Hundreds of people, mostly students from Boise high schools, gathered on the steps of the Idaho Statehouse on Friday, September 20 to draw attention to the issue of climate change. Photo by Griffin Cook
One Stone learner Declynn B. saw the power of student voice in action this fall during the Boise Climate Strike on the steps of Idaho’s State Capitol. Here, Declynn reports on the event and how her peers hope to use momentum from the strike to make change for future generations.
By Declynn B., One Stone
On Friday September 20, 2019, history was made. Four million young people across the world gathered to demand climate justice from their leaders. Strikes were held absolutely everywhere, from Idaho to Latvia – even Antarctica.
The strike was born from Fridays For Future, a movement demanding climate action started by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg.
Thunberg began her School Strike for Climate back in August of 2018. Her activism quickly caught the attention of students worldwide, including One Stone’s own Liam Neupert. He began doing his part in demanding climate justice by working closely with the Sunrise Movement and the ACLU, and planning the most recent climate strikes in Boise.
Worldwide, the strike to demand climate action was the largest ever. In Idaho, hundreds of people came together on the steps of the Idaho Capitol Building in the chilly September air. A large group of One Stone students assembled right at 8:45 a.m., led by Neupert. As he worked on cardboard protest signs and postcards to legislators, I asked him what else he’s doing to raise awareness about climate change.
“(I’m) educating people on the importance of their own waste and how it can truly make an impact,” he said. “Also, (we’re) holding many, many strikes and direct actions until our leaders decide to start acting. I hope from this strike they will finally listen. Even though it’s not realistic.”
Next to Liam was a girl wearing a Borah High School sweatshirt named Addie Shandro. I had heard her speak earlier in the strike, so I decided to have a conversation with her too and asked what brought her to the event.
“I researched the Sunrise Movement in Boise,” she said, “and immediately wanted to get involved. I believe the American government isn’t doing anything to provide me with a future. I want a future. Based on the state of this planet I’m really scared. I’m here with the millions of other strikers and I’m not going to stop. I want the government to see that I’m serious about climate action.”
In her eyes I could see the dedication to this movement. She was writing postcards to legislators begging for them to understand the gravity of the climate crisis.
As speakers prepared to take the podium, I climbed the steps to find a seat and scanned the crowd around me. Students shivered and held handmade signs calling for climate action, and behind their sheets of painted cardboard I could see the passion in their eyes.
By now, there were very few places left to sit on the Capitol steps and hundreds of protestors filled the park across the street as leaders from the Sunrise Movement began to teach us lyrics to protest songs.
Storms surge and fires burn but you don’t hear the call
‘Cause the fossil fuels are paying you, does it weigh on you at all?
Does it weigh on you at all?
Which side are you on now? Which side are you on?
At this point, the energy of the crowd felt like a surging electrical current. As we entered the Capitol building, each floor of the rotunda filled with protestors singing, chanting, yelling in unison. More speakers took the microphone to share protest poetry and personal stories of fear and grief related to the reality of climate change. I scanned the faces of those around me, to see many eyes welling up with tears. It was an emotional moment for many of us.
That’s when I knew that the people around me were truly ready to make a difference.
We went our separate ways that day with new tools and knowledge. We learned the importance of attending strikes, joining local grassroots movements, being mindful of your carbon footprint, and contacting government leaders. These small actions, when undertaken by a group of dedicated people committed to change, will make a difference.
Being a part of this historic movement for change, sparked by one passionate teenager a world away from Idaho, was a deeply moving experience for me. It was inspiring to be surrounded by so many outspoken and action-oriented peers who are dedicated to this cause. But emotions aside, now is the time to take action on climate change.
For us, this movement is just the beginning.
