BOISE, Idaho — Students in the Treasure Valley walked out of class Friday and met on the Capitol building's front steps to urge lawmakers to take action on climate.
These global climate strikes take place all over the world on Fridays. In some places they take place weekly; in others, it's less frequent like here in Idaho. The marches were spearheaded by Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg in 2018 and are an ongoing effort for school-aged children to raise their voices on an issue expected to affect their generation the most.
"Being in Gen Z, it's definitely going to affect us the hardest," Hannah Amick, a student organizer, told Idaho News 6. "It's very important for us to take charge. We are the generation that will be hit the hardest."
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Idaho is already seeing climate change impacts like hotter summer days and lengthier wildfire seasons.
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"It affects everyone, climate change, especially in our climate. It's a desert climate and that can lead to drought, and food shortage. It especially affects third-world countries," Amick explained.
"There're so many opportunities for youth engagement. All you have to do is look around, they're out there," she continued.
