How to Get Involved in the Climate Protests on September 20-27 While Traveling

By: Naomi Matlow

We are joining the climate protest at Unsettled because we have seen first-hand how much suffering and destruction the climate crisis has caused. At Unsettled we are always making small efforts to do our part even if that is not shared in our marketing on a daily basis.

For example, in the Amazon, our trips are nearly carbon neutral. We eat as much local food as we can from the Amazonia region. We also immerse ourselves in the importance of the ecosystem and bring that experiential knowledge back to all corners of the world. 

In Cape Town and Peru, not only do we follow water restrictions, but as a community, we make it a discussion point to reflect on the limited resources we have.

Both the British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas, where we have and soon will embark on sailing adventures, have been hit by category 5 hurricanes recently, and hurricanes are unfortunately becoming more frequent due to the climate crisis. Our Unsettled Sailing: The Exumas, Bahamas trip will be our first adventure to have a global impact component. After our week of sailing, we will volunteer and contribute to the community on the ground. 

Unsettled co-founder Michael Youngblood reflects on the impact climate change has had, “Since day one at Unsettled, we’ve seen first-hand how climate change is both global and present in all of our locations. We have experienced how it affects not only our business but, more importantly, we see how it impacts the people and communities where we travel. When we protest at Unsettled this Friday, we will be protesting in support of the people, environment, communities where we travel.”

The week of September 20-27 will witness global climate strikes to the likes which the world has never seen. Started by the incredibly inspiring, 16-year-old Swedish student Greta Thunberg, students will be walking out of their classrooms on Fridays for Future to protest the lack of governmental action on today’s climate crisis. Our youth are striking because, “why study for a future, which may not be there?” 

Millions of people around the world will walk out of their schools and workplaces and stand up to the fossil fuel industry, demand an end to all new coal, oil, and gas projects, and demand a future for all. 

We recently caught up with Hoda Baraka, Chief Communications Officer for the global climate change campaigning organization 350.org and recent Unsettled: Tokyo alum:

“This is a historic moment in the fight to avoid the worse case scenarios of the climate crisis. We are seeing a truly global, intergenerational, and multiracial movement coming together to make our stand for our right to transformative climate action that preserves a sustainable, healthy, and livable future for all. It is the time for all of us to come together to demand that real climate leaders at all levels, hold fossil fuel companies accountable for decades of negligence and damage. The world is ready for the change we need to protect people and the planet in what is most definitely the biggest threat humanity has ever faced and this growing movement is a testament to the possibilities at hand.”

Want a fossil-free world and a future for the next generation? Find out where there is a climate strike near you or learn how to start your own! 

If you are living Unsettled this September in Medellin and Bali here is where your local protests are taking place:

Climate Strike in Medellín, Colombia & Climate Strike in Bali

We asked Hoda: How could someone join the protest movement from the road if there is no organized event where they are?

Hoda: The Global Climate Strikes taking place Sep 20-27 will see millions of people worldwide coming together to demand real, immediate climate action, but the biggest climate mobilization in history simply won’t be enough if it ends this week and people just go home afterwards. It is imperative to direct this energy for the longer term. 

There are countless of ongoing campaigns to join or start in your community. 

One example is looking at how how the finance industry is fueling the fire of global warming: our banks, asset-managers, and insurers, are all essential players in the ongoing expansion of the fossil fuel industry. But these financial players also have options and incentives to act swiftly and to accelerate the shift away from coal, oil, and gas.

These financial institutions are everywhere – making it possible to start or join campaigns to pressure them to enact the change the world needs.

If you’d like to join, you can sign up here to be a part of the campaign taking the money out of the fossil fuel industry before it’s too late. 

The global voice of 100 million people highlights the importance of today’s climate movement and this universal call to action. That is why we are joining the digital protest. We are “going green” this Friday for a Digital #ClimateStrike.

If not you, then who? If not now, then when?