Governments have leverage. Corporations, particularly the big ones, have leverage. I don't have the tiniest fraction as much, even if I do everything I possibly

Governments have leverage. Corporations, particularly the big ones, have leverage. I don't have the tiniest fraction as much, even if I do everything I possibly can. A government that sets an energy policy, introduces a carbon tax, or refuses planning permission for that mine or rig achieves millions of times more impact than a citizen or demonstrator. A corporation might make a negative carbon commitment, as Stripe did a month or two back. Civil disobedience, demonstrating, getting arrested, disruption and organising along with chaining yourself to things are time worn routes to change, not new methods. From the 14th C Peasant's Revolt[1] through civil rights, Indian independence and universal suffrage, and countless others, even the current HK protests, they succeeded via these sorts of tactics. Governments tend to ignore polite marches of many thousands, but take note when people start ignoring laws, striking or disrupting, and getting noticed or costing money. The striking school children appear to be doing an utterly marvellous job of making our elected leaders (all of them, pretty much everywhere) look foolish, incompetent and incredibly selfish. They achieved a remarkable amount of media exposure. Many are nearing voting age. Do you think they will all forget about climate when they can finally cast their vote? I don't. Do you think they will give up and go home? I don't. I wonder what we can look forward to when some of them start thinking of going into politics?... The people who need to listen may not be on HN, but many of the people who can get them to listen are - the potential demonstrators, the strikers, then the marketers, the website and app builders etc. Not forgetting employees and founders of hundreds of corporations who need to be making climate related change. [1] The Peasant's Revolt was far from peaceful, ultimately more riot and revolution than disobedience, and truly brutally suppressed, but the government was terrified of a repeat for decades after. Poll taxes died in England for 300 years. A few attempts around the Civil War and restoration, then 300 more years for Thatcher's attempt at a poll tax. Which got her a modern replay of the Peasant's Revolt in the shape of the Poll Tax Riots. Yet both the original and Thatcher's rerun started with discontent, then demonstration, then disobedience, then riot, and for the original, outright revolt.