Editorial: Climate action this Friday pivotal to how our leaders will act

Whanganui Intermediate School put some banners up as their own school strike for climate effort.

Comment

For many of us grappling with climate change is like trying to solve world peace, it's too big for one person to fix, it ranks lowly behind trying to pay the weekly bills and not letting life get on top of you. Little wonder so few take it that seriously.

In recent weeks climate change has been a major topic for discussion both at public forums held throughout Whanganui, and through NZME's involvement in an international campaign entitled Covering Climate Now.

The Chronicle's own commentators and a handful of local politicians have also written at length about the need to change, adapt and lessen the severity of the climate "apocalypse" heading our way.

Amelia Jury is organising Strike 4 Climate in Whanganui on September 27.

On Friday Whanganui student Amelia Jury holds a rally in Majestic Square including a march to council and ending with a rubbish clean-up along the banks of the river. The event is open to all concerned citizens.

Amelia, and other students belonging to Strike 4 Climate NZ are frustrated that our leaders, including our local councillors, are not doing enough.

Writers to this paper's letters column have also chimed in with accusations that our leaders lack vision and are not taking climate change mitigation seriously enough. "It sometimes feels like they're not doing enough, and they scrapped the idea of declaring a climate emergency".

SEE ALSO:
Speeches, submissions and a march at Whanganui climate strike on September 27
Covering Climate Now: What can we actually do on a local and individual level?

In March Whanganui students in their hundreds gathered to send a clear message to our leaders that they want action on climate change. They after-all will be ones inheriting much of the consequences. It seems their concerns fell of deaf ears.

How many people will turn out on Friday will be pivotal to how seriously those now seeking election and re-election will take the issue.

While some things may be too big to remedy as an individual, collectively people retain a powerful voice and influence.

If we want our leaders to act more decisively, take the climate issue more seriously, people of Whanganui need to turn out in large numbers and be heard.

The science is not sketchy. The facts are there for all to see. We need to act and the earlier the better.