Leitrim teenager speaks on climate action in Seanad Chamber

Mae Weir among a group of teenagers who spoke in theSeanad Camber

placeholder image — Mae Weir among a group of teenagers who spoke in theSeanad Camber

On Friday June 3, young people from Foróige got the opportunity to present their perspectives on the climate crisis directly to policy-makers, and engage in discussion with TDs and Senators on a range of topics relating to environment and climate action at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action chaired by Committee Chairperson, Brian Leddin TD.

Mae Weir, 17 from Dromahair, spoke about a justice-based approach to tackling the climate crisis, “Climate awareness isn’t just for people who attend universities; it needs to become an integral part of primary and secondary education too. The priorities in the primary school curriculum need to be revisited. In a pluralistic society, our emphasis should be on the needs of the 21st century and the challenges that face the whole community. Children are so open and receptive to change. They are hungry for information and responsive to new ideas, but what are we teaching them?”

Mae continued, “The second barrier preventing people from transitioning into a climate-friendly lifestyle is affordability. It should be the government's priority to facilitate this transition as justly as possible. The success of this transition hinges upon the just and equitable distribution of the burden of climate change. Policies that encourage such essential progress are unpopular and unfortunately are also often unequal."