Members and friends of Hastings Parents for the Environment (HP4E) will gather outside Port Macquarie-Hastings Council chambers tonight (November 20) on World Children's Day, to call on the Australian government to act urgently to protect their children's health and safety in the face of climate breakdown.
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United Nations World Children's Day commemorates the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which Australia has signed.
This commits Australia to protect the rights of all children to health and safety - rights which are being threatened by our government's inaction on climate change.
Local parent and member of HP4E Rhiannon Beeton said they are extremely concerned that the government is not listening to experts and is failing to protect children from the enormous health and safety impacts of climate breakdown.
"We're already seeing Mid-North Coast children lose their homes and their family's livelihood from bushfires, drought, and storms," she said.
"The future will only be more dangerous for our kids unless we act urgently to cut our greenhouse emissions and lead the world towards a safe climate future.
"Children are more vulnerable to the health impacts of climatic disasters, such as longer, hotter heatwaves, and increased asthma and allergies from bushfires and storm events."
The mental health of young people is at greater risk as climate impacts worsen, said parent Lydia Wills.
"To protect our kids and avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate breakdown, Australia must act on the science and urgently accelerate cuts to our greenhouse emissions, consistent with limiting warming to 1.5oC," she said.
"This includes switching to 100 per cent renewable energy and ending fossil fuel mining and use."
Lydia is also concerned about the educational impacts of the climate emergency.
"Our children are losing their right to an education. Climate change fuelled bushfire smoke has closed hundreds of public and private schools for several days already, including our local schools, with the strong possibility of more closures in the immediate future.
"Here the air quality has been so poor it is hazardous for children to play outside. As a parent I am forced to choose between their physical health and their long term physical, emotional, and social development. And its not even summer yet, there's only more bushfires to com."
HP4E was formed after the federal election, starting with local mother and GP Sarah Mollard making a commitment to stand in public once a week to raise awareness of the climate emergency.
The group has since developed a network of passionate parents and is one of several local groups lobbying the local council to declare a climate emergency and start taking emergency action.
HP4CA is now a branch of the national organisation, Australian Parents for Climate Action. Since starting in January, AP4CA already has over 5000 members and supporters who are concerned about a safe climate future for our children.
Read AP4CA's open letter here, signed by child health, safety and parenting experts, asking the Prime Minister to protect the future health and safety of our children from climate breakdown.
