Mackellar Teal Sophie Scamps awards School Strike 4 Climate Christopher Black on Northern Beaches
A teenage climate activist who became passionate about saving the planet when his family’s holiday home nearly burned down in the Black Summer bushfires has been recognized with a community service award from Independent MP Sophie Scamps.
16-year-old Christopher Black received a ‘certificate of appreciation’ from his local member Sophie Scamps for his efforts to tackle climate change as part of the School Strike 4 Climate group.
The teen has long been an advocate for Dr. Scamps – a local GP who became an independent MP for Mackellar on Sydney’s affluent Far Northern Beaches.
He was recognized along with a rural firefighter, who fed the homeless advocate, and a corporate psychologist who covered the “clean energy revolution” at an intimate ceremony in Narrabeen for Volunteer Week.
In April 2022, just weeks before the federal election, the teen was caught on CCTV using chalk to write climate messages outside the office of then-Liberal MP Jason Falinski.
Christopher Black, 16, received a “certificate of appreciation” from his local member Dr. Sophie Scamps for his efforts to tackle climate change as part of the School Strike 4 Climate group
In April 2022, ahead of the federal election, the teen was caught on CCTV using a spray can of chalk to write climate messages on the floor directly in front of Liberal member Jason Falinski’s office
He wrote “vote out Jason Falinski” and added some QR codes that gave access to climate action resources.
Mr. Falinski, who lost to Dr. Scamps described the incident as an act of vandalism.
He believed it was the work of activist groups Climate 200 and GetUp! – allegations Christopher denies.
Christopher later said he acted alone and within the law. The teen said he sought advice from local police to ensure he could use chalk on the footpath.
“It’s pretty intense to be bullied in the media by your local MP because of chalk on the sidewalk,” he said at the time.
“I checked in with the police ahead of time to make sure it was okay, and I’ve since spoken to them again to make sure I didn’t do anything wrong.”
However, local residents have told Daily Mail Australia it was a “pretty bad impression” of Dr. Scamps to credit Christopher for volunteering after being so directly involved in fighting her rival.
‘There are so many decent people in the electorate; nurses, firefighters, and instead she gives it to this kid,” one of them said.
Christopher protests with the School Strike 4 Climate group
The chalk involved was reportedly easy to wash and easy to remove.
Dr. However, Scamps did not know who received the awards prior to the ceremony.
A spokesperson for Dr Scamps said she was ‘seeking nominations from community organizations to recognize a volunteer’s contribution’.
The student was nominated by his community group for his contribution to raising awareness of climate justice and community organizing. All nominees were the choice of the civil society organisations.’
Daily Mail Australia understands that all nominees put forward at the ceremony have been recognized.
She was also asked what merits she considered when choosing who to recognize for a community service award.
On Thursday, Dr Scamps shared a series of photos on social media with the caption: ‘A huge shout out to all the amazing volunteers in our community.
‘You are the glue that holds our world together – catching people when we fall through the cracks or are in need; protecting our environment for future generations; guiding young people to learn life and leadership skills; teaching older people new skills; create joy and vibrancy in our lives.”
Christopher was also involved in a confrontation with NAB and Commonwealth CEOs in May 2022, describing the industry as “bad” and demanding an explanation as to why the banks “refuse to stop financing fossil fuels.”
He said he was first motivated to take action on climate change during the Black Summer wildfires.
His family’s vacation home in the Blue Mountains “almost burned down” during the megafires in the summer of 2019 and 2020.
Christopher protests with the School Strike 4 Climate group
He said he started reading up on climate change and then was caught “in the middle of Cyclone Seroja” in 2021 while on holiday in Western Australia.
“A man died 10 feet away from me. It was only after that that I realized I had to do more, so I got involved with School Strike 4 Climate,” he said.
“After that incident, my climate anxiety also got worse and has been exhausting me ever since. My school flooded twice and I couldn’t go to school for three days.
“Climate disasters are getting worse and are happening all the time now.”
Christopher said that “almost everyone” he knows has “some degree of climate-related mental health issues.”
He now calls himself a “climate disaster survivor” who is in “the battle for his future.”