A 10-year-old schoolgirl has made an emotional plea to Hull business leaders to “heal the mistakes made” and tackle climate change in the region.
Lucie Parsons told a packed out Bonus Arena audience at The Waterline Summit last Thursday that the time for inaction in reducing carbon emissions was over.
The inspiring young environmentalist said children “know we have a big problem,” but “need adults to lead the way and care for our future world.”
At a time when fellow young green campaigner Greta Thunberg has caught the attention of the world, Hull now appears to have its very own answer to Sweden’s young superstar.
Lucie, the daughter of Hull University professor Dan Parsons, said: “We humans are responsible for climate change and we need to stop it and stop it now. We need to stop releasing greenhouse gases and change our carbon usage.
“Today I’m asking you to help. We need to take from the world only what we need and replace it with love.
“My question to you is ‘what will you do?’ Will you help other children like myself to build a better friendship with the world and heal the mistakes we have made?
“Will you help to protect the things that we’re killing? We need your help. Will you help us?”
Lucie set the agenda for a series of speakers at the Waterline Debate, part of The Waterline Summit, held at Hull’s Bonus Arena on Thursday, November 28.
The summit – the Humber’s biggest ever decarbonisation event - featured an exhibition of 50 projects and initiatives addressing climate challenges.
Organised by Marketing Humber, the organisation which promotes the region on a national and international stage, and event partner Yorkshire Water, The Waterline Summit positioned the region at the forefront of the critical fight against climate change.
Lucie said: “The world we live in is changing.
“Temperatures are rising, ice is melting making sea levels rise, and weather is becoming more extreme.
“Ten years ago in 2008, when I was born, people knew there was a problem, but nothing has been done about it.”
Lucie is an ambassador for the iwill campaign, which promotes social action among young people, and a supporter of the Kids Against Plastic charity which brings children together to tackle plastic pollution.
She has also inspired fellow young people across East Yorkshire to join her in campaigning to protect the environment.
The Humber region has been identified as one of the most at risk to flooding and climate change in the world.
The Waterline Summit last week brought together over 1,000 leading names from the region’s business and public sector, to debate and discuss what is widely considered as the greatest challenge faced.
