SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Irish schools students during the Global School Strike for Climate Action march from St. Stephen's Green to Leinster House, demanding an immediate action on climate change, on Friday, March 15, 2019, in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Irish Youth Activists at First-Ever Climate Assembly Implore Govt to Listen to Science
Lawmakers were told they must "work on our behalf to ensure that we—and you—have a future."
Nov 14, 2019
Over 150 young people in Ireland on Friday shamed lawmakers and demanded sufficient action to address the climate crisis as they took part in a first of its kind event in the lower house of the parliament.
"The kids are united... behind the science that proves that we're currently in the fast lane, propelling ourselves toward catastrophic climate breakdown. And unless we do something radical now, we will stay in that fast lane until it is too late to move off it," 17-year -old Conal O'Boyle of Donegal said at the Dail as part of the Youth Assembly on Climate Action.
\u201cConal O'Boyle, who is 17 years-old from Co.Donegal giving the introduction to the #YouthAssemblyOnClimate, kicking off an impressive morning for the delegates and their arguments. He also spoke on behalf of the Power group. @oboyleconal @OireachtasNews #RT\u00c9onClimate\u201d— RT\u00c9 news2day (@RT\u00c9 news2day) 1573816254
The climate assembly was convened by national public broadcaster RTE and the Dail. It included participants ranging from 10-17 years old representing the county's 26 counties. With 157 young climate activists present, their number matched that of the lawmakers, or TDs, as they're known.
The Irish Times reported:
The symbolic gathering marked a shift "from the streets to the seats"; from unprecedented protests across Ireland over the past year--prompted by the FridaysForFuture movement and school strikers--o their representatives taking over the powerhouse of Irish democracy for a day.
The event featured speeches from a number of selected youths as well as workshop sessions in which participants formulated recommendations for the government.
Supporters were also gathered outside the building echoing the demand for climate action:
\u201cOff to a good start #RTEYouthAssembly \n\nThese kids mean business. \n\n#Climatejusticenow\u201d— \ud83c\udf0dLorna Gold - #LaudatoSi Film \ud83c\udf0f (@\ud83c\udf0dLorna Gold - #LaudatoSi Film \ud83c\udf0f) 1573811481
The assembly was presided over by house chair Sean O Fearghail, who said he admired the young activists "enormously" but said that "generating fear, worry, and upset will generate headlines," and suggested the youth instead "leave fear at the door and enter your discussions with optimism and realism."
The young activists, some of whose speeches were amplified on social media by RTE, spoke with clarity about the severity of the climate and ecological crises and need to make making fundamental, structural changes in sectors including agriculture and energy.
\u201cAlma Victoria Krause, who is 16-years-old from Cork, speaking in the D\u00e1il this morning on behalf of the Food and Farming group for the #YouthAssemblyOnClimate #RT\u00c9onClimate\u201d— RT\u00c9 news2day (@RT\u00c9 news2day) 1573816648
\u201cKatelyn Culleton, who is 11 years old from Galway, speaking at the #YouthAssemblyOnClimate on behalf of the Environment group. She is the youngest key speaker of this morning's session. #RT\u00c9onClimate\u201d— RT\u00c9 news2day (@RT\u00c9 news2day) 1573816744
The delegates came up with a list of 10 recommendations for the government to take. The list includes Ireland banning "the importation of fracked gas" and investing "solely in renewables." It also calls for the country "to outlaw acts of ecocide--being the widespread and systematic loss of ecosystems, including climate and cultural damage."
"We call on you to listen to the science, to take on board our recommendations, and to work on our behalf to ensure that we--and you--have a future," the group said in a statement.
\u201cStrong words from Salim Kajani to Minister Bruton\u201d— Helen Donohue (@Helen Donohue) 1573837678
Handing the recommendations to Richard Bruton, the minister for Communications, Climate Action, and the Environment, 15 year-old Salim Kajani of Dublin said, "Minister, look in the eyes of the children in front of you... Their future is in your hands."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Over 150 young people in Ireland on Friday shamed lawmakers and demanded sufficient action to address the climate crisis as they took part in a first of its kind event in the lower house of the parliament.
"The kids are united... behind the science that proves that we're currently in the fast lane, propelling ourselves toward catastrophic climate breakdown. And unless we do something radical now, we will stay in that fast lane until it is too late to move off it," 17-year -old Conal O'Boyle of Donegal said at the Dail as part of the Youth Assembly on Climate Action.
\u201cConal O'Boyle, who is 17 years-old from Co.Donegal giving the introduction to the #YouthAssemblyOnClimate, kicking off an impressive morning for the delegates and their arguments. He also spoke on behalf of the Power group. @oboyleconal @OireachtasNews #RT\u00c9onClimate\u201d— RT\u00c9 news2day (@RT\u00c9 news2day) 1573816254
The climate assembly was convened by national public broadcaster RTE and the Dail. It included participants ranging from 10-17 years old representing the county's 26 counties. With 157 young climate activists present, their number matched that of the lawmakers, or TDs, as they're known.
The Irish Times reported:
The symbolic gathering marked a shift "from the streets to the seats"; from unprecedented protests across Ireland over the past year--prompted by the FridaysForFuture movement and school strikers--o their representatives taking over the powerhouse of Irish democracy for a day.
The event featured speeches from a number of selected youths as well as workshop sessions in which participants formulated recommendations for the government.
