Dear editor,

We are third-year students in the bachelor of science in nursing at North Island College, and we have significant concerns about the health of our environment. We believe our society should be supporting, not condemning those who want to help find solutions to global climate change.

Tom Fletcher鈥檚 article The hijacking of our education system, March 26, suggests that the support being given by the BC Teachers Federation (BCFT) to the 鈥渟tudent strike 4 climate鈥� actions is encouraging students to refuse to carry out their 鈥渞esponsibilities鈥� and the teachers are giving students the message 鈥済overnments don鈥檛 matter.鈥� Fletcher also proposes despite the urgency that exists for cutting carbon emissions to avert irreversible climate change, the reality is that we are unable to do so as this would result in 鈥渆conomic collapse.鈥�

In response to these statements, we would like to propose the recent school 鈥渟tudent strikes 4 climate鈥� actions represent the opposite of Fletcher鈥檚 analysis of this global movement of young people. In addition, there is the potential for scientists and governments to work towards tackling climate change.

The founder of the school student movement, Greta Thunberg, (aged 16) stated 鈥淎dults keep saying: 鈥榃e owe it to the young people to give them hope鈥�, but I don鈥檛 want your hope. I don鈥檛 want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.鈥� (The Guardian, 2019).

The 鈥榮tudent strike 4 climate鈥� movement indicates many young people across the globe are taking the initiative to be advocates for the future of the planet in a democratic and peaceful manner. They should be taken seriously and heard! Today鈥檚 youth will be tomorrow鈥檚 politicians, scientists, and educators. We must support their willingness to sacrifice their time to raise awareness on global climate change.

Clare Hudson, Meghan Leahy, Kate Moynihan, Chelsea Connatty, Lydia Hardy,

Courtenay