Today is the start day of the Global Climate Strike week. We don’t know how big it is going to be, but my prediction is: massive! Here are some known statistics:

Globally, 72 trade unions and federations are supporting the climate strike, with unions in Quebec and Italy taking formal strike action to join the youth school strikers. In the U.S., workers in major tech companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft are walking out of work to demand their companies take real action on climate change.

6,300 websites, including Kickstarter, Tumblr, and Tor will be green-screening their sites and directing visitors to the climate strike website as part of the Digital Climate Strike.

Globally, over 2,500 businesses are supporting the strikes —from those going all out, like Patagonia and Lush, with poster-making areas in their stores or closing their doors for the day completely, to others allowing workers to walk out for a short period to join the strike.

In the United States, a monumental mobilisation will see over 1,000 protests across the country, taking #StrikeWithUs outside of the major cities to every corner of the nation. New York public schools have given permission for all 1.1 million students to skip classes! More than 1,240 actions will be held in Europe across seven countries. There will be mobilisations in every country in Latin America, including countries that have not participated in climate action before such as Cuba and Venezuela! From Brazilright up to Mexico, there will be protests: A massive march in the south of Brazil against the proposal of the biggest coal mine in the country.

Here are some pictures of what this Friday so far looked around the world.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2019/sep/20/global-climate-strike-millions-protest-worldwide-in-pictures

In Berlin 230.000 are in the streets, below that is Hamburg. Performance artists stand on ice blocks to demonstrate the world’s potential fate.

Here is the FridaysforFuture Map that shows events near you. For us in PDX, the demonstrations begin at City Hall in the morning and will then march over the Hawthorne bridge down to OMSI where there will be events all afternoon until 5 PM – Meet me there! You will join scientists, artists, and, of course, the youths who are leading the way.

I will also be involved with documenting some climate change actions in CA, part of next week. Expect some interesting postings, even if irregularly sent.

Photographs today from threatening skies, hung over us all week when they weren’t already pouring down….

Two pieces of music based on climate data…..

https://www.co2.earth/global-warming-music-for-string-quartet