The arctic is predicted to experience its first ice-free summer by 2040. By 2050, there will be more plastic in the sea than fish. Now, the lives of animals and humans are endangered every day. This is why I and over four million people around the world and I skipped class and work on Sept. 20 to attend the Global Climate Strike.

After the first period bell rang, five peers and I traveled by metro, signs in hand, to the meetup spot in John Marshall Park in Washington, D.C. None of us knew what to expect, or if anyone else was even going to show up but as soon as we arrived, we were reassured by the large crowd of people. I looked around and was comforted by the kids, workers and grandparents all standing by my side.

While I was stressed about missing a day of classes, I knew that I needed to attend the strike. The failure of our government to acknowledge and make efforts to solve the climate crisis our world is facing needed to be spotlighted.

As the date of the strike approached, my peers constantly questioned me: “But what will you going to the strike actually do?”

At first, I was dumbfounded by this question and allowed their lack of understanding to make me feel as though my actions were worthless. However, as I thought about it more, I realized that while we may not change the world, showing up for the environment shows the people in power that this issue matters to us.

What my peers didn’t understand was that the goal of the march was not to change President Trump’s opinion about the environment or to force him to implement a policy that would support our cause. While that would be ideal, we knew that was not realistic. The objective of the march was to create a greater awareness of the issue and force the world to wake up to the sad reality of our planet.

Over four million people all around the world united on Friday to advocate for the earth, according to 350.org, and I was one of them. If everyone had the mindset that they alone could not make an impact, then four million people would not have shown up in worldwide rallies.

The number of people that did show up is a testament to the fact that the world is beginning to realize the threat of climate change and understand that action, not ignorance or negligence, is the right path to solving the devastating climate crisis that our generation faces today.

This story was featured in Volume 37, Issue 2 print edition of The Lion’s Tale, published on Oct. 4, 2019.