Students and environmentalists carry a coffin through
Dunedin to raise awareness of environmental issues. Photo
by Craig Baxter.
A mock funeral procession filed from the University of
Otago to the Octagon in Dunedin yesterday, in a bid to raise
awareness of "fossil fuel addiction".
A group of about 45 people, many of whom were university
students, held a mock funeral in the lower Octagon.
A large banner with the words "RIP Business as Usual. Cause
of death: fossil fuel overdose", painted in black letters,
was carried at the rear.
The stunt was part of a national movement to raise awareness
of depleting energy sources.
Environmental group Generation Zero spokesman Louis Chambers,
a pallbearer in the procession, said it was part of a
national movement to "get people to think about renewable
energies".
University energy studies Associate Prof Bob Lloyd said
people needed to start investing in sustainable energy
sources which would not emit carbon into the atmosphere.
"Now, we can put people before cash," he said.
After his speech, Prof Lloyd said he had wanted to be there
to support the students.
"I thought it was a worthy cause," he said.
"Business as usual died of natural causes [and] could not be
sustained."
University law student Alex Dawson said he had joined the
cause because he identified with concerns about the
environment.
"It's not radical," he said.
"People will want change."
- By Andrew MacKay.
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