Andrew Revkin highlights the youngest folks who push for action on the climate in his New York Times science blog Dot Earth. Here is an excerpt:
I first encountered lots of young people focused on global warming at the 2005 round of climate-treaty talks in Montreal.
Youths protesting at 2005 climate talks, by Andrew C. Revkin
Amid the throngs of diplomats and lobbyists and politicians in gray suits were sporadic demonstrations in which dozens of college students and 20-somethings chanted climate-ized versions of John Lennon songs (“All we are saying, is give youth a chance…”).
The message was that it was their climate being hijacked by today’s decisions, or lack of decisions, on what to do about emissions linked to rising temperatures.
Now the movement, much enlarged, is invading Washington, where several thousand young people from around the country have assembled for a meeting on climate and energy today, called Power Shift.
They are pushing an ambitious agenda: freezing carbon dioxide emissions and coal use, cutting the nation’s energy used 20 percent by 2015, and setting the country on a course toward cutting emissions of greenhouse gases 80 percent by 2050. The goals largely mirror those of a new coalition of campaigners called 1Sky.
There’s more. Saturday is the day of the second annual “Step It Up” nationwide climate demonstration and teach-in (for all ages), aimed particularly at candidates for president and Congressional seats.
Monday is devoted to a mix of ’60s-style rallies and K-Street-style lobbying, with hundreds of students and young adults fanning out on Capitol Hill to testify at hearings and press their representatives to adopt an aggressive climate stance.
These campaigners have organized through campus groups and a galaxy of Web sites with names like itsgettinghotinhere.org, campusclimatechallenge.org, and energyaction.net.
Interfaith Power and Light is a religious response to global warming with chapters in 25 states and Greater Washington, D.C. Find a link to your local chapter at http://www.theregenerationproject.org/State.htm
Enjoy discounts on energy saving products at http://www.shopipl.org/
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The 1Sky Climate Initiative has done a tremendous job of promoting environmental activism in communities around the U.S. Check my coalition's efforts to promote Powershift 2007 in DC subway system over the weekend: smnr.us/lobbyday.
There is still time to sign the Energy Bill at www.energybill2007.org. If you like the message about updating CAFE and RES provisions and want to see better fuel and energy standards, sign the petition. Thanks!
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