A radio interview in New Zealand on the show Wellington Mornings went entirely off the rails when the show’s host, Heather du Plessis-Allan, asked teen climate activist Izzy Cook if she was aware of her own carbon footprint.
Cook, who was integral in setting up this past Friday’s School Strike 4 Climate event, took to the streets alongside multiple hundreds of other people in Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland, and New Plymouth — at which they demanded that the government get with the program and deal with the climate change issues as “the crisis that it is.”
“This year for our strike we’re focusing specifically on agriculture,” she explained. “Two of our demands are our main focus: ban synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and halving the herd of cows in NZ … the government is just not doing enough.”
16-year old Izzy Cook from SS4C:
"This year for our strike we're focusing specifically on agriculture. Two of our demands are our main focus: ban synthetic nitrogen fertilisers and halving the herd of cows in NZ…the government is just not doing enough."https://t.co/CK6RBO4nnP
— Adam Currie (@Adam_Currie_NZ) September 22, 2022
Cook took time to talk with du Plessis-Allan concerning the strike, and climate change in general, but the interview flew off the rails as soon as the topic of conversation naturally drifted over to air travel.
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#schoolstrike4climate
"It is pretty ironic,…" pic.twitter.com/M5a3WwQ9kK— WorkingClassBoyFromTheHutt (@smoothie_nz) September 23, 2022
“So we would have to apply to have, like, approved events to be able to fly for,” pressed du Plessis-Allan.
“Well, that’s one thing that you could look at doing,” answered the young activist.
“Am I allowed to go to Fiji? Is that necessary?” posited du Plessis-Allan.
“In the current climate crisis, I don’t think that that’s necessary travel,” answered cook, but du Plessis-Allan was quick to push back on the notion.
“When was the last time you were on a plane?” she asked of the young activist.
Cook paused in thought before issuing an answer, “Um … I’m not sure. A few months ago, to be honest.”
“Where’d you go?” continued du Plessis-Allan.
In the wake of yet another long pause, Cook finally quietly answered: “Fiji.”
“Izzy!” exclaimed the host before crumbling into a fit of laughter, then chastising the young activist. “Izzy! Don’t you care about the climate, Izzy?”
“Of course I care about the climate,” asserted Cook, which prompted du Plessis-Allan to shoot back, “Not enough.”
“You went to Fiji!” exclaimed the host once again, still holding back more laughter. “Izzy, come on, mate! Are you serious?”
After yet another long pause, Cook gave up, “It’s pretty ironic. It is pretty ironic, but to be honest, it’s not really a trip that I wanted to go on, but I can’t really get out of it.”
Cook then went on to clarify that the trip had been planned and instigated by her parents and that she had been told she had no choice in the matter but to go along with their wishes.