Blackmans Bay Primary School students put their pencils down and picked up placards to participate in a Global Day of Climate Action on Friday, September 25.

The Blackmans Bay students dressed in yellow and made signs showing their awareness and 

support for tackling climate change.

Blackmans Bay Primary School teacher Ms Hannah Briggs said Grade 6 students had been learning about climate change this term.

“My class have been learning about the causes and effects of climate change this term, as well as what we can do the help the planet,” said Ms Briggs.

Grade 6 students, Jasmine Nash and Isobel Robertson, delivered a speech as part of the event.

“If we can show our Government and our Prime Minster about climate change and make them more aware then hopefully they can start changing and we can have a brighter future ahead of us, but it will take all of us to show them, to prove to them that climate change is extremely important and they need to deal with it right away,” said Jasmine and Isobel.

“The global day of action is very important around the world, but due to Covid-19 we aren’t having big gatherings. 

“This day is to raise awareness about climate change and to teach others about this complex topic. 

“Global warming is when the five greenhouse gases methane, ozone, carbon dioxide, water vapour and nitrous oxide get released out into the open air and slowly move their way up into the atmosphere, but when they enter, they cannot escape,” explained Jasmine and Isobel.

“The atmosphere is like a greenhouse: the 

sunlight shines in, which heats it up and the gases cannot escape so the earth starts to heat up, which is gradually affecting our planet in many ways. 

“This includes the sea levels rising because of the ice and huge glaciers in Antarctica slowly melting away.”

As part of a nationwide School Strike 4 Climate Australia event coinciding with the Global Day of Action on September 25, school children from around Australia used their collective voices to 

call on the Australian government to fund their future, not gas.

School strikers called for the Federal Government to spend economic stimulus money on clean energy to create jobs, rather than propping up a gas industry that puts the climate and economy at risk.

“Gas is a dangerous fossil fuel that will turbocharge the climate crisis,” the School Strike 4 Climate Australia website noted.

“Even worse, many destructive [gas] projects threaten First Nation lands.

“Right now the government is deciding how to spend billions in public money to help with the Covid-19 crisis. 

“We are striking from school to demand politicians take our future seriously and treat climate change as what it is; a crisis.

“It’s a critical opportunity for them to fund our future by creating jobs that will care for our country, fast-track solutions to climate change and transition Australia to renewable energy.”

School Strike 4 Climate Australia is a united, 

grassroots, student-led, non-partisan, non-violent, mission-focused and growing movement of students of all ages, from cities, towns and regional hubs from around Australia, concerned about the future of planet Earth.

Students from around the state set up a classroom on the lawns of Parliament House in Hobart and 

participated in a series of talks on how climate change is affecting Tasmania, and why the government must do more to tackle climate change.

Member for Franklin and Shadow Minister for Climate Change, the Honourable Alison Standen MP attended the event.

This year, students had to find new ways to have their voices heard, with social distanced actions, Instagram livestreams, banner drops and art installations.

The #FundOurFutureNotGas day of action saw over 500 Covid-Safe actions around Australia.

Pictured: Blackmans Bay Primary School participated in a GLobal Day of Climate Action on Friday, September 25. (PS)