Fredericton students, residents protest for government action on climate change

Fredericton students and residents rallied in front of the New Brunswick legislature on Friday, calling for the Higgs government to act on climate change.

“I came here today because I’m worried about my future and the future of my children,” said a École Sainte-Anne High School student.

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Youth around the world are skipping school in protest of the lack of government action on the climate crisis. The protest is called Canada’s National Fridays for Future Strike, and organizers say we are in a climate emergency.

The protest is called Canada’s National Fridays for Future Strike, and organizers say we are in a climate emergency.

“It’s important to do something because there have been a lot of governments elected in Canada recently that don’t really listen to young people, and that don’t really see climate change as important issue,” said one student at the protest.

To get the government’s attention, the Global Strike for Future has organized 611 strikes in 70 countries around the world.

“They are urging government to act quickly with a sense of urgency and until they make a lot of noise like they are right now the older decision makers will ignore them,” says Lois Corbett the executive director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.

The Green Party says the provincial government needs to take meaningful action to combat climate change and transform the way we use energy.

“We need to treat this seriously. The stakes are high. It’s about the future of these kids, of these youth, and we so far have failing them,” said David Coon Leader of the New Brunswick Green Party.

This week the Green caucus put forward a new motion.

“I call on the government of New Brunswick to react to this climate emergency, and I’m calling on all MLAs to vote in favour of my motion for climate emergency when it gets debated,” said Megan Mitton, Green Party MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar.