Say NO to the new normal
Greenhouse
It’s time to stand together and say NO to the new normal.
Greenhouse is working with the UK Student Climate Network to mobilise support for the global climate strike on 20 September.
Their latest film, produced by Rubber Republic, features a cast of 10 youth climate strikers aged between 15-18 making a powerful case for why they are refusing to accept climate breakdown as the ‘new normal’.
A new survey released by UKSCN found that 80% of young people aged 18-24 believe the UK government cares more about delivering Brexit than combating climate change.
In response, the youth climate strikers are taking matters into their own hands and have launched a regional tour to promote a Green New Deal, a set of principles that underpin policy designed to transform the UK economy to tackle the climate crisis and address social inequality.
Between 27 August and 7 September, the students will visit UK cities to talk about how a Green New Deal would create jobs, increase investment and stimulate economic growth in the green sector. To find your nearest event, visit Eventbrite.
Last night the Greenhouse team attended a Community Climate Assembly in Manchester, the first event in the series, and heard first-hand from the students about their efforts to mobilise cross-party and public support for a Green New Deal in the build-up to the global climate strike on 20 September.
First up was Emma Greenwood (aged 15), an inspirational young woman who represents the Manchester branch of the UK Student Climate Network and is a Member of Youth Parliament for Bury.
Emma said: “In order to get as many local people engaged as possible, we need to show them how the Green New Deal is relevant to Manchester.
“Within Manchester, we want to make sure we protect our local environment. What unites a lot of the young people here is a desire to protect the green spaces that surround us.”
We also heard from George Bond (aged 16), a member of the central UKSCN team who’s been involved in developing the mission and strategy. He outlined UKSCN’s four key demands:
1. Save the Future
Declare a climate emergency and implement a Green New Deal to achieve Climate Justice.
2. Teach the Future
Reform the national curriculum to address the ecological crisis as an educational priority.
3. Tell the Future
Work with the media and Government to communicate the severity of the ecological crisis to the general public.
4. Empower the Future
Recognise that young people have the biggest stake in our future, by incorporating youth views into policy making and bringing the voting age down to 16
Angela Frances, Chief Economist at WWF, who also spoke at the Manchester event, defined the Green New Deal as requiring “a big stimulus from government that shifts us to a society where choosing the environmental option becomes the default option.”
The youth ambassadors then talked about plans for the strike in Manchester on Friday 20 September and outlined how people can get involved.
More than a million people are expected to take to the streets in the UK on 20 September, for what will be the largest ever global climate strike. Timed to send a strong message to the UN Climate Summit, which takes place on 23 September, the strike will see people of all generations coming together to call for urgent and radical action. To find out more and get involved in an event near you, visit https://ukscn.org.
If you’re an organisation looking to lobby government to secure a better future for people and the planet, then we would love to hear from you. Take a look at previous campaigns demanding political action, including The Time Is Now lobby and the launch of the Nature Friendly Farming Network. Get in touch with us on 0117 214 1250 or email info@greenhousepr.co.uk.
