20,000+ Qld students & workers join global #ClimateStrike, demanding urgent action on climate crisis
Thousands of Queenslanders will join millions worldwide to demand no new fossil fuels, 100% renewables, funding for just transitions & jobs.
Today, more than 20,000 Queensland school students and workers are expected to strike at more than 10 events across the Sunshine State from Cairns to the Gold Coast.
The Queenslanders join millions worldwide to down pens and tools as part of the world’s largest #climatestrike, calling for all governments to commit to:
- No new coal, oil and gas projects, including the Adani mine;
- 100% renewable energy generation and exports by 2030; &
- funds for a just transition and job creation for all fossil-fuel industry workers and communities.
Here’s what Queensland students have to say:
Cairns student Lulu Arraiza (Year 12, Babinda State School) said: “Cairns is so dependent on the tourism industry, but you can’t sell a place wrecked by cyclones, fires, flooding and heatwaves. Our politicians need to start listening, because I refuse to let them continue to silence our concerns.”
Townsville student Ella Evans (Year 12 at St Patrick’s College) said: “As an Indigenous woman, I have grown up with a deep connection and respect for the earth; my culture only makes me more passionate and more determined to fight to preserve it.”
Mackay student Paige Hardy (senior student, Pioneer State School) said: “This year’s fires in the Arctic and southern Queensland show us that the fuse on the climate bomb has been lit. Without urgent action the climate will blow up in our face. We need the government to act now to transition to renewable energy to give my generation a chance at a liveable future.”
Bundaberg student Hurley Gatley (St Luke’s Anglican School) said: “As a young person in Bundaberg I think climate change is the biggest challenge facing this area. We are seeing the impacts through the work I do with hatchling marine loggerhead turtles, a population already at risk. That’s why I’m striking to demand action is taken to stop the burning of fossil fuels that are driving climate change.”
Sunshine Coast student Kate Monroe (Pacific Lutheran College) said: “I’m striking for climate because I’m scared. I’m afraid of what the future will hold for us if we don’t make the change to renewable energy sources now. Being able to strike means I can make a difference. It helps me feel more in control of my future to fight the fear that me and other kids all around the world have.”
Brisbane student Megan Gardner (Kenmore State High School) said: “I’m striking because Australia is facing a serious climate leadership deficit. To be growing up in a world where the environment is breaking down is utterly terrifying. This is a global crisis, which I, along with other Australian youth, refuse to ignore. We will be the solution, not the problem.”
Inspired by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, teenagers in regional Victoria kicked off the school strike movement in Australia last October, with 20,000 students striking nationally in November and then 150,000 in March. An even larger attendance is expected on September 20 as concern about the climate crisis grows.
For more information: www.schoolstrike4climate.com
