The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Young people demand leaders take action on global climate change
Students and pupils in St Andrews are calling world leaders to take action ahead of the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow.
Marching through the town, the crowd of around 1,000 mainly young people lined up on the beach after speeches from Willie Rennie and others, then stood in silence while bagpipes played.
St Leonards pupil Keyuri Ade said: “It’s a shame that we have to do this again – how many times are we going to have to do this?”
Heather Fortune became aware of the climate crisis at school and the Friday school strikes, which gained worldwide attention thanks to Greta Thunberg.
“That was when it really hit me that we needed to do something now,” she said.
The 19-year-old has recently cut down on meat consumption and fashion purchases and helps run an eco-anxiety cafe in St Andrews.
Monty Jones was destined to study at St Andrews.
His English father and American mother met in the town, and his grandfather studied medicine there.
The 21-year old, who grew up in New Hampshire, is in his fourth year of a chemistry course at St Andrews University.
Monty’s family built a sustainable home about 12 years ago, running on geothermal energy.
Other actions Monty takes is being vegetarian and getting a full life out of clothes before buying new outfits.
“I don’t stop wearing something until there are visible holes in it.”
He hopes to make his voice known at COP26 and join a protest in Glasgow.
Sofie Brogger grew up on a farm in Denmark and is in her second year at the university, where she studies sustainable development and international relations.
The 22-year old said: “I very distinctly remember the biology class when we were introduced to the concept of sustainability and it very much resonated with me because I come from a farming background.
“I had some thoughts around how farming convention actually influences nature and how much of a negative impact we have.”
However, differing views have caused some friction with her family.
“They do conventional farming – so monoculture, big fields, tractors, pesticides.
“I am really interested in regenerative farming – so permaculture and forest gardens. When you try to be part of the ecosystem and learn from nature rather than fight against nature when you grow.”
One of the event’s key organisers, Lea Weimann recently graduated from St Andrews University and is now studying for an LLM in global environment and climate change law at Edinburgh University.
The 23-year old is originally from the Bavaria region of Germany and studied sustainable development, and spent her teenage years in Cape Town, South Africa, during a drought, which brought home to her the effects a changing environment can have.
During her time in St Andrews organising a climate strike, Lea selfpublished a book of poems, Dear Earth.
She said: “I was reflecting and writing a lot about what is happening in the world, what kind of change do we need. Somehow that ended up in poetry form.”
Lea questions whether COP26 is the most effective means to see change, given the previous 25 global summits have seen little action.
Nevertheless, she has a word of warning for world leaders ahead of the Glasgow event.
“We will be watching.”