Violet Samson Bush seeds through Country 2012 (detail). Synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 85.0 x 120.2 cm. State Art Collection, Art Gallery of Western Australia. Gift of Rio Tinto Iron Ore, 2013. © Violet Samson, 2012.
Hear what the next generation of decision makers have to say about climate change.
Join a discussion facilitated by sixteen-year old climate activist Makaela Rowe-Fox, who is one of the organisers for the school strike for climate action in Perth.
Facilitator
Makaela Rowe-Fox
Makaela is sixteen years old and is one of the organisers for the school strike for climate movement in Perth. She decided to join the movement because she believes we need to take action on the climate crisis and can't leave it to governments and corporations. As an organiser she has been involved in national calls, outreach to groups, unions and schools, managing social media, and has spoken/chanted/occupied at the major March 15 and May 3 strikes earlier this year. Makaela is also a performer with Co3 dance and Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company.
Climate Change Panel
Chelsea Andrews
Chelsea is a passionate climate activist and representative for the Australian Youth Climate Council. Her work with the AYCC has seen her meeting with West Australian MPs to discuss the role of politics in ensuring a safe climate future for all and running climate justice training sessions for school students. She is a regular presence at climate strikes around Perth, and loves a good beach clean up or tree planting session. Chelsea is currently studying Environmental Science and Natural Resource Management at the University of Western Australia, and hopes to consult to brands on responsible environmental strategies once she graduates.
Rachel Rainey
I am a 23 year old environmental scientist. I am a portfolio team leader with 350.org and a member of the Youth Board of Millennium Kids Inc. I have been involved in environmental action since I was 14. At 14 I attended a Millennium Kids Inc. conference and I was hooked ever since. Climate change concerns me because it exacerbates so many humanitarian issues such as poverty, food security and natural disasters. I want to see an Australia where big polluters are held accountable for their actions. I want to see us make a real effort to reduce our net carbon output and waste production to zero and to regenerate our wildlife habitats on the land and in the ocean.
Sampson Mccrackan
My name is Sampson Mccrackan, I'm sixteen years old. I attend Aranmore Catholic College and have done so for all of high school. Whilst I was born in Perth, I spent the first couple years of my life on a farm up north (roughly an hour from Geraldton inland). I do believe that while I did not learn or realise it straight away is that those formative years helped to connect me with the environment as I've grown up, realising the damage it is causing by going back to that same farm now and also seeing how much greener it was fifty years ago in old videos has really cemented in the existential threat climate change is to us all.