The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
What protesters hope to achieve by holding rallies around world
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world joined demonstrations calling for action to tackle climate change yesterday.
Rallies took place in Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa.
There were more than 200 events across the UK alone, but what do those behind them hope to achieve?
The UK Student Climate Network is calling for specific action from British politicians.
That includes declaring a climate emergency, which Parliament has done since the last major UK schools strike in March, and implementing a “Green New Deal” to achieve climate justice.
Such a move would lead to lower household bills, better housing and low- or zero-carbon infrastructure and industry, the youngsters argue.
They also want to see the education curriculum reformed to address the ecological crisis as a priority, and for the government to communicate the severity of the issue to the public.
Their final demands are for the government to incorporate youth views into policy making and bring the voting age down to 16 in recognition that they have the biggest stake in the future – which has been backed by opposition parties and a recent report on fairness for younger generations.
The climate strike movement has been inspired by teenage activist Greta Thunberg’s weekly protests on Fridays outside the Swedish parliament.
Miss Thunberg has warned political and business leaders that “our house is on fire” and they need to act like it is, and has urged them to listen to the scientists on climate change.