By Jenn Watt
A group of students and community members joined together on County Road 21 outside the high school in Haliburton on Friday afternoon demanding action on climate change as part of the Global Climate Strike.
High school students Alyssa Morissette Teo O'Malley and Fiona Higgins joined with their friends making signs for the protest on the lawn beside the athletic field. They said climate change poses an existential threat for humanity and questioned whether there would be a habitable world for upcoming generations of young people unless something was done.
The problem is real said Fiona: "It's not just stories you read online."
Alyssa Morissette left Fiona Higgins and Teo O'Malley right work on their sign for the climate change protest on Friday afternoon outside the high school.
Minden resident Kathy Vincer said she read about the protest in a newsletter from the David Suzuki Foundation.
"I thought I'd come out and show my support and join in with the students" Vincer said. She called climate change the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced.
"It might not seem as real up here [with the natural surroundings]" she said but noted there is a scientific consensus that climate change is happening.
Grade 8 student Hendrik Haase came over from J.D. Hodgson Elementary School with a sign that read: "Now is the time to act. Reduce fossil fuel emissions."
Hendrik said he thought everyone should know about climate change and that it's easy to see the effect humans are having on the planet if you pay attention. He said he hoped people would reduce their use of plastics and start using bicycles and walking more.
Grade 8 student Hendrik Haase came to the Global Climate Strike on Friday Sept. 20 along with a mix of high school students and community members demanding action on climate change. He spoke with Susan Hay left interim president of Environment Haliburton.
Although there were dozens of people out for the protest Environment Haliburton interim president Susan Hay said she would like to see even more interest.
"Climate change is an emergency and we're not facing the reality of our future" she said adding there should have been 10 times as many people out.
Change needs to happen rapidly and there still isn't the political will to make it happen she said. She thought more people needed to read up on the carbon tax and become informed on the issues before voting in the federal election this October.
