We Don't Need No Education

Patriarchy has accelerated the climate crisis, but we must listen to the women who are determined to change that

- Bijoy Venugopal

“Get out of class!“ No matter how these words are said, and no matter who says them, they reek of a paternalism that frowns upon dissent and liberty. They represent a fear that has kept us in check through our student years.

In August 2018, a Swedish teenager said the same words with a different urgency. They reverberated across the world. Greta Thunberg was 15 when she began her “School Strike For Climate.” She protested outside her country’s parliament, demanding urgent action to address the climate crisis. A year hence, she is the face of a global protest, inspiring millions to join cause with a collective fight. Last month, she travelled across the Atlantic from Europe to the United States in an emissionsfree sailboat. She addressed Congress and the United Nations, urging leaders to stop dawdling and start panicking.

The patriarchs of our society wasted no time to undermine little Greta. They made feeble armchair commentary on her flawed methods. They stooped to mock her appearance and her mental health — she has Asperger’s, which she calls a “superpower”. Yet, the crowds gathering in solidarity with her from Sydney to Athens reaffirm that there has never been a better reason or a better time to protest.