sofatutor at the 2022 Climate Strike in Berlin: Why the climate crisis is like back pain
2019 was not only the year of the first climate strike in Berlin. It was also the year when we at sofatutor first participated, coming prepared with posters demanding to “Take action now!”. Three years later, the climate crisis needs action and attention all the more urgently. We at sofatutor are taking small steps to become more and more climate friendly: Apart from ecological cleaning and hygiene products in the office and sustainable companies like “Future Bens” and “Big Little Things” providing employee benefits, we have been offsetting our corporate carbon emissions since 2020. To demonstrate that we stand with Fridays for Future and their cause we joined the big annual Climate Strike on September 23rd once again.
We gathered in the sofatutor kitchen to prepare posters, this time asking to “Stop destroying everything!”. The tram took us five strikers to Invalidenpark in Berlin Mitte, where thousands had already come together. Huge signs, information stands and a big stage were in place for the huge event. And onto that stage went some well-known figures from the movement: The German Fridays for Future representative Luisa Neubauer delivered a captivating speech. Her growing impatience with lethargic politics was truly noticeable. Famous author and artist Marc-Uwe Kling got to the heart of the climate issue: It’s like back pain – we should have done something about it long ago.
Heading out on the march through district Mitte, we chanted with the crowds and felt the presence of thousands of motivated activists. The year 2022 – true, it has presented crises that at first sight seem to require more attention and quicker solutions. But since we attended our last climate strike in 2019, the effects of the climate crisis have become so obvious and omnipresent: tremendous heat waves in summer, droughts, storms and rainfalls leading to flood catastrophes.
It’s important to stand up and raise our voices at the climate strike. Maybe though it’s even more important to live with as little emissions as possible on a daily basis. We educators are a role model for the youngest. And they themselves are the ones roaming the streets and claiming: “Wir sind hier, wir sind laut, weil ihr uns die Zukunft klaut!” – We are here and we are loud, because you’re stealing our future!
author: Kilian Söllner
