Let’s face it. Adults can learn a lot from kids. We know children are our future, but this generation’s children are not waiting to make their voices heard in the future. They’re making their voices heard today. If you turn on the television or read the news, you will see youth engaged in activism fighting for the causes they hold dear.
As Jennifer Ansbach writes, “I’m not sure why people are so surprised that the students are rising up—we’ve been feeding them a steady diet of dystopian literature showing teens leading the charge for years. We have told teen girls they are empowered. What, you thought it was fiction? It was preparation.”
Kids have been listening. They know about the issues plaguing society today, and they’re using their voices to make a difference. For example, today we are showcasing just a few of the ways kids are fighting to save the Earth with their passion for going green.
Global Walk-Out on March 15th with School Strike 4 Climate
Sixteen-year-old Greta Thunberg started a movement called Fridays for Future which is a protest movement calling for action on the climate crisis. Greta protested every Friday in front of the Swedish parliament, and her movement has caught on with teens across the globe.
According to NBC News in February, “Thousands of children chanting ‘Save our planet!’ descended on Parliament Square in London Friday as part of a school strike movement that has swept across Europe in recent months to demand action on climate change.” This was a direct result of Greta’s Fridays for Future movement.
The passion for climate change doesn’t end with kids in Europe. Greta’s movement has crossed oceans with US students planning to participate in the Global Walk-Out with the US Youth Climate Strike on March 15th with kids leaving school to protest for action on climate change.
Teens Go Green: Safe Routes to School
A branch of the Safe Routes to School program, Teens Go Green works with teens who care about the environment and seek ways to bring reduced CO2 to their schools. Through Green Clubs and encouraging sustainable transportation, these kids are investing in the future of our planet.
Eco2School
Eco2School is The Center for Climate Protection’s Youth Leadership program and “inspires young people to take action for immediate greenhouse gas emissions reductions while promoting long-term personal and community environmental action.” They teach kids how to go green with transportation to and from school, such as riding bikes, walking, or using low-carbon commuter options such as carpooling.
How GoKid is Helping Kids Save CO2 and Go, Green,
As of 2018, vehicles are now the biggest source of CO2 emissions. Sustainable transportation is one way to protect our planet. By choosing to walk, bike, or carpool, kids are taking steps to better their future. For example, GoKid families have already reduced 2,702 tons of CO2! Think about it – your carbon footprint is then divided by the number of people who ride in your carpool. When you use GoKid to carpool, you are not only saving time, but you are also saving the planet.
We encourage both students and their parents to ask us for our school carpool programs and never drive alone!
