Greenrock has formed a Youth Council to provide young environmental advocates and green entrepreneurs with a platform to express their interests, proposed solutions and collective concerns to our government, local businesses and the community at large. The council will also serve as a central hub for young leaders to collaborate with like minded peers, share ideas, raise awareness, organize initiatives, and provide support to one another when it is time to make a stand.
The creation of the Greenrock Youth Council was inspired by the actions of two 15 year old advocates, Salayah Stange and Katarina Rance, who organized their first school strike / climate rally for local students on Friday, May 23rd. On Friday, June 14th, they organized an even larger school strike / climate rally and, at the moment, they are in the midst of planning their third climate rally from Nellie’s Walk to the Cabinet Office this Friday, July 19th from 11:30am - 1:30pm. The rallies have all been organized in conjunction with the #FridaysForFuture Movement started in 2018 by then, 15 year old student Greta Thunburg, who sat in front of the Swedish parliament every school day for three weeks, to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis. She posted what she was doing on Instagram and Twitter and it soon went viral. Today Greta continues to strike in front of Parliament every Friday, and she plans to do so until the Swedish Government brings its policies in line with the Paris Agreement.
Like Greta, members of the Greenrock Youth Council would like to see our Government engage more actively in policies, legislation and initiatives geared toward reversing the harmful effects of climate change. The current objectives of the council are as follows:
- Encourage our government to declare a Climate State of Emergency - “we need to address climate change like a house on fire”
- Encourage our government to set renewable energy targets - i.e. 70% renewables by 2040
- Encourage our government to ban all single use plastics and styrofoam - “ we are creatures of habit who have proven, on many occasions, that we only tend to change when we have to”
As these objectives are realized, others will be prioritized by the youth council as the members continuously work toward creating a more sustainable future for Bermuda. Key members of the youth council are Salayah Stange & Katarina Rance (Co Chairs & Legislation), Kristy Sanchez (Admin), Anjelina Chandrasekaran (Membership), Tomasina Pearman (Graphic Design), Chris Skinner (Social Media), Jodie Curtis (Renewable Energy & Carbon Emissions). If you are interested in joining the youth council or participating in the climate rallies call 747.7625, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or instagram @greenrock or @fridaysforfuturebda19
“It is important for us all to remember that our actions today directly impact the future that younger generations will inherit. With that in mind, it is imperative that the views of our young people are respected, that they have a seat at the table when decisions pertaining to their futures are being discussed, and that they are actively engaged in providing local solutions for the global challenges we face today.” Eugene Dean (Greenrock Chairman)
