Here's everything you need to know about today's historic worldwide climate strikes

From where they are to why people are striking...

From where they are to why people are striking...

You would have to be living under a rock not to have heard about the climate strike today, with the movement trending on all social media platforms and literally taking over cities across the world in force.

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But what are the climate strikes?

Today marks the climate strikes, a worldwide protest, that was started by a group of school children.

The climate strikes saw students boycott school in order to march for action over climate change. But today’s march - the latest in a series spearheaded by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg - is said to be the largest so far, with hundreds of cities across the world (an estimated 150 countries took part) taking to the streets.

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Not only this, but the climate strikes far exceeded expectations, with record numbers joining the schoolchildren on the streets.

From Australia and Indonesia to Sweden and Germany, people came out in force all over the world, holding banners and calling out chants against climate change.

‘It’s quite right that students and today's younger generation should have serious concerns about the climate crisis and its effect on the environment,’ the Dalai Lama tweeted. ‘They are being very realistic about the future. They see we need to listen to scientists. We should encourage them.’

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‘We are on school strike for the climate’, Greta Thunberg announced in a video released to her Twitter, before encouraging people to spend their Fridays waiting outside parliament to prompt action.

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‘Some people say we should be in school instead’, she continued. ‘But why should we be studying for a future that soon will be no more and when no one is doing anything whatsoever to save that future?’

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(Image credit: AFP/Getty Images)

Whereabouts in the world are people tweeting from about the climate strike?

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What a historic moment!

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.