International Youth Climate Strikes kick off
The night before the strike, youth across the country prepare for protest
At Columbia University in New York, students work late into the night to make signs for the protest.
Ahead of the strike, Student leaders across the country share their motivations for participating.
As united as Friday’s protests will be in their call for meaningful climate action, the reasons young people have for participating are also grounded in their regions’ unique climate concerns. “Hurricane Harvey devastated our city,” said Shania Hurtado, 16, who lives in Houston, Texas. “It was a time when my family and my friends were in a state of fear. It was terrible. This is truly why I’m striking. It’s why I’m organizing the strike. It’s something that affects me personally and we have the power to prevent and we should do something about it.”This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Across the globe, students go on strike to demand climate action on Mar 15, 2019.