Two Millennials Lead The Climate March In The Pacific Northwest
And their speeches are downright inspiring
On Saturday morning, Adonis and Tim put on their comfiest shoes, jumped on public transport and headed to Pioneer Square to join the Climate March.
Adonis and Tim are two representatives for Plant for the Planet, an international organization driven by 51,000 youth ages 8 to 18 in 193 countries.
These two, young gentlemen are Climate Justice Ambassadors in the Pacific Northwest. They help facilitate climate presentations, work on campaigns, testify at hearings, and speak with elected officials.
As if these two millennials weren’t accomplished enough, they are also phenomenal public speakers.
“Hello, my name is Adonis Williams, and I really don’t want to be here giving a speech,” begins Adonis. “Because I want to be able to be a kid…I want to be able to do all the things that everybody else my age gets to do. But I can’t. Because if I did, I would be standing idly by and resigning my future to one of destruction.”
Adonis is one of several millennials that are suing the state of Washington on the premise that the state has an obligation to protect the land, air and water for future generations.
The purpose of the case is to force the Washington state government to make rules and regulations that will lower state emissions.
“We as individuals need to make a constant, conscious effort to do our best to reduce our emissions,” argues Adonis. “To do the best that we can for ourselves and for future generations.”
Adonis’ speech would have been a tough act to follow for any normal 11-year-old, but Tim is by no means your average fifth-grader.
“Yesterday I was gardening with my family and I realised that Trump is just like this thorny English Holly on the ground,” begins Tim. “It may seem pretty to some but it is actually deadly to everything else.”
The crowd erupts with laughter and then a huge round of applause as a friendly bystander brings the child a step stool.
“But this is where the comparison stops,” continues Tim. “English Holly doesn’t have any natural enemies but we are all here to stand up against Trump. We know that climate change is not a hoax from China. We know that deleting scientific data does not change the facts. We know that coal and oil will soon be replaced with renewable energy. We all need to work together before Trump claims that the rising temperatures are his idea to help the poor people whose heating subsidies he cut.”
The millennial then used the rest of his time on stage to call older generations to action on climate change.
“I joined Plant for the Planet because I feel that adults are not doing enough. Please prove me wrong,” begs the fifth-grader. “We have rights to clean air and water. Especially we kids who cannot yet vote.”
“Here’s what I’m asking you. Keep coming to these protests. Please vote. Write messages to your senators about climate change. We the people can take the power back.”
How can you say no to that?
