School students to strike in demand for climate action

Students from secondary schools all around the country are to strike next week over the Government’s lack of action on climate change.

The Schools Strike for Climate Action will see marches in Dublin and Cork and strike events outside local authority offices and school gates in counties from Tralee to Donegal, Meath to Galway on March 15.

The Irish events are part of a wider global movement inspired by the 16-year-old schoolgirl Greta Thunberg, who began striking outside the Swedish parliament last August. The events next Friday follow on from smaller strikes that have been taking place over the past three months in Ireland.

The students have called on the Government to address issues including:

Ensuring all fossil fuels are left in the ground and preventing any new fossil fuel infrastructure from being built;

Ensuring Ireland uses 100% renewable electricity by 2030;

Declaring a climate emergency;

Prioritising the protection of life on Earth;

Transitioning to a CO2-neutral Ireland;

Implementing all the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on climate change;

Stronger regulations on corporations that cause climate issues.

[/factbox]

Maisy Morgan-Sutton, 14, a second-year student from Cork Educate Together Secondary School, accused the Government of “doing nothing” to tackle the issue.

“The Earth isn’t dying, it’s being killed,” she said. “The Government is doing nothing and then blaming us for our personal choices.

“Sustainability isn’t a luxury. If we fail now there is no undo button. If you truly cared for your kids you’d fight for their future.”

Second-year student from North Wicklow Educate Together Molly Mercier-Redmond said the young people of today will have to deal with the inaction of today’s politicians in the future.

“If the leaders of our country are not willing to act, then we have no choice but to step up to the plate and demand action,” she said. “We have always been taught that adults know best, but the truth is, they are the ones ignoring climate scientists and destroying our future.”