Pittsburgh students go on strike to join an international day of climate action
Kristina Marusic/EHN

Pittsburgh students go on strike to join an international day of climate action

PITTSBURGH—More than a hundred Pittsburgh-area students went on strike today, skipping school to participate in an international day of protests to demand action on climate change.


The students, who ranged in age from preschool to college, lined the steps of City Hall holding signs bearing messages like, "The oceans are rising and so we," "Green new deal now," and "There is no planet B."

Pittsburgh student climate strikeKristina Marusic/EHN

Students were joined by supportive adults—some parents, caretakers and grandparents, and some environmental activists—but children and teens led the event, bringing young speakers to the center of the group one by one, and passing around the bullhorn to take turns leading chants between speeches.

The event was one of thousands of sister events held around the world today in cities from Sydney, Seoul, and Kiev to Paris, Berlin and New York. The student strike in Philadelphia took place at the same time as the Pittsburgh event.

"When I realized there wasn't a strike planned for Pittsburgh today, I realized I had to do something about it," 16-year-old Ryleigh Murphy, a high school sophomore who coordinated the strike, told EHN. "So I started emailing schools and I emailed the mayor, who gave me his support, and it turned out so much bigger than I thought it was going to be."

Pittsburgh student strike for climate actionwww.youtube.com

The students expressed anger at older generations for not taking better care of the planet, expressed their fears about the fate of humanity if climate change continues unchecked, and urged politicians to take more urgent action.

"We only have 11 years left to transformatively change the ways we use energy before Earth faces catastrophic, irreversible consequences," Paul Kim, a 17-year-old student from Pittsburgh's Taylor Allderdice High School, told EHN. "Seeing that our elected officials aren't taking action, and that fossil fuel companies have long known about this, but haven't taken any action to stop it, is what brought me here today."

Here's what the student strike looked and sounded like in Pittsburgh:

Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN

Student strike for climate action in Pittsburghyoutu.be


Pittsburgh student strike for climate actionwww.youtube.com

Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN

Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN



Pittsburgh student strike for climate actionyoutu.be


Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN

Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN

Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN

Student strike for climate action in Pittsburghyoutu.be


Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN


Student strike for climate action in Pittsburghyoutu.be

A woman looks at a handmade journal that includes pressed flowers and leaves.

Independent bookshops are helping people fight climate despair with the right stories

In the UK, three indie bookstores are blending climate action and storytelling to help readers find hope, connection, and purpose in the face of planetary crisis.

Lottie Limb reports for Euronews.

Keep reading...Show less
Sunrise in the woods

Get our Good News newsletter

Get the best positive, solutions-oriented stories we've seen on the intersection of our health and environment, FREE every Tuesday in your inbox. Subscribe here today. Keep the change tomorrow.

A river runs between hills covered with trees displaying fall foliage colors.
Credit: Photo by Liz Guertin/Unsplash

Maryland’s conservation streak shows how far a small state can go

Maryland just became the first U.S. state to meet the “30 by 30” conservation goal — six years early — and it's already aiming for 40% by 2040.

Cara Buckley reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
A woman stands in front of a garbage dump next to an abandoned building holding a poster that says "there is no planet b."

Environmental groups brace for a new era of fear and federal targeting

As the Trump administration sharpens its attacks on environmental nonprofits, Earthjustice president Abigail Dillen warns the movement is under threat like never before.

Sharon Lerner reports for ProPublica.

Keep reading...Show less
A copy of Pope Francis' Laudato Si encyclical propped against a wooden pew in a church with the pope's photo on the cover.
Credit: Johan Bergström-Allen / www.carmelite.org/FlickrCreative Commons Attribution 2.0 no restrictions

Pope Francis made climate change a moral crisis. Following his death, the world needs a new voice

Pope Francis turned the climate crisis into a global moral reckoning, but as the planet warms, his loss leaves a gaping hole in the fight for climate justice.

Chico Harlan reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
blue and white solar panels on green grass.

Clean energy tech is outpacing politics and reshaping the global power landscape

Even as the Trump administration moves to expand fossil fuels and slash climate regulations, clean energy industries are accelerating beyond the reach of political backlash.

The Vox climate team sets out to analyze the clean energy transition in a special, multi-story project.

Keep reading...Show less
Scientists in lab coats and protective goggles work in a lab, reviewing files.

Scientists scramble to save climate and health data as government deletions escalate

Amid a sweeping purge of U.S. government websites, scientists and activists are racing to archive vital health and climate data before it vanishes.

Chris Baraniuk reports for the BBC.

Keep reading...Show less
a person with a backpack walking on a trail toward red cliffs.

Trump administration slashes environmental reviews to speed fossil fuel permits

A new directive from the Interior Department will cut environmental reviews for drilling and mining projects on public lands from years to weeks, citing an emergency order from President Trump.

Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.