These steps are called “Look Up! “, in reference to the film Don’t Look Up, a metaphor for the climate crisis which has been a great success on the Netflix platform. Less than two weeks following a new report drawn up by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and one month before the presidential election, demonstrators are calling on the candidates for the Elysee Palace on Saturday to take into account the emergency. climate change, largely absent from the electoral campaign.
The organizers of these marches announce nearly 150 mobilizations across the country, supported by more than 450 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), associations and collectives. Unions and political parties have also launched calls to participate.
“In France in 2022, the greatest threat that humanity has ever known is passed over in silence in the middle of an election period, when our future is at stake. (…) Let’s not let our rights and our future remain hostage to those who lead us to disaster. (…) With their irresponsible passivity, governments tell us that nothing more can be done. It’s wrong “write the organizers in their call to action.
The climate almost absent from speaking time in the media
“We want to bring an ecology connected to social issues”underlines Elodie Nace, spokesperson for Alternatiba and ANV-COP21, two of the movements at the origin of the marches. “The total absence of the climate in the electoral debate seems quite dramatic to us”she adds.
According to a “climate barometer” set up by the NGOs carrying out the legal action “The case of the century”, which obtained a condemnation from the State for its unfulfilled climate commitments, “Climate issues took up 1.5% of speaking time in the media”, over the last week studied – from February 28 to March 6. A figure down from the previous week, when it stood at 2.8% of speaking time.
“While the war in Ukraine has obviously focused media attention – and rightly so – it should be noted that this minimal treatment of the climate emergency was already in place before the outbreak of the conflict”point out the organizers of the Look Up! marches.
Several presidential candidates, such as the ecologist Yannick Jadot, or the socialist candidate, Anne Hidalgo, are expected in the parades on Saturday. In Paris, the departure of the procession was announced for 2 p.m., from Place de la Nation, towards Place de la République.
Another mobilization for the climate, still uncertain, is planned for March 25, this time at the call of the youth movements of Fridays For Future, within the framework of the “global strikes”, launched by the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.