Roughly 400 students attended the event. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) Downtown Revelstoke was closed last Friday for a climate change rally. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) Multiple businesses and organizations took part, here is an instruction on weaving. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) The North Columbia Environmental Society helped organize the event. Sarah Newton is on the board of directors. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) There were many booths for kids and adults to make signs. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) Here is a booth on homemade toothpaste. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) Kootenay Rideshare had a booth and explained how the ride share works. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) Signs in front of city hall. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) Alexandra Luxmoore, Grade nine is one of the events organizers. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) The Local Food Initiative had a booth on locally produced food. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review) (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review)

Revelstoke students were part of the millions last week that gathered for a global strike demanding world leaders to address climate change.

The worldwide strike was inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who took part in a rally in New York after sailing across the Atlantic in an emissions-free yacht.

READ MORE: 16-year-old Swedish activist sails across Atlantic to attend climate meeting

16 year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg arrives to attend the 49th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. (Valentin Flauraud/Keystone via AP)

Thunberg is in New York for the UN climate summit, which is part of the United Nations General Assembly.

Thunberg gave a speech at the summit, which opened today.

READ MORE: World leaders feel the heat in upcoming UN climate summit

“This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you,”

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” Thunberg said.

She added that the generations that have polluted the most have burdened her and her generation with the extreme impacts of climate change.

The rally in Revelstoke was partly organized by the North Columbia Environmental Society as well as local students.

“I would like a better planet for the next generation. I don’t think we have to lose anymore species of animals and planets,” said Alexandra Luxmoore, a Revelstoke student who was one of the main organizers of the event.

According to a recent report published in Science Magazine, North America has lost 2.9 billion birds since 1970, which represents a population decline of 29 per cent.

The largest losses are among the sparrows, warblers and starlings.

“This loss of bird abundance signals an urgent need to address threats to avert future avifaunal collapse and associated loss of ecosystem integrity, function and services,” said the study.

The World Wildlife Fund for Nature, a non-governmental organization for wilderness preservation, reported last year that global wildlife populations have decline by 60 per cent on average in the last 40 years.

They concluded that habitat loss due to agriculture and over exploitation of species is the largest threats to biodiversity.

Alexandra Luxmoore, Grade nine is one of the events organizers. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review)

“I would just like a better planet for the next generation,” Luxmoore said.

Roughly 400 students and 28 business took part in local rally last week. There were speeches from students, city councillors and superintendent Mike Hooker.

READ MORE: Climate change rally on steps of Revelstoke City Hall

Luxmoore said there will be another rally this Friday on city hall steps during lunch.

Since it’s election season, Luxmoore wants to remind people that they are voting for their children’s future.

“What planet are they going to leave for their kids?”

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liam.harrap@revelstokereview.com

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