10 ways to support the Global Climate Strike For Future whether you're marching or not
Whether your school is striking on March 15 or not, there are many ways you can join the climate change campaign
While schools around the world are marching for climate action on March 15, many Hong Kong schools have decided that students cannot take a day off school to fight for a better future. When you are older, you will have to deal with whatever goes wrong with the planet because today’s adults and yesterday’s adults have acted in an irresponsible manner – or not acted at all.
Schools in Hong Kong, and even teachers, who may be supportive of the strike, are unable to officially give permission to students to join the actions. Talk to your teachers and see what the best way forward is for your school. But if the answer to “can we strike?” is “absolutely not”, you can still make your voices heard. Just make sure you get permission for anything you do on school grounds.
- Make protest banners and share them on Instagram. Tag Young Post and we will repost them (make sure your account is public). That way, you can share your thoughts with other students in Hong Kong and around the world.
- Hold a non-uniform day and come to school wearing your ordinary clothes. Your school might be happier if you collected “fines” from those who choose to not wear uniform, and raise money for an environmental charity of your choice.
- Paint your faces to show the world that you care. Share your photos on Instagram and tag us; we’ll repost them. You don’t even have to be at school when you wear your face paint, as long as you’re showing your face.
- Work with your teachers to have a lunchtime “sit-in” in the playground. Don’t forget to make and take banners to show adults what you think of their inaction on climate change.
- Write a letter to Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po with some well-thought out suggestions on how to make Hong Kong as carbon-light as possible. These suggestions can include: solar panels on buildings, photovoltaic paint, a ban on single-use plastics, more subsidies for electric cars, measures to cool the streets to offset the heat-island effect, carless days, more pedestrian zones, a ban on land reclamation, a meaningful search for renewable energy, a substitute for plastic, and a limit on cement usage.
- Hold a debate about students’ commitment to education vs their right to protest.
- Switch off the air conditioning for the day and record the difference in energy usage.
- Walk to school or use public transport as much as possible. Hopefully your teachers will understand if you are a little late. If you decide to do this, team up with friends and send us pictures and comments.
- Wear a green ribbon to show your solidarity with students around the world. Change your social media profile picture to the climate strike logo, available on our Facebook page.
- Commit to buying nothing on the day, not even online, especially not things covered in plastic – like bottles of water, packaged goods, meat, and cosmetics.