Recently returned from participating in the worlds’ very first United Nations Youth Climate summit in New York, Castlemaine’s Harriet O’Shea Carre will be among speakers at tomorrow evening’s public climate information session in the Castlemaine Town Hall.
Alongside Castlemaine’s Milou Albrecht and Callum Neilson-Bridgfoot, Harriet, 15, is one of the original instigators of the youth climate strike movement in Australia and in recent weeks she has shouldered plenty of media attention for that reason, including featuring in a recent ABC 7.30 report focused on her personal participation in the UN Youth Climate Summit.
“Just being a part of it was great,” Harriet told the Express on Friday.
“Everyone had opportunities to ask questions. I think the best thing for me was just connecting with all these different people.
“Most people were in their early 20s and were involved in different businesses and corporations who have come up with really creative ideas and solutions to climate change related problems.
“Lots of people brought samples of what their work was so it was really incredible.
“I just got so many awesome ideas from what other people are doing.
“The main thing was just the collaboration. That’s what so important about this movement is just coming together because the unique thing about climate change is that it affects everyone.”
Starting at 7.15pm, tomorrow evening’s public information forum is being hosted by the recently formed Mount Alexander Climate Emergency team whose members will outline their aims that particularly include lobbying Mount Alexander Shire Council to join the growing number of Australian municipalities to have declared a climate emergency.
“The event on Wednesday is a forum for anyone in our shire, where we are talking to the council and trying to get them to declare a climate emergency, which is so, so important,” Harriet said.
“I’ll be speaking there for about 10 minutes, maybe with Milou and Callum too.
“I’ll also be going to the next council meeting where they’ll decide whether they will declare a climate emergency or not – so I’m there to try to convince them of how important it is that we take this next step.
“Because the first step to change is recognition of the problem, so we need to recognise that we’re in a state of emergency before we can act on this issue.”
