Response Task

Response Task

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Part 1

Voices

Three days after the schools started the strike for climate on 20th of September 2019, there was no word on when the strike would end. It had taken over the news; no one could stop it since the cause was persuasive enough to make more than a hundred countries of different continents join in. Believe it or not, it all started with a film class that narrowed down to assessing the representation of climate change and its impacts on digital media. The entire class turned into history, and for some students, it was a trip down the memory lane. Some of my classmates have experienced the pain and the difficulties that climatic changes can cause. It may have been a touchy subject since a lot was lost, but for most of us, it was an eye-opening class session.

An assignment we had been given the previous week that relates to the media presentation of pertinent issues in the society introduced the topic of climate change, Mr. Gutenberg believed in making his students read ahead. The film industry being a major interest for me, I took the assignment seriously and did adequate research. The assignment was aimed at looking at how all forms of the media represent the issue of climatic change and its impacts. Since the assignment was due in three weeks, I took my time to fully understand climatic change and its impacts before analyzing its representation in the media. Honestly, reading research and implications is just as tiresome as reading books, not even listening to the documents made it any less boring. Within the first week, I was positive that climatic change is not given enough importance despite the fact that its consequences are massive.

It is common knowledge that climatic changes are being experienced, and the major causes are human activities. At least, the educational bodies have made an effort to ensure that the curriculum includes the importance of caring for the environment. However, the seriousness of the issue is not quite felt by many. The research from that week opened my eyes to the impacts of climatic change and how the gradual changes were getting faster than anticipated. It was worrying that the government struggles to do away with greenhouse gases and technology attempts the same, but not much of a difference is seen in the research, and the warnings made.

I dedicated my second week of assignment on assessing actual happenings that were a result of climatic change. I brainstormed on storms, hurricanes, and a rise in sea levels, among other major and minor disasters, which were experienced due to climatic change. A number of my classmates were brave enough to share their experiences, thus helped me understand better. For instance, most of the cases my classmates shared were not entirely captured by the media, and those that were put on the media were either put on the news too late or on newspapers as tiny occurrences. Of course, a few were major everyone has heard of. Some people have only heard stories of their loved ones since they were lost in some disasters. We often shared these stories during lunch hour, thus easy to listen to almost all stories.

After getting information on real-life experiences from some of my schoolmates and I ventured into the internet to get more examples. Some disasters are occurrences that have been forecasted and, in most cases, well handled, but some have surpassed understanding. In such cases, it was narrowed down to the fact that climatic changes had disrupted the norm. Areas that experienced storms and hurricanes had started experiencing disastrous ones that had never been experienced before. Scientists attempted to give a warning, but not much was done. An interesting happening was the Katrina Hurricane, which was well covered in the news and the government involved. However, the federal government and FEMA only stated taking action after six days of starving survivors and the death of those who were not lucky to be saved. It was predicted that the hurricane would be worse than any other, and the people were asked to vacate. However, not much assistance was given to facilitate the movement or help those who could not move. Information on the Katrina Hurricane was easy to find; it was in the news, articles, documentaries, among other media platforms. However, there was not much information on other occurrences.

By the end of week two, I was aware of the media’s bias in bringing to light such occurrences. The media always opted to maximize on more disastrous happenings and award a line or two to disasters that were not seen as major. The realization angered me; it made me feel like the media was not supporting scientists and researchers. I had always believed the media is a mirror of the society; it is the newly written literature from the olden days. However, my research proved me wrong. In the third week, I further addressed the assignment by researching the representation of climate change and its impacts on entertainment/film. Research made dumb folded me. I had to watch several movies and videos addressing climate change to verify the studies I had come across. Of all the films, only one represented a reality. The other eight I watched focused on the worst impacts of climate change and some things beyond possibility. For instance, the earth sliding is commonly focused on, which makes the audience view it as imagination.

By the end of the third week, my assignment was ready for submission, and I was positive my arguments in the essay were moving. As a result, I was chosen to make a presentation on the topic to the class. I felt a sense of fulfilment when I realized my classmates, and I shared the opinion that things ought to change. In no time, we had organized a debate as a class to involve the entire school, and it yielded fruits. Videos were made during the debate as we discussed the issue of climatic change and the reluctance of the government and the media to do more. In no time, several clips were out, and we share them as much as possible to friends and strangers using all possible technological platforms.

