Sydney rallies on climate change ahead of Paris summit
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Sydney (dpa) - More than 45,000 people marched through the streets of Sydney on Sunday on the eve of the Paris climate summit.
The Sydney march was the largest in three days of rallies in cities and towns across Australia, calling for action on climate change.
An estimated 40,000 people marched in Melbourne on Friday, followed by 10,000 in Brisbane Saturday. On Sunday, rallies drew crowds of 6,000 in Canberra, about 5,000 in Adelaide, 1,000 in Hobart, and more than 300 in Perth.
Four students dressed in bright orange, pink and green balloons representing the tropical oceans said the Paris talks were vital to the future of the planet.
"It's an emergency and if we don't all act it will become a catastrophe," David Sindel said.
"It's been now or never for far too long,' he said, under a swirl of green balloons." The so-called leaders have to act in Paris."
Indi Hawley, under a bright pink balloon-festooned umbrella, told DPA she was speaking for the creatures of the Great Barrier Reef. 'It's a beautiful ecosystem that will die unless action is taken now to stem ocean warming.'
Three boys dressed in blue had a warning.
"Smurfs are worried about climate change and you don't want to makes murfs angry," said Eden Kassem, aged eight, holding a sign saying, "Hey parents, no one will blame you for global warming except your children."
Amanda Dwyer and her daughter Mahina, 11, from the Pacific Island of Tavalu, said their island would drown unless action was taken.
"The highest point on our island is just four metres above sea level," Amanda Dwyer said. "We are already losing lots of land from rising sea levels, and soon we won't have a home at all unless something is done now."
