Geelong students join forces for climate action

GEELONG students left the classroom last Friday to protest the government’s climate inaction that they say is impacting their future.

Hundreds of school-aged students from the Surf Coast, Bellarine and Geelong took to Johnstone Park on March 21, demanding government action to protect the planet from further damage.

Starting at 11am the protest was one of 50 that took place around Australia under the School Strike for Climate (SS4C) movement which anticipated more than 350,000 students in attendance.

SS4C is Australia’s largest movement calling for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions, funding for secure jobs that fast-track solutions to the climate crisis as well as funding the transition to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

“The rest of the world is way ahead of us and leaving us behind,” Ms Coker said.

“We need to bring everyone along on this journey.

“We need to say to the federal government that we need to be doing so much better in this space.”

Ms Coker urged the government to join Labor in committing to a net-zero emissions target by 2050 and to only fund clean energy projects.

Drysdale Year 12 student Neo Williams organised the rally that took place in Geelong’s city centre last week following concerns over the impact climate change would have on people like him.

“Today was just an example of the community support for climate action,” he said.

“I got involved because at the end of the day it is the working people who will suffer the most.”