The History of Climate Change Activism

Svante Arrhenius, a Swedish scientist, was the first to propose that human activities could influence the Earth's climate through the greenhouse effect in 1896.

Silent Spring, published in 1962, documented the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment and human health, sparking a global movement for environmental protection.

The Earth Summit, also known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992 and marked a significant milestone in international climate change negotiations.

David de Rothschild completed a 3,700-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean in 2010 on a raft made from 12,500 plastic bottles to highlight the issue of plastic pollution in our oceans.

The IPCC, established in 1988, released its first assessment report in 1990, providing a comprehensive scientific assessment of climate change and its potential impacts.

Tim Flannery, a renowned Australian scientist and conservationist, scaled the Sydney Opera House in 2019 to protest the government's lack of action on climate change.

Fridays for Future, founded by Greta Thunberg in 2018, is a global movement of young people who strike from school on Fridays to demand urgent action on climate change.

Ireland became the first country in the world to declare a climate emergency in May 2019, recognizing the urgent need to address the climate crisis.

The UNFCCC, adopted at the Earth Summit in 1992, entered into force on March 21, 1994, setting the foundation for international cooperation on climate change.

George Monbiot, a British environmentalist and writer, fasted for 24 days in 2018 to pressure the UK government to adopt a more ambitious climate change policy.

The Paris Agreement, adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UNFCCC in 2015, sets a long-term goal of keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius.

Robert Swan, a British explorer and environmentalist, sailed across the Pacific Ocean in a solar-powered catamaran in 2009 to raise awareness about climate change.

The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, entered into force on February 16, 2005, committing industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Cyril Dion, a French filmmaker and environmental activist, climbed the Eiffel Tower in 2019 to protest the government's lack of action on climate change.

The Fossil Free movement, launched in 2011, aims to divest from fossil fuel companies and invest in renewable energy sources to combat climate change.