On Friday, September 20, I will be joining millions of youth and adults who are striking to demand action on the climate crisis. I’ve read the dire reports and the risks for too long. In addition to melting glaciers, amplified hurricanes, and losing the Great Barrier Reef, our beloved Gila National Forest is seriously threatened to lose the vast majority of its coniferous forest from Spruce-Fir to Juniper Woodlands in only a few decades time.

In the face of this existential threat, we must not allow ourselves to become paralyzed. Now is the time to organize and show those in power that we are not willing to settle for empty promises, nice words and vague goals. We need climate action now. Join our community and communities around the world in the Global Climate Strike on September 20, in solidarity with youth, organized labor, faith groups, and indigenous and frontline communities. Just two days after the U.S. Climate Strike, world leaders are convening at the United Nations to discuss climate policies. Let’s shout loud enough so they hear us. Future generations depend on it.

Carol Ann Fugagli
Silver City, NM