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Rabat – As they mark Earth Day 2023 this Saturday, climate change activists have organized protests across the world to demand government action against climate change and take concrete action themselves.
While volunteers planted trees and cleared trash to celebrate the environment, other protestors in London gathered outside Britain’s parliament building to urge action.
The activists, led by the Extinction Rebellion group, have started a four-day action to coincide with Earth Day, labeling it “The Big One.”
The group, usually known for its disruptive tactics that include smashing windows and blocking roads, chose a different approach this year, as around 30,000 people signed up for its “family-friendly” rallies, Reuters reported.
Similar events are also being held in other countries, with major clean-up campaigns in parts of Europe and the US, including Cape Coral in Florida, which was recently struck by a hurricane.
Furthermore, American activist Denis Hayes, who coordinated the first Earth Day in 1970, came out this year to denounce “appalling” environmental messaging by oil, gas and energy companies.
Hayes said that corporate greenwashing by extractive firms undermines the message behind Earth Day and “has nothing to do with its original aims,” comparing the threat of climate change and biodiversity loss to that of nuclear war.
“I take some solace in the fact that I think relatively few people anywhere are motivated to accept the sentiment behind ‘Earth Day at Exxon’. It just doesn’t pass the giggle test,” Hayes said.
Read also: Earth Day: Humanity Continues Steady March Towards Climate Cataclysm
Climate scientists and experts have been warning that global temperatures could hit all-time highs in the coming years, especially as emissions and other kinds of pollution show no signs of slowing.
Various regions saw all-time high temperatures over the past few years, with natural catastrophes as a result of climate change also becoming more common.
During the leadup to Earth Day 2023, temperatures soared to record highs in Thailand, and a heatwave in India took the lives of at least 13 people.
