I WOULD like to offer my public support to the students who took part in the recent ‘Youth Strike 4 Climate’ in Bridport. This strike was inspired by the actions of 16-year-old Greta Thunberg in Sweden, and has resulted in up to 70,000 schoolchildren in 270 towns and cities worldwide taking part in ‘Fridays For Future’. Young people from Brisbane to Brussels are demanding politicians take action to confront the fast approaching climate emergency. I also plea to my fellow politicians, at all levels of government, to start taking their demand seriously.

The United Nations IPCC report last year made it clear we have only 12 years left to limit global warming to a rise of only 1.5 degrees – or the consequences for the planet will be dire. Desertification, sea level rise and a huge loss of habitats will be economically and ecologically damaging, particularly for our future generations. We cannot continue to make decisions based on the amount of wealth generated. We will not be able to eat money when our soil is no longer able to produce crops.

We need to wake up to our situation; we need to understand how important the future of our planet is, particularly for our young people; we need to start acting as if we actually care. We only have one earth, we have no alternative planet to occupy. The future of our young people is in our hands, and although they are too young to vote they have a right to be heard. Whilst politicians and world leaders continue to avoid commitment to significant action, the sense of urgency displayed by our younger generation should be an inspiration to us all.

DR KELVIN CLAYTON

Bridport Town Councillor

Green Party prospective parliamentary candidate West Dorset

Lansdowne Road, Bridport