Climate change series hears about what’s at stake for youth

Jeff Green | Mar 03, 2021

Pressure from youth as climate change series gets ready to look at a Green new deal

Isi Ferguson, a student at Kingston Secondary School, was the latest presenter in the winter “Changing the tide on Climate” Zoom seminar series from 350Kingston.org.

Ferguson talked about some of the actions that two of the groups she is active with, Fridays for Future and the Sweetgrass Circle, have been able to organise during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Followers of the “Changing the Tide” series have heard, mainly from a group of academics and professionals, about issues such as climate impacts on the environment, medical health, waste management and more. This speaker not only brought a youth perspective but also an overtly political perspective to the ongoing conversation about the impacts of climate change.

She talked first about the fact that her generation is the first one that is growing up with a new set of questions to consider.

“We are asked 'what is your dream job' just like generations before us were asked, but in reality our future isn't even guaranteed.”

She also said that her generation does not have the ability that older people have, to change things by making decisions.

“We don't have pension plans, but working adults do. 10 large pension funds in Canada invest 1.8 trillion dollars, and we are asking people who invest in those funds to invest their money in climate safety.

She also said that when dealing with politicians, youth activists are insisting that governments pass legislation aimed at bringing Canada within the greenhouse gas emission targets it has agreed to at climate change conferences in the past. But they are wary that even if legislation is passed, it might not be strong enough.

“We believe there should be no way to get around the rules that are needed for us to meet our targets, there needs to be no more wiggle room.”

While COVID-19 has made it more difficult for Isi Ferguson and the groups that she works with to meet and organise events, they have remained active.

A socially distanced Fridays for the Future action is being planned for Kingston Secondary School and perhaps other schools in the Limestone Board for March 19. The Kingston Fridays for the Future group have just completed and posted a video on Youtube.

The video presents a stark and powerful message about the world, that the generation in control, is about to condemn the next generation of adults, to live in.

It points out that since the Paris Climate Change accord was signed, in 2015, Canada's five big banks have collectively financed over $640 billion in fossil fuel projects.

The video concludes by saying that viewers “have to listen” because of what is at stake.

One of the unifying features of the climate change speakers series has been a perspective concerning the underlying cause of the climate emergency, the world is now collectively facing, an economy that is based on unlimited growth, fueled by an ever increasing demand for more goods and services.

The next presentation in the series deals with that issue directly. It is The Green New Deal with Dr. Kyla Tienhaara.

For further information go 350Kingston.org

https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=X5ynfAtt41I&feature=emb_title