Hundreds of high schoolers from throughout the Rogue Valley left school on Friday to demand political action to address climate change. Marches took place in Ashland, Medford, Grants Pass and half a dozen other small towns south to Redding.
The local marches were part of a world-wide day of activism by young people showing their concern for human-caused climate change ahead of Monday鈥檚 United Nations climate summit in New York City.
鈥淓very summer California burns with more intensity. Every year 500-year floods become more and more normalized. We are not waiting for climate change to come, it鈥檚 here,鈥� said Jo Spurgeon, a senior at St. Mary鈥檚 high school in Medford and an organizer of Friday鈥檚 protest in Medford.
Around 150 students and community members gathered from St. Mary鈥檚 and North and South Medford High Schools. A walkout from Ashland High School to the downtown Plaza included nearly double that number.
Student鈥檚 signs read 鈥淭here are no jobs on a dead planet,鈥� 鈥淔uture first,鈥� and 鈥淧olicy change, not climate change.鈥�
While the slogans and chants were similar to those at other progressive protests, students pointed to specific climate justice goals in Oregon. Their requests included preventing the development of the Jordan Cove liquified natural gas project pipeline and encouraging elected officials to sign on to the 鈥淥regon Green New Deal,鈥� a set of environmental goals including reductions in fossil fuel use, promotion of renewable energy, and protection for communities already affected by climate change.
鈥淲e want to put pressure on [Governor] Kate Brown and really emphasize climate and really make it the forefront of her political policy,鈥� Spurgeon said.
Owen Gramley was also participating from St. Mary鈥檚 high school in Medford. He said politics in the area lean conservative, but that their pressure was starting to translate to action by politicians.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not too much civic activism, but I think young people are changing that,鈥� Gramley said. 鈥淚t seems like a pretty generational change to me.鈥�
