Pittsburgh students go on strike to join an international day of climate action
Kristina Marusic/EHN

Pittsburgh students go on strike to join an international day of climate action

PITTSBURGH—More than a hundred Pittsburgh-area students went on strike today, skipping school to participate in an international day of protests to demand action on climate change.


The students, who ranged in age from preschool to college, lined the steps of City Hall holding signs bearing messages like, "The oceans are rising and so we," "Green new deal now," and "There is no planet B."

Pittsburgh student climate strikeKristina Marusic/EHN

Students were joined by supportive adults—some parents, caretakers and grandparents, and some environmental activists—but children and teens led the event, bringing young speakers to the center of the group one by one, and passing around the bullhorn to take turns leading chants between speeches.

The event was one of thousands of sister events held around the world today in cities from Sydney, Seoul, and Kiev to Paris, Berlin and New York. The student strike in Philadelphia took place at the same time as the Pittsburgh event.

"When I realized there wasn't a strike planned for Pittsburgh today, I realized I had to do something about it," 16-year-old Ryleigh Murphy, a high school sophomore who coordinated the strike, told EHN. "So I started emailing schools and I emailed the mayor, who gave me his support, and it turned out so much bigger than I thought it was going to be."

Pittsburgh student strike for climate actionwww.youtube.com

The students expressed anger at older generations for not taking better care of the planet, expressed their fears about the fate of humanity if climate change continues unchecked, and urged politicians to take more urgent action.

"We only have 11 years left to transformatively change the ways we use energy before Earth faces catastrophic, irreversible consequences," Paul Kim, a 17-year-old student from Pittsburgh's Taylor Allderdice High School, told EHN. "Seeing that our elected officials aren't taking action, and that fossil fuel companies have long known about this, but haven't taken any action to stop it, is what brought me here today."

Here's what the student strike looked and sounded like in Pittsburgh:

Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN

Student strike for climate action in Pittsburghyoutu.be


Pittsburgh student strike for climate actionwww.youtube.com

Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN

Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN



Pittsburgh student strike for climate actionyoutu.be


Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN

Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN

Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN

Student strike for climate action in Pittsburghyoutu.be


Student strike for climate action in PittsburghKristina Marusic/EHN


Student strike for climate action in Pittsburghyoutu.be

Demonstrators hold signs supporting science on a rainy day, with the US Capitol building in background.
Credit: Adam Fagen/Flickr

Trump’s science attacks trigger urgent warning from leading researchers

In an extraordinary move, nearly 2,000 top U.S. scientists are sounding the alarm about what they say is a deliberate campaign to dismantle science under the Trump administration.

Jessica Glenza reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
Aerial view of rows of solar panels lined up on a green field.

Trump administration considers major cuts to clean energy programs, drawing bipartisan pushback

Lawmakers from both parties are pressing the U.S. Department of Energy to preserve billions in clean energy investments after draft lists of possible project cuts began circulating on Capitol Hill.

James Bikales, Josh Siegel, Kelsey Tamborrino and Ben Lefebvre report for POLITICO.

Keep reading...Show less
Closeup of the FEMA webpage.

FEMA freezes $10 billion in disaster aid for nonprofits amid immigration review

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has halted $10 billion in disaster aid for nonprofits while reviewing whether the funds comply with President Trump’s executive order targeting undocumented migrants.

Thomas Frank reports for E&E News.

Keep reading...Show less
Power station smokestacks with pollution billowing from the top.

Zeldin shifts EPA toward deregulation and fossil fuel industry allies

Lee Zeldin, once a climate-conscious Republican from New York, is now steering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to roll back regulations, slash staff, and align with Trump and Elon Musk’s deregulatory vision.

Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
Person sitting with hands clasped over open bible.

Faith leaders challenge EPA's climate stance amid deregulatory push

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin’s remarks dismissing climate action as “religion” have sparked backlash from Jewish and Christian leaders, who argue for stronger environmental protections rooted in faith-based values.

James Bruggers reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
Young girl leaning on wall during daytime.

Climate disasters disrupt education for Black children, deepening inequities

Black students in the U.S. face growing educational setbacks as climate-driven disasters like wildfires and hurricanes destroy schools, displace families, and exacerbate systemic inequalities.

Adam Mahoney reports for Capital B News.

Keep reading...Show less
A steel bridge over a dry rocky gully with scrubby trees in foreground.

New Mexico moves to protect workers from extreme heat with proposed rules

Officials in New Mexico are advancing new workplace safety rules that would require employers to protect workers from heat-related illnesses as temperatures continue to rise.

Danielle Prokop reports for Source New Mexico.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.