On the morning of Friday, September 20, a group on the NVU-Lyndon campus called the Climate Consensus carried out their student-run climate strike. The Climate Consensus is comprised of soon-to-be climate change/atmospheric scientists whose sole objective is to advocate for science through school visits and public events such as this one. Their climate strike, as well as many others around the world, were part of a larger call for action by 16-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg. Back in August 2019, Thunberg started to skip classes to sit outside of the parliament building striking for climate justice.
Over 200 community members, students, and children gathered in the ASAC parking lot for the climate strike. They planned to strike through the center of Lyndonville, advocating for the science behind climate change. The route was a little over 5 kilometers and marched down College Road, taking a right onto Center Street, then turning onto Main Street, and ending their strike in the park right next to the Freighthouse Market & Cafe.
At the end of the walk, the coordinators of the strike—Dr. Janel Hanrahan, Jon Hutchinson, and Maison DeJesus—spoke a few words while enjoying treats sponsored by the Bagel Depot. Their speeches embodied the idea that our changing climate is a big problem, advocating that siding with science rather than politics is more effective in spreading awareness. Most importantly, they reminded the public that hope is the one thing that can truly save our planet. Soon after that, the group headed back to the NVU-Lyndon campus the same way they came. They chanted tirelessly through town, all in good nature and fun. With the help of the police, the entire event went smoothly and with no altercations.