The lesson had reflected on the happenings in the world, and several schools/ institutions were actively learning about climate change and its impacts. A week later, news from Australia covered the story of a sixteen-year-old who was ready to change the world. The 16-year-old, Greta Thunberg, inspired the beginning of a strike and it was planned. She had started her strike during the summer in august by striking from school and sitting in front of the Sweden parliament with a sign that read ‘Students strike for Climate Change.’ Her action pulled the media, and thanks to technology, students all over were talking about it. In no time, word spread that a strike was being planed. It was expected that after legal preparations and planning were made, a student’s strike for climate change would be scheduled between 20th and 27th of September 2019. Perhaps what made the course worthwhile was the constant criticisms from political officials such as the prime minister, Scott Morrison, who said that students should be learning and no be activists.

I bet every student who followed the story awaited the strike day. The fact that many adults supported the course gave students all over a drive and will. On Friday, 20th September, students from Australia and more than a hundred countries joined in the strike. Surprisingly, a good number of adults joined in as well. It was a major topic in all media platforms. We all needed to make a change by ensuring our voices were heard. Despite the legalities behind the strike, we worried that attacking the government was not a great call since it had never in history came to pass without brutality, but we pressed on. Students all over matched towards centers and paliaments with home made banners to express their thoughts. Some about animals, some about life, some about the future, among others.

The strike was scheduled within the week, and indeed, it was worthwhile. The government, scientists, and other professions were all aware of the issues but the voice of students called for action in a more profound manner. They say change begins with one person; the saying was well represented by how one student could create such an influence and result in a globally accepted strike. It was time for young voices to be heard. The happening will remain a story to share for years since students could try to make a difference in how the serious issues of climatic changes were being represented. Sea levels were rising, fires were experienced, and it had started becoming too hot, yet not much was being said or done by the media and the government. I believe that the film industry can make a difference since it aims to represent and address society’s issues. My experience on that day only strengthened my belief in the media having the upper hand to voice what scientists and researchers keep trying to voice.

Part 2: Reflective Essay

Literature Review

My response task was on the school’s strike for climate. I engaged with secondary sources, including newspaper articles written during the period, video contents produced by the media at the time, photos of the strike, and interviews taken by various media sources during the time. Also, I drew on climate websites such as the UN climate change portal and the intergovernmental panel on climate change. These sources provided information on the strike and effects of climate change on humans’ wellbeing.

In the Guardian article, the authors based the report on the strike and the events that took place during the strike (Henriques-Gomes et al., 2019). It also involved interviews directly quoted, which helped provide information about the perspective of the students. The interviews were also featured in the mondaq.com article (Gregoire, 2019) and ABC News (“‘It’s our future’: Climate strike draws ‘hundreds of thousands’ to rallies across Australia demanding action,” 2019). A YouTube video of the strike was a great resource as I could view the event and listen to the students’ voices and read their posters (School Strike 4 Climate Special: Protests, Climate Change & Greta Thunberg, 2020). Their concern for the climate change issue was legit and needed to be heard.

According to a report by Sengupta (2019) in New York Times newspaper, the students were ‘Anxious about their future on a hotter planet and angry at world leaders for failing to arrest the crisis.’ Even though this was true, the article should at least focus on the effects it creates for the audience to feel the importance of the strike. The climate change websites such as the ‘Climate Change and Environment | LDC Portal” (2019) and the “IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change” ( 2020) define the roles of the groups in climate change, which were not being fulfilled at the moment. The strike was an awakening call for the government and climate institutions to perform their responsibilities.

Methodology

When I began writing the response to student strikes on climate change, I wanted to report the event as a second party. However, later, I found it more appealing and relatable to write it as one of the striking students. I wanted to explore the future of climate change and how the media and government handled it. According to scientists, human activities cause climate change (HausFather, 2017), and as they continue, a healthy environmental future is not promised. The photos of the event showed even very young children participating in the strike and worried about the animals (Baker, 2020). This fact threatens young people’s lives in the future as the environment keeps being destroyed. Therefore, I wanted to explore the various institutions and sectors that should help to change the situation. This included the government, various climate change organizations, and the media. I delved into how these institutions handle the climate change issue, including the response to the student strike for climate.

I chose to explain an example of a climate change effect that occurred before the Katrina Hurricane, which affected lots of people and to explain how the institutions handled the crisis. Most of the social media platforms failed to report the actual incidents, while the government and responsible institutions became silent about the issues (Sobel & Leeson, 2006). Thus, I considered the response as a wakeup call for the institutions to take up their responsibilities, as I explained how the institutions handled the issue before the strike. The students also helped to ensure the institutions are aware of their roles through the strike that attracted not only students but other citizens.

Theory

The theory about confessional subjectivity has informed the creation of the response, which helped in explaining the student strike and the issues addressed in the strike. Confessional subjectivity is the practice of expressing and communicating difficult but necessary issues to the public (Burchell, 2009). It is formed through self-expression. The student strike occurred since the students wanted to express themselves based on the fear of the future that they had about the environment. They were aware of the dangers that may occur when they protest, such as deaths and injuries due to the negativity that the public holds about protests. Climate change issue is a critical aspect hence necessary to be addressed by the public. The theory applied in explaining the reason for the students involving in the protest and the issues they addressed that required to be changed to save humanity.

