We got a taste of that fury locally on Friday, when hundreds of young people took part in the student climate strike, inspired by Greta Thunberg but, more importantly, fearful of what the future holds if the warnings aren't heeded and action taken.

They rallied and marched in Nowra and Ulladulla and few who saw and heard the passion would have failed to have been moved by it. In Ulladulla, they even took to the Princes Highway, blocking southbound traffic.

Of course, the keyboard warriors were quick to pounce on the students via social media. "They should be in school," they said. Well, guess what. Greta Thunberg agrees. "I shouldn't be up here," she told the UN. "I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and childhood with your empty words."

And in a twist of logic, while saying the kids should stay in school, the Facebook thunderers were accusing the teachers of poisoning their minds with climate anxiety. Go figure.

At Shoalhaven City Council, there was even a bid to muffle the Mayor, who read out the speech by a Year 10 Bomaderry High School student, who had earlier in the day addressed the rally in Nowra. For a coastal council at the front line of climate change, it was disappointing some councillors were not interested in hearing what young people had to say about the biggest issue clouding their future.

Shoalhaven faces climate challenges from the sea and the bush: coastal erosion and flood risk on the one hand and increased bushfire risk on the other. The days of burying heads in the sand are over and councillors - all councillors - need to wake up to that.

And all politicians at every level need to wake up to the fact the young people marching and striking today will soon have the vote. The frustration they voiced during the climate strike will be expressed at the ballot box in coming years.