‘There is no planet B,’ youth warn
Students protest climate change inaction as part of global initiative
REGINA Sydney Chadwick texted her friend Jessi Lovelace with the question, “Do you want to be involved in something that could change the world?” Lovelace’s reply was, “Heck yes.” In front of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina on Friday morning, at least 200 other people agreed with them during the student climate strike — which took place across the planet on Friday.
Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg inspired the movement; she has protested climate inaction since August.
“We started telling our friends about it and it’s just spread like wildfire, obviously, as you can see,” said Lovelace, a 17-year-old who attends Greenall High School in Balgonie.
While Lovelace and Chadwick were co-ordinating, Regina organization EnviroCollective also organized a strike, with everyone converging in one event at the Legislative Building.
“What we want to see happen is for … all parties to start making science-based policies that will help prevent climate change and keep us from that 1.5-degrees (Celsius warming) level, so that we don’t go past the point of no return,” said Chadwick, a 17-year-old student from Lumsden High School.
“We want to see the government take responsibility for this.”
Students attended the rally from at least 20 schools in Regina. Events were also held in Saskatoon.
EnviroCollective counted 350 attending the Regina strike.
Many carried signs with messages like, “O Canada we stand on guard for trees,” “Scott Moe, say no to climate change,” and “I’ve seen smarter cabinets at Ikea.”
More than a dozen young people took the microphone.
“Around our city, you can see government ads that say they are standing up for Saskatchewan by fighting climate action. Our government is actually standing against us and our future,” a 16-year-old girl from Miller High School said.
The province disagrees with the federal carbon tax and has proposed its own Prairie Resilience Plan, which covers a narrower range of emissions and does not include a levy on fuels like diesel and gasoline.
“There is no Planet B. We’re living on this one like we have another one to go to,” added a Grade 7 girl from Lakeview School.
A 16-year-old girl from Sheldon-Williams said, to rousing cheers, “I am here today missing school because what’s the point of studying for a future that we won’t even have if we don’t make a change right now?”
“I don’t like missing school, but it wasn’t a big decision because of how important this issue is,” Chadwick agreed.
Chadwick and Lovelace both support a carbon tax, even though “it’s controversial here,” Lovelace said.
“It helps bring up the price of fossil fuels and will encourage those big companies to switch to more energy-efficient power sources that are better for the environment,” Chadwick said.
Anticipating comments from naysayers, Chadwick and Lovelace offered the following in self-defence:
“If you just listen to the kids today, we know, we are educated, we are learning about this,” Chadwick said. “Honestly, I know more youth who are educated about climate change than adults …”
Further, they are speaking for themselves.
“Nobody’s telling me to say anything,” Chadwick said. “This is what we believe needs to happen to the world. And another thing I’d like to say is, there are no jobs and no economy on a dead planet.”
They are optimistic the momentum of this event won’t fizzle out. Some students plan to strike every Friday, as Thunberg does in Sweden.
Future events include a national strike on May 3 and Earth Strike in September.
NDP MLA and environment critic Yens Pedersen, who attended the event with his daughter, Erika, agreed with the students’ call to action.
“I’m 45, I’m almost 46, and we’ve been talking about climate change my entire life,” Pedersen told the crowd.
“It’s why I got into politics.” Elder Lillian Piapot offered a prayer to begin the rally.
“It’s just so awesome to see so many people,” she said. “I’m worried about my … great-grandchildren, what kind of world they’re going to live in after I’m gone.”
NDP MLAs Trent Wotherspoon and Carla Beck also were in attendance.
If any Saskatchewan Party MLAs were present, they did not take the stage.
Twin sisters Teal and Rowan Clarke, who are in Grade 1 at Edenwold School, offered “some ways to stop climate change.”
They shared 17 tips, at an individual level, including: “Don’t waste electricity,” “Buy less,”
“Use more stuff for longer,” “Put solar panels on your house,” “Don’t take very many airplane trips,”
“Plant trees,”
“Choose hybrid vehicles,” “Turn off the lights when you leave the room,” and,
“Use less water.”
“If we all do our part, we will make a difference, not only for animals, but it’s also for us, too,” Teal Clarke said. “Again, we need to stop climate change now. Fight your part, thanks.”