Giving Compass' Take:

• Greta Thunberg encourages Fridays for the Future climate protesters to pivot to the digital world, as experts recommend that people not gather in public spaces to slow the spread of coronavirus. 

• What impact will this disruption have on the climate movement? In what other ways might coronavirus affect other causes?

• Here are five youth climate activists you should know. 

It's no longer safe for groups of people to gather in public places.

Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has achieved global fame for her Fridays for Future protests, now held weekly in cities around the world by similarly inspired youth. And wherever Thunberg herself shows up, even bigger crowds gather, such as the February rally in Bristol, England, that attracted ten thousand people.

In light of the spreading coronavirus, however, Thunberg has now told her fellow protesters (and 4.1 million Twitter followers) that the large group gatherings need to stop in order to reduce risk of contagion. She tweeted on March 11, "Now the experts urge us to avoid big public gatherings for a better chance to #flattenthecurve and slow the spreading of the coronavirus."

'Flatten the curve' refers to lowering the rate of infection to spread out the epidemic. As explained by the Centers for Disease Control, "This way the number of people who are sick at the same time does not exceed the capacity of the healthcare system." Thunberg's advice aligns with that of numerous other organizations, businesses, and governments that have also canceled group gatherings and events.

Thunberg went on in a series of tweets: "We young people are the least affected by this virus but it's essential that we act in solidarity with the most vulnerable and that we act in the best interest of our common society... So keep your numbers low but your spirits high and let's take one week at [a] time." Instead, Thunberg recommended joining in digital strikes on Fridays. People can post pictures of themselves holding signs, using the hashtags #DigitalStrike and #ClimateStrikeOnline, until the situation improves and in-person strikes can resume.

Read the full article about climate strikes by Katherine Martinko at TreeHugger.