The time for talk and listening about climate change has passed.
That was the message from Grade 12 student Julia Sampson for some 10,000 people who chanted, cheered, yelled and sang their way through Halifax streets during a raucous rally to support climate change action.
“This is the survival of humanity we are talking about,” Sampson, a Grade 12 student and an organizer of past school climate strikes, told the crowd at its last stop, in front of City Hall.
“This isn’t about policy and opinion, it’s about action and fact. We’ve been talking about the climate crisis for 30 years. It doesn’t take 30 years. It takes 30 seconds.”
Sampson used the 30 seconds to say that “climate crisis is real, it’s backed up by science.”
“We need immediate action to avoid catastrophic damage that will lead to an uninhabitable planet for our generation and generations to come.”
That immediate action, Sampson said, needs to protect the groups most affected by the climate crisis, implement a just transition to a green economy, enshrine in law the right to a healthy environment, conserve biodiversity and lower carbon emissions by 75 per cent of 2005 levels by 2030.
“We have the solutions so why aren’t we using them?” Sampson said, turning to government and the adult population. “Because you’re putting profit over planet. This is our only home. We can’t just give up and let it happen. You can’t give up on us but you have. That is why I am doing this because I am not giving up on us. I am going to keep striking until you give in to us.”
A fired-up Sampson said the generations that came before her have robbed her of a future.
“I’m tired of inaction and I’m tired of you telling me I give you hope when I’m telling you that you messed up. I’m tired of getting mad whenever I think of growing old with someone because I realize I won’t. I’m tired of getting sad whenever I see a baby because I know I won’t be able to raise one. I’m not asking you, I’m demanding you to take action.”
The accusation of adult apathy toward climate change wasn’t lost on others who took the microphone or marched in the more than two-hour rally that started at 11 a.m., in Victoria Park, directly across South Park Street from the toppled crane that was likely a victim of climate change.
“I certainly believe that the younger people have motivated us of a certain generation to be more vocal about our concerns,” said Janet Stevenson of Halifax, leaning on her bicycle in Victoria Park along with fellow retiree Trevor Brumwell.
“The planet doesn’t have a second chance and certainly our generation has a lot to account for.”
Brumwell said it’s time for seniors, “people in our position, retired seniors who have the good life,” to take responsibility for the shape the planet is in.
“There are a lot of people glad to see seniors here today supporting the youth because they are the ones that are going to be living through it,” he said. “We may not be here for the worst of it but they will be.”
Eleanor Wynn, 47, a climate activist with Extinction Rebellion, said it’s unfair to burden youth with the mistakes and indifference of older generations.
"I’m tired of inaction and I’m tired of you telling me I give you hope when I’m telling you that you messed up. I’m tired of getting mad whenever I think of growing old with someone because I realize I won’t."
- Grade 12 student Julia Sampson
“One of the things that frustrates me is that people say the youth will save it, thank goodness for the youth, they’ll fix everything,” Wynn said. “That’s not right. It’s not their job to fix this. Adults need to step up and take action and demand more from government.”
Wynn said the huge turnout hints at a more responsible response to climate change.
“I am very relieved that this many people care, but I am also very frustrated that we have to do this at all,” she said. “ We have a huge climate emergency here, we are literally talking about life or death for the next generations. We shouldn’t have to demand this of our government and come out in these numbers. They should be doing it already.”
Later at City Hall, Wynn said she and student leaders met with Nova Scotia Power and provincial government ministers about the climate crisis and were told that government and the utility were already doing a great job and to come back with more people to demand action if they wanted a switch to more renewable energy sources.
“Well, Nova Scotia Power, provincial government, here we are,” Wynn said to a deafening cheer from the crowd.
Wynn said NSP burns coal as its main source of electricity and the province and the utility plan to keep burning coal for the next 20 years, actions that prompted a massive rally die-in on the street in front of NSP headquarters.
“The planet is dying and it’s on its way to becoming uninhabitable once we pass multiple tipping points of runaway climate change,” Wynn said. “The youth are afraid for their lives. Nova Scotia Power is making huge profits and shrugging their shoulders. The province of Nova Scotia is not leading the way in response to the climate crisis like they have been telling you.”
The Halifax rally was the largest in the province but events were held in Sydney, Middleton, at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, in Pictou County, at Carmichael Park in New Glasgow and Civic Square in Truro. The Halifax rally began with a Mi’kmaq honour song at the park.
Darlene Gilbert and her daughter, Kyra, bemoaned government permission of the Alton Gas project and the ongoing discussion about Northern Pulp, the Boat Harbour environmental mess and the proposed new mill effluent treatment plant and its effluent pipe potentially dumping into the rich Northumberland Strait fishing grounds.
“People say (Justin) Trudeau is better than (Andrew) Scheer, but both of these parties are leading us past the tipping point fast,” Darlene Gilbert said. “We need to support our frontlines because the grandmothers, the water protectors have drawn a line in the sand. We need dramatic and sudden change and it starts with us seeing through their false promises and hope.”
