More than 90 regional towns and cities hosted strikes with people urged to join students worried about the state of the environment they will make their futures in.

Strikes were held across the country led by youth who asked their government leaders to take action on climate change. The School Strike 4 Climate Action movement was inspired by Swedish student Greta Thunberg, who started boycotting classes before parliamentary elections in her country last year.

In the south-west a push by pupils and environmentalists to get councils and MPs to declare a climate emergency appears to have fallen on deaf ears, with all refusing to make the formal declaration.

Wannon MP Dan Tehan asked if the students would strike if it wasn't a school day, but pupils say they will stand up and have their voices heard.

And, even if the naysayers who say climate change and global warming isn't real could, somehow, possibly be right - despite 97 per cent of scientists agreeing it exists - at least awareness of the fragility of the environment has been raised.

Over the past decade we've seen a greater focus on the three Rs - reduce, reuse and recycle, which has led to some pretty special inventions and changing attitudes. Victoria is in the midst of a recycling crisis, and for a few weeks products were going directly to landfill. But from crisis comes sparks of inspiration.

We all know about the little changes we can make - taking green bags to the shops, swapping a plastic straw for metal and ditching the take-away cup for a reusable mug - but others are putting their hands up with projects to combat environmental change for the better.

The city council has entered into a power purchase agreement which, once complete, will mean 40 per cent of its electricity consumption will be sourced from wind and/or solar power.

Young people need to be included in the debate - after all, it is their future. And it's our future too - our children, our grandchildren and our legacy.