Big Oil's Profits Have Stolen Our Future

Children's education and prospects are suffering due to extreme heat driven by climate change, and fossil fuel giants are to blame.

Life has pivotal moments that shape our future: choosing a partner, becoming a parent, buying a home. Before all these come the critical final exams in the last years of Greek Lykeio (senior high school), held in June. These exams are crucial for determining future opportunities and success.

This year's exams, particularly from June 11-13, were unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. Greece experienced unprecedented heat, with temperatures soaring to 43°C. This extreme heat created unbearable conditions for students during their exams.

Focusing and breathing were difficult, oral exams were challenging with dry mouths, handwriting was hindered by the stifling heat, and the human body struggled to endure such temperatures. These were far from ideal conditions for important exams.

This heatwave was not just bad luck. It resulted from poor decisions. Studies link Greece's extreme heat and wildfires to climate change. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) attributes the primary cause of rising temperatures to the burning of fossil fuels.

This year's heatwave not only broke records but also arrived earlier than usual. Schools, which close for three months during the summer heat, typically don't need extensive air conditioning; most public schools rely on ceiling fans. The climate crisis, however, has become an unfair obstacle, affecting our entire generation globally.

While we strive to achieve life's precious moments, we cannot ignore how this scorching June impacted our grades and future. This might be the year that fossil fuel companies, prioritizing their profits, stole our chance to build a bright future.

Climate Chaos Hits Children

What we missed in Greece is minor compared to global losses. Millions are displaced by floods in Bangladesh, and wildfires and storms claim lives from the Caribbean to China and Canada. Children are the most affected, with a global decline in education provision. A quarter of a billion children miss out on schooling, and extreme heat waves, fueled by fossil fuel companies, threaten our generation's future.

The climate crisis is no longer a distant threat; it is a harsh reality affecting our daily lives. Despite this, governments remain reliant on fossil fuels, and oil and gas companies continue to profit immensely, averaging $3 billion a day over the last 50 years.

Major oil and gas companies like Shell, TotalEnergies, and ENI have known about climate change for decades. Despite their record profits, they failed to address the problem, investing instead in greenwashing and denial rather than genuine solutions.

Even our grandparents were aware of the environmental impact of fossil fuels, as reflected in the lyrics of Greek singer Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam): "You roll on roads… pumping petrol gas… But they just go on and on and it seems that you can't get off." It was clear and undeniable.

Now, it's time to get off the fossil fuel wagon. Our generation must raise awareness of climate chaos and mobilize support for climate and environmental action. We must pursue alternatives and hold historical polluters accountable for the future they've taken from us.