A few weeks ago, I visited Fort Richmond Collegiate where students and teachers involved with the school’s Earth Club organized a climate rally, focused on raising awareness and encouraging everyone to get serious about tackling climate change.

I was blown away by the number of students who gave up their lunch hour to join the rally. They held up posters, chanted and spoke to me and other elected officials about what we need to do to protect our environment. They asked nuanced and thought-provoking questions about climate change – leaving me both impressed and hopeful about our future.

Climate change is the most significant long-term threat to our planet. It affects everything from the air we breathe, to the food we eat, to the water and land that we live on. The droughts in Manitoba this past summer should be proof enough that we need climate action now to prevent the devastating harm that will continue to occur.

Strong action must come from all three levels of government. At the federal level, we’ve adopted a price on pollution, invested over $25 billion in making public transit more accessible, advanced a ban on single-use plastics, and introduced legislation that will enshrine Canadians’ right to a healthy environment.

We’ve also made commitments that ensure Canada has a cleaner, greener future, including measures that will achieve a 40-45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, making it easier to buy an electric vehicle and helping homeowners retrofit their homes. Despite this, more needs to be done.

Everyday, each of us can contribute in many ways to fight climate change. Actions like taking public transit, buying sustainable products, and recycling or composting our waste. While some of these things may seem small, they collectively will ensure that we have breathable air, clean water and a safe environment to live in.

On the issue of climate change, students at FRC are clear – climate change is real, it’s here, and it is urgent that we work together to combat it.

I left the rally at FRC that afternoon feeling inspired by these bright, young leaders. They are determined, passionate and have ambitious ideas about tackling the challenges ahead.

Let’s work together to fight climate change and ensure that these students, and future generations, have a healthy, livable planet to grow up on.

As seen in the Sou'Wester and the Lance.