Local students get involved in climate strike

The centre of Cavan town was the setting for a protest that hopes to instigate action altering people's attitude to climate change. Fridays for Future was held as part of 'Green Schools Climate Action Week' and 'Extinction Rebellion Week'.

 

Hosted by the students and parents of 'Fridays For Future Cavan' the gathering saw children, teenagers, adults and the elderly come together for “chanting and chatting” in an effort to raise awareness of the most significant issue facing man in the 21st Century.

 

The event was a follow up to the largest climate protest in history at the end of September when students across the globe made their voices heard about the issue. That climate strikes mobilise an estimate four million people to take part in 6,000 events held across 185 countries.

 

Last Friday's event was staged on the Market Square where the young people of the county called on adults to take charge of the global climate emergency. Pupil's from schools in the county took to the Cavan streets to raise awareness of the environmental crisis.

 

The organisers Facebook Page said: “We are a youth group set up by students in Cavan protesting for climate action! What do we want? Climate Action! When do we want it? Now!”

They said: “Talk about climate change and global warming is all well and good, but it only has meaning if people take responsibility. That was one of the reasons us students gathered outside the courthouse at two o’clock on Friday, September 20 and 27 during Global Climate Week.”

Speaking about the last Cavan protest Jessica Taaffe, a sixth year pupil at Loreto College, said action is vital for the planet's future: “In a demonstration raising awareness of the action that needs to be taken against our destructive behaviour, we hope to spark conversations that need to be had. Life cannot simply ‘carry on’ when our everyday habits are destroying the only planet we have.”

 

This is just only one step: “These conversations also need to happen at home, not just in major towns and cities across the world. Everyone who joined us had a courageous spirit, a desire for change, and a generous pinch of ‘not taking yourself too seriously’ in them to stand outside, chanting and holding signs all while our neighbours and friends drove past - some intrigued, others disinterested. But I am so glad it happened.”