‘We can’t be ignored any longer.’ Young climate activists fighting to have their voices heard ahead of election – by Megan Ogilvie (Toronto Star – September 23, 2019)

https://www.thestar.com/

It began with one teenage girl skipping school on a Friday to push her government to do something about climate change. Thirteen months after Greta Thunberg sat outside the Swedish Parliament, that small act of protest has erupted into the biggest climate demonstration in history and inspired a generation of young people to fight for a healthy planet.

Friday’s global climate strike saw more than a million people flood the streets in more than 150 countries around the world, including 250,000 in New York City, where Thunberg addressed cheering crowds and demanded global leaders act on the climate crisis.

“It felt like history in the making; it we felt like we were setting the tone for what the future holds,” said Caroline Merner, a 24-year-old climate activist from Vancouver who was among those marching in Manhattan. “The momentum young people have is incredible.”

In Canada, young activists will build on that energy during a week of climate action that will culminate on Friday in a series of youth-led strikes across the country. More than 100 events are planned that day, including rallies in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, where Thunberg will be in attendance.

Canadian youth say their voices are a vital addition to global calls for bold climate policies. Many have already witnessed the effects of climate change — Canada is warming faster than the world average, and the Arctic three times as fast.

For the rest of this article: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/09/22/we-cant-be-ignored-any-longer-young-climate-activists-fighting-to-have-their-voices-heard-ahead-of-election.html