Also, Neoliberalism theory applied in the creation of the response, which founded the individual freedom and self-determination of the students to strike (Beckert, 2019). Neoliberalism theory emphasizes minimal government intervention, which was evident in the strike. There were no public enforcements to prevents the strike. The students were supported by the public. The public members emphasized the importance of the issue being addressed and its importance on the future environment.

Positionality

My position throughout the writing was in favor of the student strike for climate change as it holds the future of the young generation. Climate change has affected living organisms as well as plants, which impact the existence of future generations (Bellard et al., 2012). I have lived in regions where individuals came together to plant trees and take care of the vegetation and, in the same way, condemn any activities that ed to climate change. I come from a family that engages in farming, and my parents depend on it for livelihood. Therefore, it has always been their priority to conserve the environment and taking part in protests that have an objective of conserving the environment. Climate change negatively affects farming activities (Arora, 2019), which makes it difficult for them to plan for their cultivation seasons, and at times they fail to make harvests due to destroyed climate change destroyed crops.

I believe that we all have a responsibility to prevent climate change as our activities cause it to pursue income. Therefore, activities that affect the environment need to be prevented. As BBC News reported, 10 activities could help prevent climate change, and this involves every individual (Ortiz, 2020). I believe that through these activities, there would be a promising future for the striking young generation and also for my parents’ farming activity. I kept this in mind while constructing my response, to give a clear view and urgency of the event.

References

Arora, N. (2019). Impact of climate change on agriculture production and its sustainable solutions. Environmental Sustainability, 2(2), 95-96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42398-019-00078-wBaker, S. (2020). Photos show huge protests around the world, where hundreds of thousands are striking to demand action on climate change. Pulse.ng. Retrieved 15 July 2020, from https://www.pulse.ng/bi/politics/photos-show-huge-protests-around-the-world-where-hundreds-of-thousands-are-striking/g0rqnbl.

Beckert, J. (2019). The exhausted futures of neoliberalism: from promissory legitimacy to social anomy. Journal Of Cultural Economy, 13(3), 318-330. https://doi.org/10.1080/17530350.2019.1574867

Bellard, C., Bertelsmeier, C., Leadley, P., Thuiller, W., & Courchamp, F. (2012). Impacts of climate change on the future of biodiversity. Ecology Letters, 15(4), 365-377. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01736.xBurchell, G. (2009). Confession, resistance, subjectivity. Journal For Cultural Research, 13(2), 159-177. https://doi.org/10.1080/14797580902786481

Climate Change and Environment | LDC Portal. Un.org. (2019). Retrieved 15 July 2020, from https://www.un.org/ldcportal/climate-change-and-environment/.

Gregoire, P. (2019). Striking for their future: An interview with School Strike for Climate co-ordinator, Evan Meneses – Environment – Australia. Mondaq.com. Retrieved 15 July 2020, from https://www.mondaq.com/australia/climate-change/846556/striking-for-their-future-an-interview-with-school-strike-for-climate-co-ordinator-evan-meneses.

HausFather, Z. (2017). Analysis: Why scientists think 100% of global warming is due to humans | Carbon Brief. Carbon Brief. Retrieved 15 July 2020, from https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-why-scientists-think-100-of-global-warming-is-due-to-humans.

Henriques-Gomes, L., Zhou, N., Ben, B., cox, L., & Davidson,, H. (2019). Hundreds of thousands attend school climate strike rallies across Australia. The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2020, from.

IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Ipcc.ch. (2020). Retrieved 15 July 2020, from https://www.ipcc.ch/.

‘It’s our future’: Climate strike draws ‘hundreds of thousands’ to rallies across Australia demanding action. Abc.net.au. (2019). Retrieved 15 July 2020, from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-20/school-strike-for-climate-draws-thousands-to-australian-rallies/11531612.

Ortiz, D. (2020). Ten simple ways to act on climate change. Bbc.com. Retrieved 15 July 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181102-what-can-i-do-about-climate-change.

School Strike 4 Climate Special: Protests, Climate Change & Greta Thunberg. YouTube. (2020). Retrieved 15 July 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjTtiMWjJ9g.

Sengupta, S. (2019). Protesting Climate Change, Young People Take to Streets in a Global Strike. New York Times. Retrieved 15 July 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/climate/global-climate-strike.html.

Sobel, R., & Leeson, P. (2006). Government’s response to Hurricane Katrina: A public choice analysis. Public Choice, 127(1-2), 55-73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-006-7730-3