HUNDREDS of New England residents turned out on in Armidale on Sunday to send a message to the government about the need for action on climate issues.
Speakers of all ages and from all walks of life echoes the message at Central Park.
They ranged from climate scientists to politicians and school students.
Some of the most poignant voices were young ones, with Duval Student Erin Bourke amazing the crowd with her speech.
UNE Professor Annette Cowie, who is the Director of Rural Climate Solutions, said the recent extreme weather events were “a taste of what’s to come” without strong action to curtail emissions.
Professor Patrick Nunn, one of the authors of the most recent IPCC report and an expert in sea level change, said that a one metre rise is sea level was possible this century, with some models predicting more.
There would perhaps be fewer hurricanes and typhoons, but they would be of greater intensity, similar to the recent storm in the Phillipines, he said.
Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall emphasised the importance of getting the issue on the public agenda, adding that the most important thing was to ensure “we leave the world in as good or better condition as we found it”.
Organising committee convenor Colin Hargreaves said the event was an “enormous success” which added a strong message from New England to the national call for action while involving families in a day which emphasised a sense of shared community rather than politics.
