‘No one is listening’: Children hold climate rally outside Legislature

Dozens of children stood outside the Legislature in Regina on Friday afternoon, coming together to bring attention to an issue they feel isn’t being taken seriously.

“Create a solution, not pollution,” is what they chanted.

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The rally was organized by 11-year-old Kiké Dueck to demand action on climate change. They said if climate change wasn’t stopped, people might not get a chance to later.

“I was here not too long ago by myself, and I wasn’t supposed to, but I’d just been driven to the point where I just need to do anything because no one, no one at all, is listening to this giant problem,” they said.

“I feel like Saskatchewan has not been doing anything. The government is just ignoring it. If we ignore it, it’s gonna come back and we can’t ignore this. So many people are already affected, and we’re ignoring them. We need to do something now.”

Josef, 10, was motivated to attend the rally through his love of bats — of which several species are endangered in Canada.

“They’re a very misunderstood animal that people don’t really think are good, but they’re very awesome,” Josef said.

“The world is dying, and we’re helping it (die) by pollution, littering, gas pollution and we’re not doing anything about it, especially the government. They’re just ignoring it, and that’s that’s not a responsible thing to do. That’s why are us kids are standing up to it and doing this protest.”

Rocco Smith, 8, said many people have been affected by the different consequences of pollution and climate change.

“There’s more than just one way that we can stop it, and all those ways have been increasing over the past years,” Smith said.

Isla Bedel, 12, said the effects of climate change are already being felt throughout the world, but political figures aren’t adequately addressing the crisis.

“They think that ‘oh, if we don’t think that this is happening, it won’t hurt us’ but it will. It’s gonna come for them, too,” she said.

She said people in their everyday life can help by researching, recycling, composting and being mindful about their own consumption habits around things like gas.

Elizah Temple, 14, said she wants to go into politics in the future so she can do everything in her power to make a difference.

Temple feels that if the kids’ concerns were addressed, real change could happen.

“(A friend and I) were just talking about how the weather is really nice today, but it’s really scary because at this time of year in November, it shouldn’t be this warm,” Temple said.

“I’m able to stand out here in a hoodie and I should be out here with a winter jacket, mitts, and a toque.”

Dueck said there needed to be action at all levels of government.

“We can stop this, but only if we work together. And I hope now that we can change the world and this time for the better,” Dueck said.

980 CJME reached out to Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Energy and Resources but it declined to comment.

Read more:

• Canadian CEOs worry about climate change ‘all or most of the time’: survey
• Climate change made record-breaking Eastern Canada heat wave ‘much more likely’