Princeton High School students made their feeling felt on the way climate change is being addressed by legislators when they organized a strike to demand action.
Hinds Plaza in Princeton was the location of the strike and rally on May 24.
The students were part of a national and international strike by students around the globe who wanted to teach the lesson to those in power about climate change that threatens human extinction, according to organizers.
Martin Mastnak, a sophomore who is one of the organizers of the Princeton High Strike, said it is encouraging to know so many of his peers came out to the strike.
“To know there are people in our generation who see a huge problem which is climate change is great and it is also empowering to participate in a global movement that is protesting inaction on climate change,” he said. “Today there are student strikes in 116 countries. It is inspiring to know that youth can take problems into their own hands and work to solve them.”
Mastnak said the strikes show legislators that the younger generation sees a problem.
“The older generations who caused the problem are not doing their part to solve it which is their job. There is a problem with lobbying being so strong by oil giants and fossil fuel giants, who have politicians publicly deny climate change,” he said. “Another big part of climate change that needs to be addressed is military polluting. According to research by Brown University, the U.S. Military is the single biggest polluter on Earth. It needs to be addressed and brought into public debate.”
Nicholas Dalton is one of Mastnak sophomore peers who joined him to strike for Climate Action.
“Climate Change is a big problem for us. Animals are dying and ice caps are melting if we do not do anything now Earth won’t be here down the road. Striking and rallying now is one of the most important things we can be doing,” he said. “It is even more important than school at this point. To be out here was a no brainer.”
Dalton said that with so many student strikes he hopes that with enough students talking maybe adults will listen.
Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker (D-Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset) joined the students by showing his support for climate action and attending the strike.
“I get a sense of optimism when we see this many students when this is just a piece of what is happen in the state, country and across the planet,” he said. “They are fighting for themselves, their future children and grandchildren. To come out here and support them is an honor for me that is where the future is right now.”
Zwicker said there needs to be action on climate change right now.
“I want the students to know optimistically that myself and my colleagues are doing everything we can to get action around climate change,” he said.
Sophomores Mats Eyckmans and Milo Makow said they are both out striking with fellow students to save the planet.
“I think it is important that young people come together, support the planet and try to save it. It feels good to do this,” Eyckmans said.
“Young people need to band together and show older generations that we are not going to just stand by as everything kind of collapses. This rally means a whole lot and it is a great feeling to be a part of it,” Makow said.
This is the second student strike in 2019 by local Princeton High School students, who had a previous student strike on March 15, which was also held at Hinds Plaza.