Hello Earth

“Productivity”: An Empty Word on an Empty Planet

November 2019

A few days before the UN climate summit, young people, NGOs, and companies all over the world joined together to take stock of our priorities, with the latest IPCC report on the oceans providing context. There’s no denying it anymore: It is high time for us to take action –and demand that our governments and economic stakeholders do the same. With this in mind, Back Market participated in this joyful parade of signs on Friday, September 20, 2019.

“Together, Taking Action for the Climate”

According to a YouGov study:

 

48% of French people believe that the climate is changing and that human activities are the primary cause of those changes.
70% believe that climate change will have an impact on their lives.
58% think that there is still time to avoid the worst consequences, if radical measures are implemented quickly enough.

nd the streets were filled, two days in a row, with people seeking to drive those radical measures forward. From Sydney to Seoul, from New York to Paris and Berlin, the young and young-at-heart alike gathered to chant pro-climate slogans at the top of their lungs.

In France alone, 90 NGOs called for protests. They included WWF, Zero Waste France, and Greenpeace, as well as 350.org, Amnesty International, and Youth for Climate, inspired by Greta Thunberg. The September 20 march, part of the Fridays for Future movement, provides yet more proof that while the younger generations’ defiance of institutions may die hard, they can’t be accused of lacking commitment. A brief summary: Nearly 2 million students in more than 200 cities have participated in these worldwide climate strikes in the last year.

But they’re not alone. Between two signs reading, “We’d rather strike than roast,” you could see companies on strike as well, including Levi’s, Ben and Jerry’s, Ecosia, Lush, and Patagonia. These companies’ support for the climate strikes is unprecedented.

And of course, Back Market was there.

“Plastic on the Kardashians, not in our oceans”

After a little art workshop on Thursday evening, so that we’d have some stuff to strut, we were out in the streets on Friday to march, protest, sing… and say hi to Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.

So many thanks to everyone who set aside their daily routine to join the march. Because productivity is an awfully empty concept on an empty planet.

Back Market


 

If you want to dig deeper:

Eco Friendly Digital Habits                                     Pushing Back Earth Overshoot Day: The Challenge   

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