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Arshak Makichyan holds a shield with the inscription "climate strike", but to generate his lonely Fridays for Future protests little enthusiasm in Moscow

30 Friday on the trot, a young Russian violinist stood in the centre of Moscow in a one-person protest.

Arshak Makichyan is not picket on free elections, police, violence, or political prisoners. His big concern is The Planet and its inspiration, the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is.

"This is our future," said the 24-year-old explains, referring to the teenage fighters. He says he began to read, to see about Climate Change , after their protests, and realized the danger.

"Russia is not acting, The World 's fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and our government, without any pressure. Therefore, it is important to strike for the climate. "

But it seems that many Russians have a problem with Greta.

'A kind and very honest girl'

the moderators and commentators on the national TV-channels have about the climate-activist, tirelessly, even cruel.

Social Media users have offended your and This Week , President Vladimir Putin instructed the teenager to explain in what someone "should" as The World of adults. "I'm sure Greta is a friendly and very honest girl," he added.

There is a lot of talk of mysterious forces "controlling" her, and columns who can benefit to ask the eternal Russian question "" of your activism.

It is not possible that you simply get it.

environmental-activism, is not large in Russia, where a lot of the impression you have more important things to be angry. High prices, poverty and corruption all regularly top lists of the issues far beyond Climate Change .

Then there is the fact that the politicians often come to the economic benefits of Global Warming : the opening of the Northern sea route, for example, both the shipping and energy exploration in The Arctic .

Russia is a major exporter of fossil fuels, of course.

And the idea of warmer is unlikely to fear the people - not in a country where half the year your nostril hairs freezing when you step out on The Street .

Russians, Wake up to Climate Change ?

would Many of us do fight a lot, to help stop Climate Change , even if you self-care.

In most homes, to open to regulate a window in the winter, the heating, because radiators are switched on centrally at full speed.

Recycling does now exist in some places and it is better. But it is still haphazard at best and voluntary. As a colleague explained to me once, brilliant: "In Russia we have a lot of trees. "

But as the summer, it's a lot less of them.

forest fires swept the forests in Siberia and the far East in this year on an unprecedented scale. This, and the mass floods that have been blamed on Climate Change .

a satellite image of forest fires, shows in Siberia during the summer

The melting of permafrost, has been the topic of a more General debate.

President Putin, has Greta Thunberg proposed to consider the "reality" of the developing countries in their ambitions, when they gave a presentation on Climate Change , the concern expressed that Russia warming 2. 5 times faster than average worldwide.

Three years after the signing of the Paris climate agreement, the government has ratified all of a sudden.

Russia seems to be Waking Up too late to The Threat .

But the climate protester believes Arshak Makichyan, that the harsh reaction to Greta Thunberg proposes that The Authorities are anxious not to be pushed into action.

"I think they are afraid that the climate of growing protests here, and you can't argue with the science," the young violinist says. "Attack you, Greta, because that is easier. "

Last Friday in the Moscow protest as part of global climate-strike was small, but not insignificant

The Friday pickets are still tiny. Around 700 people were at their apex, and several dozen cities.

But, to Arshak, it's all relative.

"Half a year ago I was on My Own every week," he says. "The climate issue is here. Before, no one felt cared. So for me, a few hundred in the whole of Russia is a big deal!"

environment, russia, climate change, greta thunberg

Source of news: bbc.com