There are effective solutions to environmental issues, but children neglecting their education is counter-productive.

The underlying sentiment of last Friday's Climate Strike that 'education is meaningless on a dead planet' is misguided.

The solution to environmental problems is precisely education, enabling technological advancement and inspiring human ingenuity.

If students want to make a genuine contribution to reducing Victoria's environmental impact, they can reduce their use of high-energy-consuming mobile phones and computers, and begin walking or cycling to school.

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Waving placards in the Treasury Gardens or on the Warrnambool Civic Green is questionable in its effectiveness, especially during crucial school hours, in a time in which NAPLAN results are particularly poor.

The Federal Labor Member for Corangamite, Libby Coker, was totally irresponsible in encouraging children to attend the strike.

Adults should be setting a good example for these children who undoubtedly cherish the natural environment but are being fed lies by radical green ideologues.

There are avenues which Victoria should explore if it wants to minimise its environmental impact, particularly in solving our waste and energy crises, that don't involve encouraging children to miss school.

Victoria should begin facilitating the construction of highly effective waste incineration plants that are used around the world, to combust non-recyclable waste and generate energy, instead of burying waste or exporting our problem.

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We should begin to utilise more biomass facilities like those used at Skipton and Beaufort hospitals, which incinerate organic grain stubble to generate hot water and heating.

Community organisations should continue to plant trees across the state, just as our farmers do on farms because they care about the environment and appreciate the benefit of wind and shelter breaks and wildlife corridors.

The sustainability fund that is collected through landfill levies from ratepayers should be used more wisely to assist projects which result in cost-effective and energy-productive facilities, rather than for the installation of solar panels on Melbourne trams.

There are ample solutions to our environmental problems which we should be encouraging but avoiding school class time is not one, and if students and others want to take their placards to the streets, then why not do it on a public holiday or weekends?

Beverley McArthur, Western Victorian MP