School Strike 4 Climate has created a sick note signed by climate PhDs encouraging kids to skip class to take part in a national climate protest without worrying about being punished. The campaign recognises the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for community action to tackle it.
In an act of scholarly rebellion, Australian youth-led climate organisation School Strike 4 Climate has partnered with CHEP to create 'The Climate Doctor's Certificate', which encourages school kids to skip classes in favour of climate protests – free of concerns about being punished. No detentions, no guilt trips, just an eco-warrior spirit championed by younger generations. Taking a cue from the uproar of 2019, where truants faced the wrath of school authorities, this time around they are working to mitigate this risk.
Globally, people are becoming more aware of the urgent need to take measures to prevent the looming impacts of climate change. With COP28 Summit blunders fresh on people's minds, and organizations like Make My Money Matter and Environmental Leadership Canada banging the drum for climate action, it's clear: the world is waking up to a need for action regarding the state of the planet. Gen Z and Gen Alpha, fed up with grown-up inaction, are taking matters into their own hands by staging classroom walkouts and courtroom showdowns.
As faith in institutions declines and urgency grows, people are increasingly taking matters into their own hands when thinking about eco-action and rebellion. With research suggesting that 71% of teens born between 2010 and 2015 are worried about the climate crisis, young people are set to lead the charge as their power increases.
