The world is on fire, our fragile planet is imploding and as many as one million species on Earth now face extinction at a rate “unprecedented in human history,” according to a United Nations study released this week.

So, in the face of all of that, why should we still feel hopeful?

Because, finally, human civilization may be waking up from its slumber.

In a multitude of countries and in a myriad of ways, there are increasing signs that the battle to combat climate change is gaining momentum as a growing political force — particularly among young people — and this has the potential to redefine our politics forever.

The accelerating political activism over climate change is beginning to resemble the 1960s when protests about civil rights, education reform and the Vietnam War took hold in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Then, as now, the movement was led by young people who radically challenged the political and media elites.

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It is worth noting that many of these young people today who, according to polls, are most worried about climate change are part of the so-called “Generation Z.” They are people under 25, a very large population bloc and growing up as a potentially powerful political voice.

Not surprisingly, they see the future of their planet, and it is not pretty.

Their anxiety is not only fuelled by a growing scientific consensus that life on Earth is imperilled. They also shudder at the bone-chilling deadline facing the world.

Last October’s landmark report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned there needed to be “urgent and unprecedented changes” within 12 years — by 2030 — to avoid drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people.

This was followed by this week’s sweeping UN assessment compiled by hundreds of international experts. It concluded that humans are changing Earth’s natural landscapes so drastically that as many as one million plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction.

Although there have been dire predictions in the past, the issue was often dismissed as fringe or marginal by complacent politicians and journalists.

Those days, it appears, are over, and a political earthquake may be approaching.

Increasing alarm about the threat of climate change is energizing voters in the U.S. presidential campaign, influencing elections in Canada and Europe, and providing people with alternative political options beyond the traditional parties.

In the United States, the issue now ranks as the most burning issue for many voters. A CNN poll in April among Democrats indicated that climate change outranks health care, immigration and the economy as an issue they regard as “very important” for their party’s presidential nominee to support.

In Europe, the pro-environment Green party has made significant inroads in elections in Germany and the Netherlands and may make a breakthrough in European Union elections later this month. As support for traditional parties collapses, the Green party in many countries is capturing support from many centre-left, progressive voters.

That, undoubtedly, is also the hope of Canada’s Green party as it celebrates its byelection victory last Monday in the British Columbia riding of Nanaimo-Ladysmith. The Green candidate won the seat from the NDP, pushing the Liberals into fourth place.

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What is striking — and different — about this outburst of climate change activism is its international character. Not unlike the protests of the 1960s, the issue no longer is confined within borders.

Increasingly, it is seen as a global threat, requiring a global response, with a sense of urgency than can no longer be denied.

And that, ultimately, may make it the defining issue of our age.

Tony Burman, formerly head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, is a freelance contributor for the Star. He is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: , formerly head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, is a freelance contributor for the Star. He is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyBurman

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