Amidst protests, UK declares climate emergency, the first country to do so

Britain’s opposition Labour party on Wednesday called for “real action” after parliament became the first in the world to vote to declare a climate emergency.

11 days of protests staged by climate activists Extinction rebellion forced the government’s hand to take a vote. The protests were very active and unlike previous climate change protests that looked less effective and more sham, this rebellion brought London to a standstill. Extinction rebellion called the vote a “first step in the government telling the truth about the climate and ecological emergency”.

What is the extinction rebellion?

According to Wikipedia, “Extinction Rebellion is a socio-political movement which uses nonviolent resistance to protest against climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and the risk of human extinction and ecological collapse”. Its aim is to peacefully coerce the Governing bodies to stop treating climate change like a fiasco and treat the issue with urgency and seriousness.

So what does ‘climate emergency’ mean?

Well, for starters, it’s a sign. A sensible acknowledgment that denotes that a government identifies the pressing issue and will deal with it with the urgency it deserves. In case you want data and more information to know what our planet faces, start with this article.

But declaring climate emergency is much more than symbolism. It puts pressure on politicians to embark on a series of realistic measures to curb climate change. Let’s hope more countries follow this trend and above all, let’s pray ‘climate emergency’ means something.