Katherine students this morning have ramped up pressure on political leaders to respond to the climate crisis as they joined thousands in the Global Strike for Climate.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Striking from school for stronger action on climate change, the Katherine students were calling on the government to decrease emissions, switch to 100 per cent renewables and stop fracking.
The 100 or so young activists carried banners and signs as they walked from Katherine High School to 50 Cent Park, picking up students and workers along the way.
Katherine High school captain Charlotte Pickering lead the large group through the Woolworths complex as they chanted loudly.
As fracking starts on Katherine's door step and threatens climate stability, Katherine High School Student Gypsy Schmidt called for immediate government action.
"If fracking is allowed to go ahead in the NT we teens are not guaranteed a future," she said in a speech today before her peers.
"Any progress we make with renewables in the NT will be overshadowed by fracking... it adds emissions plain and simple.
"We need to turn to renewables now and quickly."
Ten-year-old Katherine South Primary School student Monty Lewis joined the protest with his mother Lauren Kaiserman.
"I'm here to help the older people in government realise what is happening in the world," he said.
"The future is renewables."
He said he had been learning about the climate crisis at school and already has grave concerns for his future.
"I am worried about fracking and how that will contaminate the water because I want to stay here," he said.
In support of her son's decision to join the protest and strike from school, Ms Kaiserman said she was proud to see young people taking action on climate change.
"I am here in support of all of the things these young people are asking of the government," she said.
"I feel so proud of the these students that they know the world is bigger than Katherine, it is a global movement."
Like many in Katherine, she said fracking was the "biggest immediate threat".
"But globally we need to be thinking about renewables."
The Global Strike for Climate was first inspired by Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg last year when she sat outside Swedish Parliament with a sign reading "school strike for climate".
Today, thousands of students globally have taken to the streets, banners in their hands, demanding politicians and leaders focus on the crisis.
More students than ever participated this year, and businesses have followed suit.
In Katherine, some local businesses shut up shop in support of the strike, and workers took time off work.
Katherine Hospital doctors Naomi Atkinson and Jacqueline Lim may have had the day off today, but would have joined the strike regardless.
"We are already seeing the impacts [of climate change] in hospitals," Ms Atkinson said.
"We have increasing respiratory issues from fires and people dying of heat related illnesses across Europe.
"Doctors are finding carbon particles on the fetal side of the placenta showing pollution and fossil fuels are impacting the health of children before they are born.
"We think climate change poses a real threat to future generations and we wanted to march with these amazing young people in support."
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday at 6am from the Katherine Times. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here.