Supporters were also gathered outside the building echoing the demand for climate action:
\u201cOff to a good start #RTEYouthAssembly \n\nThese kids mean business. \n\n#Climatejusticenow\u201d— \ud83c\udf0dLorna Gold - #LaudatoSi Film \ud83c\udf0f (@\ud83c\udf0dLorna Gold - #LaudatoSi Film \ud83c\udf0f) 1573811481
The assembly was presided over by house chair Sean O Fearghail, who said he admired the young activists "enormously" but said that "generating fear, worry, and upset will generate headlines," and suggested the youth instead "leave fear at the door and enter your discussions with optimism and realism."
The young activists, some of whose speeches were amplified on social media by RTE, spoke with clarity about the severity of the climate and ecological crises and need to make making fundamental, structural changes in sectors including agriculture and energy.
\u201cAlma Victoria Krause, who is 16-years-old from Cork, speaking in the D\u00e1il this morning on behalf of the Food and Farming group for the #YouthAssemblyOnClimate #RT\u00c9onClimate\u201d— RT\u00c9 news2day (@RT\u00c9 news2day) 1573816648
\u201cKatelyn Culleton, who is 11 years old from Galway, speaking at the #YouthAssemblyOnClimate on behalf of the Environment group. She is the youngest key speaker of this morning's session. #RT\u00c9onClimate\u201d— RT\u00c9 news2day (@RT\u00c9 news2day) 1573816744
The delegates came up with a list of 10 recommendations for the government to take. The list includes Ireland banning "the importation of fracked gas" and investing "solely in renewables." It also calls for the country "to outlaw acts of ecocide--being the widespread and systematic loss of ecosystems, including climate and cultural damage."
"We call on you to listen to the science, to take on board our recommendations, and to work on our behalf to ensure that we--and you--have a future," the group said in a statement.
\u201cStrong words from Salim Kajani to Minister Bruton\u201d— Helen Donohue (@Helen Donohue) 1573837678
Handing the recommendations to Richard Bruton, the minister for Communications, Climate Action, and the Environment, 15 year-old Salim Kajani of Dublin said, "Minister, look in the eyes of the children in front of you... Their future is in your hands."
Over 150 young people in Ireland on Friday shamed lawmakers and demanded sufficient action to address the climate crisis as they took part in a first of its kind event in the lower house of the parliament.
"The kids are united... behind the science that proves that we're currently in the fast lane, propelling ourselves toward catastrophic climate breakdown. And unless we do something radical now, we will stay in that fast lane until it is too late to move off it," 17-year -old Conal O'Boyle of Donegal said at the Dail as part of the Youth Assembly on Climate Action.
\u201cConal O'Boyle, who is 17 years-old from Co.Donegal giving the introduction to the #YouthAssemblyOnClimate, kicking off an impressive morning for the delegates and their arguments. He also spoke on behalf of the Power group. @oboyleconal @OireachtasNews #RT\u00c9onClimate\u201d— RT\u00c9 news2day (@RT\u00c9 news2day) 1573816254
The climate assembly was convened by national public broadcaster RTE and the Dail. It included participants ranging from 10-17 years old representing the county's 26 counties. With 157 young climate activists present, their number matched that of the lawmakers, or TDs, as they're known.
The Irish Times reported:
The symbolic gathering marked a shift "from the streets to the seats"; from unprecedented protests across Ireland over the past year--prompted by the FridaysForFuture movement and school strikers--o their representatives taking over the powerhouse of Irish democracy for a day.
The event featured speeches from a number of selected youths as well as workshop sessions in which participants formulated recommendations for the government.
Supporters were also gathered outside the building echoing the demand for climate action:
\u201cOff to a good start #RTEYouthAssembly \n\nThese kids mean business. \n\n#Climatejusticenow\u201d— \ud83c\udf0dLorna Gold - #LaudatoSi Film \ud83c\udf0f (@\ud83c\udf0dLorna Gold - #LaudatoSi Film \ud83c\udf0f) 1573811481
The assembly was presided over by house chair Sean O Fearghail, who said he admired the young activists "enormously" but said that "generating fear, worry, and upset will generate headlines," and suggested the youth instead "leave fear at the door and enter your discussions with optimism and realism."
The young activists, some of whose speeches were amplified on social media by RTE, spoke with clarity about the severity of the climate and ecological crises and need to make making fundamental, structural changes in sectors including agriculture and energy.
\u201cAlma Victoria Krause, who is 16-years-old from Cork, speaking in the D\u00e1il this morning on behalf of the Food and Farming group for the #YouthAssemblyOnClimate #RT\u00c9onClimate\u201d— RT\u00c9 news2day (@RT\u00c9 news2day) 1573816648
\u201cKatelyn Culleton, who is 11 years old from Galway, speaking at the #YouthAssemblyOnClimate on behalf of the Environment group. She is the youngest key speaker of this morning's session. #RT\u00c9onClimate\u201d— RT\u00c9 news2day (@RT\u00c9 news2day) 1573816744
The delegates came up with a list of 10 recommendations for the government to take. The list includes Ireland banning "the importation of fracked gas" and investing "solely in renewables." It also calls for the country "to outlaw acts of ecocide--being the widespread and systematic loss of ecosystems, including climate and cultural damage."
"We call on you to listen to the science, to take on board our recommendations, and to work on our behalf to ensure that we--and you--have a future," the group said in a statement.
\u201cStrong words from Salim Kajani to Minister Bruton\u201d— Helen Donohue (@Helen Donohue) 1573837678
Handing the recommendations to Richard Bruton, the minister for Communications, Climate Action, and the Environment, 15 year-old Salim Kajani of Dublin said, "Minister, look in the eyes of the children in front of you... Their future is in your hands."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.