Shortly before the birth of her third child, Trudi Beck was filled with "overwhelming despair".
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The Wagga obstetrician and general practitioner had spent the past five years reading through the United Nations' period release of climate change data.
"When the last one came out in October, I was overwhelmed with it," she said.
"I was heavily pregnant with my third child, and I thought, 'I'm bringing a child into a life that will look very different from what I knew when I was growing up'.
"I think when you have children you have a responsibility to make a change."
Doubling down her efforts to promote sustainability and ethical choices, Dr Beck decided to rally her fellow health professionals for the climate change cause.
"It started during the [federal] election, we wanted to make climate change an agenda item for all candidates," she said.
Following the online presence of 15-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, Dr Beck decided to instigate a regular 'Friday for the future' protest.
Each week at 9.30 on a Friday morning, they gather outside the office of Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack in an attempt to literally keep their cause in front of the federal eye.
"The idea of having a picnic was to make it a community. If you're despairing alone, it leads to inaction. I prefer optimism rather than pessimism."
This week, the coalition has also begun calling on Wagga City Council to declare a climate emergency.
"When any form of government declares a climate emergency, it means they mobilise resources in excess to that task," Dr Beck said.
"This year, we have seen the effects of climate change. January was about six degrees hotter than average with much less rainfall.
"Heatwaves are natural and there is a difference between climate and weather, but what we're seeing from the climate science is that these weather events will last longer and be more frequent which is dangerous for land, livestock and people."