People of all ages are invited to attend a "Citizens for Climate Action Rally" in Sarnia this month.
The rally, at the Centennial Park Flag Court, will be held September 16 at 2 p.m.
Climate Action Sarnia-Lambton [CASL] spokesperson Peter Smith said it's an opportunity for residents to speak out and let politicians know how they feel about the issue.
"We'll have some speakers, we're going to have some music as well, and Marilyn Gladu has agreed to come so we're looking forward to seeing what she has to say, and then there will be a number of other speakers," said Smith.
"What we'd like is for people to bring along a chair, for one thing, just to sit down while we're listening to the speakers," he said. "But also bring some signs, bring along their voices, we want to hear people, want to hear what they have to say. We also want to make certain that the politicians hear what everybody has to say."
Smith agreed that extreme weather events are opening up eyes.
"Now, all of a sudden, we're starting to see these things and starting to recognize that the weather here isn't the same as it used to be," Smith said. "Summers are different, winters are different, we're seeing some real changes here and it's not just a question of getting a little warmer. We're getting into things like fires, floods, and unstable weather. So, I think a lot of people have looked at that and they're starting to get really concerned about it, particularly the younger people who've got longer to spend on this planet."
World leaders will also be gathering at the United Nations in New York to talk about climate change that weekend.
Smith said the rally is as much of a local cry for help, as an international one.
"Obviously there's suffering going on in a number of places, with the wildfires and those sorts of things," he said. "But, we also want to make certain that our local politicians understand that we want to see some change. We're not really seeing anything substantial taking place. We've set targets for what we need by 2050, but at the moment, our governments and industry are failing us in that they're not meeting those goals."
Smith said a local climate plan identifies a number of things that need to happen.
"Things like looking at the buses. Converting from diesel to electric ones, that takes a bit of time to do, but it does need to get studied. We would like to see more resources put onto those things to really move them forward faster."
Participants will also be encouraged to sign postcards to mail to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford outlining things to do at the federal and provincial level.
