Molly & Shona Address WCC Climate Change Talk

As Wicklow County Council today discussed their Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, two very special – and young – guests were in attendance.

Both from Temple Carrig School in Blacklion, climate activists Shona Edge and Molly Gordon Boles had been invited to speak at today’s presentation.

Not that this was the first time that the 17-year-old friends had spoken out about climate change in front of officials, Shona and Molly having been part of the teenage speakers invited from five schools around the country to address the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action in March.

The girls were also part of Greystones’ young voices being heard during the international School Strike For Climate Action on March 15th.

It was after attending a talk at Temple Carrig School by environmental scientist Dr Cara Augustenbourg that the two members of the school’s Action On Climate Change (ACE) decided to become even more politically engaged with their eco beliefs. On social media, they have set up both a Global Warning Greystones Twitter and an Instagram account, sharing statistics, incentives and battle cries.

Invited to attend today’s WCC Draft Climate Action Plan by Cllr Tom Fortune, Shona said afterwards, “With their close relationship with the community, local authorities can play a key role in addressing climate change. They can react faster and more effectively to local climate events than many other government agencies.”

As for Molly, “Councillors and the local authorities have a critical role to play in using their local knowledge of the environment and working in partnership to make lasting climate action, thus creating a safe future for generations to come”.