The second youth-led global climate strike is planned for Friday with school students, activists and people concerned about the scientific evidence of global warming from last year's IPCC report, marching to demand new action from political leaders.
The young people speaking about climate change at UNICEF in New York, September 23, 2019 Photo: Supplied/ UNICEF
Last week over 4 million people mobilised on mass in an effort to gain the attention of governments and seek climate justice.
This week has seen the United Nations Climate Summit in New York and child activists have also met, with 16 of them including several Pasifika teens taking a legal case to the Committee of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, hoping to protect all children from the devastating impacts of the crisis.
Speaking at UN headquarters the teens spoke of the devastating climate impacts on their lives, their demands for a political pivot towards the environment and their encouragement to other young people around the world who hope for seismic shift in consciousness.
A teenager from Palau attending the UN Climate Summit said while children do have a voice for change, they don't have the power to take sufficient action without help from world leaders.
Seventeen-year-old Carlos Manuel said everyone had the right to enjoy the planet which must be protected but Palau families' rights are being violated with people forced from their homes by rising sea levels.
At UNICEF House in New York, Carlos Manuel, 17, from Palau, speaks at a press conference announcing a collective action being taken on behalf of young people everywhere facing the impacts of the climate crisis. Photo: Supplied/ UNICEF
He said he would be disappointed and feel he had failed if he didn't call for leaders to take action.
"Our homes are being swallowed up by the ocean. The places where memories were made, the places where trust and respect are gained. The places where we used to have fun and enjoy.
"It's really sad to say but those places, they're slowly disappearing. I care about my generation, I care about my future generation. I want a better life for us, a better future, and the most important thing, I want a better planet for us to live in."
Carlos said he wanted to honour his forefathers as he also looked to the future.
"Losing a home is not that easy. Especially if your ancestors have lived there for hundreds of years. Our future depends on them.
"So, I'm asking that our leaders must act now, while we still have an island to live in. Because I don't want our island to disappear and be swallowed up by the ocean. We're islanders and we depend on our island."
There are three teenagers from the Marshall Islands in New York and 17-year-old Ranton Anjain said the Marshalls were open for people to come and see the effects of climate change for themselves.
At UNICEF House in New York, Ranton Anjain, 17, from Ebeye, Marshall Islands, speaks at a press conference announcing a collective action being taken on behalf of young people facing the impacts of the climate crisis. Photo: Supplied/ UNICEF
"And I would also show you my old house that was destroyed by a storm in the summer of 2015.
"And yeah, our sea walls that we built, they're, even though we built them they're not useful."
Ranton Anjain said there was no time to lose.
"I also have something for all the youth out there, and the adults...If not now, when?"
Chiarra Sacchi, who is also 17 and lives in Argentina where increasing episodes of extreme heat have significantly increased the use of air-conditioning units putting pressure on the electricity grid, said power outages made web-based study frustrating.
She said she had seen extreme weather events like tennis ball-sized hail stones and high winds which blew the roof off her family's home - that had inspired her to speak up on climate change and take to the streets.
"I believe we all have some kind of responsibility, what we eat, what we consume, what we buy.
"Adults are taking their time to act. We are here and we have to be educated and we have to create consciousness and I think that's happening."
Eight years ago, 16-year-old Greta Thunberg watched a documentary in school on climate change and said she was deeply affected by it.
This led to a solo weekly protest outside the Swedish Parliament in August 2018.
Although she is often the face and voice of youth concern about the climate crisis, many others are just as worried.
She said the climate crisis is not just about the weather, it's also the lack food and lack of water and places that are now unliveable - forcing people to be refugees.
Youth activist Greta Thunberg speaks at the Climate Action Summit at the United Nations. Photo: AFP
"Because world leaders are failing to protect the rights of the child by continuing to ignore the climate and ecological crisis.
"So, this Friday millions of children are also going to, to strike for the climate, just so you know."
Sixteen-year-old Iris Duquesne from Bordeaux in France said she had lived with deadly floods and heatwaves as well increasingly intense and frequent storms.
But she wanted young people marching in the streets to stay active rather than anxious.
"Stay positive. Because even though the situation is kind of critical, there is still some hope and there are still some adults who are willing to take actions.
"There are still some people in this world who have a will to live and let us live and let our children live. So, stay positive. Stay hopeful. And continue what you're doing."
Argentinian Chiarra Sacchi said there "was no wall in the ocean".
"It's one planet and the climate crisis affected every single person, so the children are working collectively."
Carlos from Palau also said he wanted to encourage children everywhere who are trying to protect the planet to keep doing what they are doing "because if everyone works together the young people are unstoppable".
Photo: Supplied/ UNICEF
