On March 15, British students gathered to protest climate change in Parliament Square and proceeded to march their way to Trafalgar Square in London. Students held up signs that called for a  reform in order to bring forth the rising issue of climate change.

The walkout movement was first inspired by Swedish Student and activist, Greta Thunberg. Thunberg sparked the movement when she protested single-handedly outside of the Swedish parliament. Thunberg was a 15-year-old with a vision for action and change, today she has inspired thousands to stand up and raise awareness for our warming climate.

Since the 19th-century evidence proves that our climate is warming at a rapid rate and we may not have much time before it can be resolved.  The change is driven by increased carbon dioxide in the air and other human-made products being disposed into the air. The five warmest years ever recorded took place after 2010 with 2016 being recorded as the warmest year to date.

Other evidence includes ocean temperatures rising, shrinking ice sheets and the rise of sea levels. Climate change is nothing new, although debated by some, science has proven its existence and now calls for worldwide action. The common goal of the protesters is to not only bring about awareness to the pressing issue but to bring it right to the doorsteps of the government, calling for an intervention.

The protest has now received worldwide recognition and has created the movement, #Fridaysforthefuture. This movement encourages students to strike back and take action by walking out of the classroom and into the streets. One hundred and five countries so far have participated ranging in both Europe and the U.S. Students aren’t prepared to stop anytime soon unless their future is in the right hands. These young teens won’t be put on the sidelines and told to leave it to adults, the future affects them too, so why would they let the world melt and watch when they could put their words to actions and stand up for the change they want to see? Now, this is actually a national emergency that’s worthy enough for us to listen.