"We Can't Sit Around": Aussie Students Are Skipping School to Combat Climate Change
Kids around Australia are taking climate change into their own hands.
In the short time 14-year-old Jean Hinchliffe has been on this planet, she's already done more than most adults to prevent it from being irreparably destroyed.
Thankfully, she's not alone.
This November, school children around the country will be taking the day (or many days) off school and heading to Parliament Houses, MP offices or anywhere they can be heard in an effort to force our politicians into taking climate change seriously. They're calling it School Strike for Climate Change.
"We can't sit around waiting until we're in power because it's gonna be too late," Jean explains to Student Edge with urgency.
"We need to make a difference and take action as soon as we possibly can."
She's not wrong.
The United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report on the impact of global warming and it is damning. The report says we have 12 years to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures or the risk of natural disasters and poverty will exponentially increase.
It's because of these alarming realities that Jean decided to join the campaign to force our politicians to open their eyes and make a more concerted effort with the Paris Agreement; a global treaty to which Australia has only committed the bare minimum, while also approving new mega coal mines like Adani's Carmichael project in Queensland.
"When we're striking from school, it's very difficult to ignore us," Jean says.
"As young people, we can't vote, we can't make a difference in that sense so we've gotta find some other way of making a change."
Some people might be sceptical about a bunch of school children protesting, wondering how it can achieve anything more than the countless rallies and protests held by adults. But history has shown us in recent years that school children can make an impact through demonstrations. In fact, they are (at least partially) responsible for the banning plastic bags in numerous states across the country.
"You don't see kids being super political or on the news or discussing politics, or they're not taken seriously that much," Jean admits.
"[But] seeing an enormous group of kids, all being so passionate and really caring and knowing what they're talking about, I think that has quite a lot of weight to it."
While Jean and her fellow campaigners in Victoria and around the country aren't old enough to even vote yet, they're conscious of how pivotal a moment in history this is.
"It's our future [and] we're going to inherit any decisions made by our politicians right now regarding climate change," Jean says.
"Even though we can't vote, it is our future."
The majority of the strikes will take place on 30 November, but Jean insists the campaign won't fizzle out after that. It's here to stay until something changes.
"We know we're not going to step down right after the strike," Jean cautions.
"It's just the beginning."
You can read more about School Strike 4 Climate Change on their website and find out where your nearest rally will be held.
Read more:
What Is Australia Doing to Combat Climate Change in a Trump World?
A Convenient Truth: You Can Help Stop Global Warming From Home
Header Image: Twitter (@StrikeClimate)
