Pauline O’Reilly, Green Party candidate for Galway West South Mayo, has announced that an Extinction and Climate Rebellion rally will be held on Saturday 17 November at 2pm in Salthill.
Speaking this week, Ms O'Reilly said that recently scientists announced that humans had wiped out 60 per cent of all mammals, fish, birds and reptiles since 1970 and that this is devastating news for anyone who loves our beautiful wild western coast.
“At the same time, our climate is changing, with temperatures rising and extreme weather becoming more common. Meanwhile Ireland’s government risks huge EU fines by refusing to take measures to reduce our carbon emissions.”
“Our extinction crisis and climate catastrophe go beyond simple tragedy. They present a threat to civilisation itself. We can’t just stand by and do nothing as extinctions multiply and the climate goes haywire, leading to human and animal suffering," she said.
“A global day of action for our planet has been announced, with protests in Dublin, London and elsewhere. We have decided to hold one in Galway and have put out our hands to other political parties, environmental groups and social justice groups to act collaboratively to bring about change. More than anything else his protest is about all of us as individuals coming together. We invite anyone who cares about our natural world and the species that call it home to join us on the Prom in Salthill, Saturday 17 November, to say enough is enough.”
“Attendees are invited to wear black in mourning for those species who have joined the dodo by being wiped from this Earth. This will be a welcoming and family-friendly event, so feel free to bring kids, dogs - anyone who cares about life on earth”
Galway Environmental Network is supporting the event saying that more and more people are realising that our environment is under serious threat in ways that have the potential to damage our own health and wellbeing, be it from Climate Change, the abuse of single use plastics, the loss of more than 60 per cent of all invertebrate animals since the 1970s, disease, resource depletion, habitat destruction, soil erosion etc and the list goes on.
The Galway Environmental Network is happy to support all initiatives, political or otherwise that seek to reverse these negative environmental trends in ways that are beneficial to our communities and the wellbeing of future generations.
