The Young Push for Changes on Climate

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/

Youth Climate Summit Nov. 2-5

This fall youth from across the country will convene in Washington, DC to change the climate on global warming in the United States. Together, they will create a shift in the fight for a clean and just energy future.
At this summit there will be a track specific for youth ages 16-26 from faith communities, which IPL is a co-sponsor. Workshops include how specific faith groups view climate change, lobbying from the faith prospective, and organizing from the campus ministry on a secular campus, reducing your house of worship's carbon footprint, developing your faith communities green team, power mapping in your community of faith, programs to engage your community, like how to create a green worship service.

If you are interested in attending, email me and I will provide more specifics or connect you with an appropriate IPL representative from your area. The summit is going to take place from Nov 2- 5 at University of Maryland, College Park. Registration will be available soon at http://powershift07.org/register.
Interfaith Power and Light is a religious response to global warming with chapters in 22 states and Greater Washington, D.C. Find a link to your local chapter at http://www.theregenerationproject.org/State.htm

Youth on Climate Change

In a recent poll conducted in various locations around the globe, 51% of young people age 15-17 have heard of Climate change, 34% say they have altered their behavior because of this knowlege, and 52% say they are not willing to lower their standard of living to protect the earth from climate change. Read about the other topics of the survey at Buzzle.com.