University of Helsinki
Dear members of HYVÄT,
Climate change is perhaps the biggest global threat we are facing now and especially in the near-future. The problem has been known already for tens of years, but still we see very few acts by the governments. Now it’s the time for us to promote the science-based decision-making and make sure that every politician in Finland and worldwide understands that we need to do something now and not tomorrow.
On the following Saturday, we will be defending the voice of the scientific community by participating in the Climate March!
You can find HYVÄT next to the student associations on the eastern side of the Senate Square. Look for Anton and/or the HYVÄT logo.
The demonstration starts at 15:00 from the Senate Square. Come join us a bit before that!
Join also the Facebook events to make the event even more impactful:
Earlier on the same day (12:00->), there is also a seminar “Keys of Change” in the Think Corner, presenting the perspective of different disciplines in solving the crisis.
See also the original message from the student union below.
Climate change has been discussed exceptionally widely in both mainstream media and social media during the past week. The reason for this is the recently published report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15/). The contents of the report are no surprise but still make for harsh reading.
Generational policy holds a central place in the student movement’s election platform in the spring. We must build our society with a far-reaching approach, leaving future generations a thriving planet and a society built more sustainably than before. In light of current development, we have a lot of work to do.
Researchers have been warning us about the effects of climate change for decades already, urging decision-makers to take ambitious measures to mitigate climate change. Societal interaction and communication about research results is one of our University’s basic tasks, but despite best efforts, the suggestions often fall on deaf ears, and the voice of the scientific community is lost in decision-making. Sometimes researchers need help for their message to be taken with appropriate seriousness – which is where we, the largest and loudest group of the University community, can help.
Regarding the mitigation of climate change with insufficient ambition trivialises all the other goals of generational policy. The change will not happen by itself, nor will the theme become one of the main themes of the parliamentary elections without effort. We must act now, which is why the Student Union of the University of Helsinki has combined strengths with development and environmental organisations and become one of the conveners of the climate march.
We are inviting you to join us on the streets of Helsinki on 20 October to march for ambitious climate policies and decision-making based on research!
The main themes, goals and detailed information of the climate march are available trilingually in the Facebook event: http://bit.ly/ilmastomarssi
Climate marches are demonstrations with a really good reputation. Participants typically include people from all sectors of society and from different ends of the political spectrum. This is also shown in the popularity of the FB event, which has reached 630,000 people so far, with 4,500 people attending and nearly 20,000 interested in the event. This could become the largest demonstration related to the environment ever held in Finland. That is exactly what we need –nothing less would be enough for people to take generational policy and climate change with appropriate seriousness in the spring’s parliamentary elections.
Besides speeches, the event’s programme includes grilling political parties in front of the Parliament Building to find out what views different parties have on the goals of the march. We are seeking party leaders to take part, and politicians who have thus far promised to attend are Chair Antti Rinne from the Social Democrats, Matti Vanhanen from the Centre Party, Vice Chair Anders Adlercreutz from the Swedish People’s Party, Vice Chair Hanna Sarkkinen from the Left Alliance, Minister of the Interior Kai Mykkänen from the National Coalition Party and the acting Chair, Maria Ohisalo, from Greens.
Starting at noon on the same day, the Student Union is organising an event called Keys of Change event in the Think Corner – come and listen to the perspectives of different disciplines on the environmental crisis and discover different paths for influencing, such as science, journalism, entrepreneurship, activism and politics! http://bit.ly/KeysofChange
I am happy to answer any questions you may have – and hope to see large numbers of you on the streets of Helsinki!