Climate Change

Climate Crisis Strikes Again

By Beth Dalgleish, Year 11, The Ridgeway Campus

As many of us are aware, the world is being shaken by not only Coronavirus but with Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death. 

Many of you may remember the climate change protests last year centred around the Adani Coal mine located in Queensland. Multiple school strikes, donation websites, as well as petitions were sent out and undertaken in hope to halt the construction of the Carmichael mine as well as protect oceans, reduce pollution, and stop the destruction of Indigenous lands. I partook in the first school strike on 30  November 2018, where I made my way to Parliament House and met up with some of my friends from other schools in hopes to spread the word about this ongoing issue. The protest involved things like marching through the city with signs, singing and shouting chants, and the spreading of contact details in hopes to reach official figures. 

These protests also saw the rise of Greta Thunberg, a Swedish activist who is now the face of the movement. Her ability to reach a wide audience, as well as her wealth of knowledge allows the younger generation to have someone to look up to and see as a role model. Climate Change has made quite the impact on our lives, not only due to the strikes against building the Adani coal mines, but also the pollution of numerous other companies. We may not have long to fix our mistakes, 11 years as the facts prove, before our actions are irreversible, but by all playing our own part, as well as convincing others to do so, we may be able to get there.

Artwork by Simona Veljanovski, Year 11, The Ridgeway Campus

Artwork by Charlotte Nimmo, Year 8, The Ridgeway Campus

Interview with a Professional Protester

Interview with Lili Mayer, from School Strike 4 Climate, Melbourne(SS4C)

E & H: When you started protesting, did you understand how big the movement would become?

LM: No, I honestly had no idea. In the beginning, it was just a small thing for me - being fed up with the inaction on climate change and wanting to do my part in making a difference. I would never have guessed that in the space of one and a bit years that such a huge movement would have come out of this. I was honestly so blown away by the number of people who showed up to the first climate strike I attended in 2019. The amount of things that a handful of school kids can achieve is truly astounding, and it's something that motivates me every day.  

E & H: What is the most amazing thing that has come out of the movement?

LM: Everything about the movement is honestly amazing and it inspires me so much every day. Not only have we, as a movement, accomplished so much more than we could have ever dreamed for, but the people who I work alongside inspire so much and truly make it an awesome and unforgettable experience for me. The other thing I love about being part of the youth climate movement is having the opportunity to bring my ideas to life, and having the ability to create change in the world. 

E & H: How can we encourage students to be aware of their impact on the environment such as plastic bags for food, etc?

LM: In my opinion, the most important thing is education! The best thing that you can do is to spread awareness and get people to be cautious of and minimise the impact their actions have on the environment and how even their little part can make a huge difference. At my school, we have an eco-tip that one of the members of our environment group presents at assembly every week. I also think actions like having a green week (a week where you plan and organise a bunch of fun activities- like kahoots, or vegan bake sales that raise awareness of issues like plastic pollution, carbon emissions from eating meat etc.) at your school is a really interactive and fun way to achieve this. 

E & H: What is your advice for students who wish to be more vocal about global issues?

LM: For me, one of the most important parts of becoming vocal about issues I cared about was educating myself. Read up on the issues that you feel strongly about, read about it from many different viewpoints (even if you don’t necessarily agree with them- it’s important to know the opposing side of an issue as well!) and develop your own opinions about it. Then once you are firm in your own understanding of the issue, share how you feel about it! Share it on your social media, have conversations with your friends and your families! Other than this my advice would be just going for it, join SS4C or a group that works towards creating change in the area you care about! You won’t regret it! Joining SS4C has honestly been one of the best decisions of my life - it’s made me so much more informed about the climate crisis, but also all the issues that are interconnected with it (such as Environmental Racism and First Nations Justice) and I think that’s something that is super valuable.

E & H: How can students get involved if the protests are something that they are unable to attend?

LM: Protesting isn’t something that is accessible to everyone, and that is totally okay! We all have our part to play in protecting the environment and whether that be coming to protests or organising them there is always something you can be doing! Being a part of SS4C doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to protest- there are still so many different campaigns you can take part in without having to! The majority of the work that School Strike 4 Climate does is behind the scenes, so if you are not able to protest, don’t think that being part of SS4C is something that you can’t do! Alongside my work with SS4C, I also work with a group called Fridays for Future Digital which is an international group of activists that focus on digital striking and making a change on an online platform - this is a super cool way of getting involved if protesting isn’t accessible to you!

Thank you Lili!

The Environmental Impact of COVID-19

By Gianluca Drew, Year 7, The Ridgeway Campus

Although COVID-19 is an ominous cloud, there is a silver lining. COVID-19 has allowed Australia and the world to 'reset' our global view on how we treat this Earth. Since COVID-19 began at the start of this year, the rising pollution levels around Australia and the world has significantly altered. The pollution levels from car, trucks, boats and planes have dropped dramatically as people worked and attended school from home. 

Paris, Madrid, Milan and Rome’s air pollution levels dropped by over 50% according to a Forbes article. Carbon fumes were reduced by a total of 20% throughout all of Europe. In four weeks of lockdown, China’s CO2 emissions fell by 200 million tonnes and for the first time in 30 years, India has been able to see the snow-capped Himalayas from over 200 kilometres away. Even in Australia, which does not have the same degree of air quality concerns as other countries, there have been some visible improvements. 

Excitingly, as people all around the world have retreated indoors many animals have come out to play. In Istanbul, a school of dolphins was spotted swimming up the Bosporus waterway which is usually crowded with boats. In India, elephants were found grazing near a no longer busy road and the canals of Venice are now hosting an abundance of marine life. Even a kangaroo was found hopping along the streets of Adelaide.

Shutting down the economy and grounding people indoors is not a good way to achieve total climate sustainability. We need to create a world that can successfully function while using low carbon emissions. Hopefully, COVID-19 has moved us on the right track to a more sustainable future.