In its peacefulness and civility, it may have been the most Swiss protest ever. At a classical music concert in the picturesque city of Lucerne in September, two climate activists glued themselves to the stage. The orchestra’s performance wheezed to a halt, much to the audience’s chagrin.
After a brief negotiation, conductor Vladimir Jurowski announced a truce: The young protestors would be allowed to make their case, everyone in the audience would listen, and the concert would continue. What the protesters demanded wasn’t an end to oil exploration, or that everyone stop flying or driving, or that the old guard step down for having let the planet burn. Instead, they called for something else entirely: that all Swiss homes be renovated by 2030 so they could stay cool in summer, and warm in winter—but while using much less energy.
