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Students on the Central Coast are organizing to call for more aggressive action from local government leaders on climate change.
The demonstrations are being coordinated with more 1,400 rallies in 99 countries associated with the national Youth Climate Strike in the U.S. and the #FridaysForFuture movement in Europe.
Two protests are being held in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties this Friday, March 15.
Participants will gather outside the San Luis Obispo County Government Office at 10 a.m. Youth leaders will also demonstrate outside of Davidson Library at UC Santa Barbara at 11 a.m.
Carmen Bouquin organized the event in SLO. She said climate change disproportionately affects the health and livelihood of marginalized people and youth on the Central Coast.
“The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors and local people in power keep allowing the fossil fuel industry to develop, doing almost nothing to guarantee a healthy planet and future for my peers and I,” said 19-year-old Bouquin.
Specific demands include bolder action for the Green New Deal, a fair and just transition to decarbonize the U.S. economy and other legislative action to keep global warming below 1.5 °C.
Students from around SLO county will also hold events at their schools, including Morro Bay High School, which is staging a climate walk-out at 9:45 a.m.
For more information on the SLO county protest, see the event page. For more on the UCSB rally, contact Daniel Berchenko at danielberchenko@gmail.com.
