Climate strike movement brought to international media’s agenda by the Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg’s efforts over a year ago. The night before the UN Climate Summit in New York protests fired up once again and spread all around the World.
Millions of people all around the World pour into streets to demand their governments to take action against global warming immediately. Even in Australia, which is known by the World’s biggest coal and LNG exporter, approximately 300.000 people attend a climate strike (Aljazeera).
So far protestors took the climate change issue to streets in 110 towns in an estimated 185 countries in 7 continents (the guardian). From New York to İstanbul, Kabul to Guatemala City, London to Cape Town hundreds of people from different socio-economic and cultures gathered for the same purpose. They all demand their leaders improve climate change mitigation strategies such as adopting more renewable resources instead of fuel fuels. These demonstrations created the World’s most massive climate protest.
By 2050 lots of states plans to obtain their energy from 100 % eco-friendly, renewable energy resources. Costa Rica, Sweden, Denmark can be given as an example to these countries.
•In the past five years, Costa Rica obtained nearly 95% of its electricity from renewable resources such as solar, hydro, wind, and geothermal power. Costa Rican government aims to become 100% carbon-neutral by 2021.
•Sweden aims to become the first 100% renewable country in the World. The Swedish government is planning to eliminate all fossil fuels form electricity generation within 21 years.
•Windmills provide half of Denmark’s electricity. Denmark’s next goal is to become 100% fossil fuel-free till 2050.
•Saudi Arabia invested over 50 billion dollars to renewable energy resources as a part of its 10-year green energy strategy. Due to their geology spending on wind energy seems to be the most profitable option among the other renewable energy resources. If they continue to invest in renewable energy resources, it is expected for Saudi Arabia to be 100% green by 2050.
•Globally, China invests the most money into renewable energy, yet its carbon emission rates are still higher than expected.
Even though states are investing more in renewable energy sources, carbon emission rates are still increasing. According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) studies, worldwide energy-related CO2 emission is rising. We do hope that states come up with more effective strategies to meet the demands of the protestors and take the necessary precautions to reduce the CO2 emission.