Mt Dandenong’s Nerida Lennon is calling for youths to help raise awareness of climate change. 33569
By Tania Martin
NERIDA Lennon is standing up for climate change and urging other youths to let their voices be heard.
The 25-year-old Mt Dandenong woman said it was time to take action now, not at some time in the distant future.
“It’s real and is happening faster than predicted but unfortunately the older generations just aren’t cutting it in terms of their climate change targets,” she said.
Ms Lennon and fellow Yarra Ranges Youth Leadership participant, Jaymie Rudd last week returned from the 2009 Power Shift Conference in Sydney.
The three-day event was Australia’s first national youth climate change summit, organised by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC).
Shire of Yarra Ranges councillor Samantha Dunn sponsored the pair’s trip and said it provided them with invaluable insight into the current news on climate change to pass onto their peers in the local community.
“The girls are great examples of the many young people in our shire who are deeply concerned about the future of our planet,” she said.
Ms Lennon has always been passionate and interested in environmental issues, but never had the opportunity to voice her concerns.
“I mean just look where we are, we are on a beautiful green mountain,” she said.
“My family has always been quite conscious about the environment because my dad’s a mathematician, so he’s always been really big on the science behind it (climate change) all.”
“I guess it’s always been close to my heart but I had my finger in other pies and was doing other things until now.”
Ms Lennon met up with representatives from the AYCC several years ago at another conference in Sydney and had become interested then but hadn’t done anything about it.
“I wonder why it’s taken me so long … I always planned to get involved,” she said.
But it wasn’t until Ms Lennon saw an advertisement in the local media, offering sponsorship for the conference, that she decided to do something.
“It was a fantastic opportunity,” she said.
Ms Lennon said today’s young people, commonly known as generation Y, had the most at stake in terms of the negative effects of climate change.
“I think if older generations love their children and grandchildren they need to get moving and take climate change very seriously,” she said.
She said the key to tackling the issue was bridging the gap between the younger and older generations.
“It’s about giving youth a lot more power than we’ve ever had before,” she said.
“We are all in it together and we don’t have a choice, climate change is happening whether we want it or not.”
“If you’re not part of the solution you are a part of the problem.”
Ms Lennon is now highlighting the AYCC’s youth referendum, Youth Decide, which will be held in September
It will then be taken to the UN climate change negotiations, which are to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark in December.
She will be taking the message to local schools and urging youths to get involved.
“They can vote on the referendum and will be given different options and outcomes they want for the environment,” she said.
More information about the referendum can be found at www.youthdecide.com.au.
