Youth leading charge on Climate Action in Derry

Speaking at a rally they organised in the city centre on Friday, teenagers Emma Farren and Rois Hutton said that young people across the world were leading the charge to try and get decision makers to act.

Emma said: “We are the ones who are going to suffer the most from it and our children are going to get it even worse again. It’s scary to even think about it.

“Some people think young people are doing this to miss school, but we are into summer now and we are still here.”

Both Rois and Emma said they were inspired by the global movement, and acknowledged the moves led by the local Council, Zero Waste North West and others to address the environmental crisis at a local level, but said they would like to see more from those in positions to power to implement change.

“It’s their choice at the end of the day,” Rois said. “We can scream and shout as much as we want but they are the ones who can make the decisions. They have the power.”

Donegal Green Party member Vincent Treanor from Malin was in Derry with his daughters when he came across the protest.

He said it was inspiring to see the younger generations leading the charge on climate change. “I’ve been trying to tell people about climate change and issues like that since the 1980s and people are only getting it now.”

Referencing the 16-year-old Swedish student who organised the first Climate Strike in August last, he added: “As Greta Thunberg said, you should act as if the house is on fire. We really have to look for radical action. These young people are leading, they have got it in perspective, it’s their future.”