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Protest organiser defends school strike for climate change

Author
Newstalk ZB ,
Publish Date
Thu, 14 Mar 2019, 4:50PM
There will be protests around the world tomorrow as part of a global movement. (Photo / AP)

Protest organiser defends school strike for climate change

Author
Newstalk ZB ,
Publish Date
Thu, 14 Mar 2019, 4:50PM

School students across the country are gearing up to strike for climate change tomorrow. 

35 events are planned as part of the global 'Earth Strike' movement, including a march to Parliament to address MPs. 

Organisers are hoping that tens of thousands will show up at the protest.

Many are expected to skip school, and even kindergarten, to attend. 

Protest organiser Molly Doyle told Larry Williams they want Government to limit global warming in every way in its power.

"We've got the Zero Carbon Act, that will ensure we're making targets. However, we need to make businesses accountable worldwide who are creating 75 per cent of global emissions." 

Doyle hopes that those targets would ensure we are meeting Paris Agreement commitments. 

She says they're calling for governments around the world to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees. 

While she admits that our carbon footprint is not one of the worst in the world, Doyle believes we can do more to be a trailblazer. 

Doyle called out the agricultural industry, saying they need to find more sustainable ways to limit emissions. 

"We're not doing it fast enough to meet the goals." 

The protests follow a growing global movement amongst school students to urge governments to do more. It started in Sweden with teenager Greta Thornburg's solo protest against her government, which then inspired protests in Australia and across Europe. 

There will be at least 1600 events worldwide tomorrow across 105 countries as part of a global 'Earth Strike'. 

Asked if our efforts are enough to offset global emission rates, Doyle says that New Zealand is part of a global community and needs to do its part.

"We have Pacific neighbours slowly going under water. It's a global effort and we all need to work together. We don't do our part, other countries won't do theirs." 

She believes that the protest has already created progress by making people more aware of the issues. 

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