We don't want a global suicide pact. We want a global survival pact.

We've been talking to a lot of international youth this week. I know that this movement is important to me and that as a young person, clean energy is a matter of my health and the strength of the American economy, but that is nothing from what youth from the Global South have to deal with.  This is about survival for them. They are depending on us, on Obama, to provide them with the reductions they need, the money for adaptation to protect them from the effects of climate change, and funds and technology to help them transition to a green economy. We have this. We could give them the tools for survival and to help our economy at the same time!

Right now $10 BILLION of our taxpayer money goes to subsidize the fossil fuel companies.  President Obama promised that he "will work with my colleagues at the G20 to phase out fossil fuel subsidies so that we can better address our climate challenge." My friends here do not have the time to wait for it to "phase out." COP15 has already been stalled a few times because developing countries cannot afford to adapt without financial help. We can't green ours without them.

When the US decides to make something a priority, it finds ways to fund it. We know that this is the moment of our generation and not just a priority, but a requirement for us to ensure survival.

Call Obama at 202-456-1111 and say:

"I'm calling to urge President Obama to commit to an ambitious climate finance package. With the UN negotiations on the brink, and the world calling for your leadership, it's time for you to announce shifting fossil fuel subsides to climate finance and contributing on the order of what developing countries are demanding." 

PS: Please take a moment and join the Facebook group!

Week 2

This weekend was supposed to be my weekend of finishing all my college papers, catching up on sleep, and grocery shopping, instead, I sat in tons of strategy meetings! Sunday was a 4 hour strategy meeting of the leaders of the entire environmental movement. We followed that with a US Youth strategy meeting to talk about what we are expecting this week and how we are going to get the best deal we can get out of COP. The older folks at the afternoon meeting might be more eloquent when describing the policy and mitigation numbers, but youth have the strategy and vision down! I am so confident with our plan going forward. We have started thinking outside Copenhagen and looking at this globally as part of a movement. Just wait.

Highlights from Saturday's Climate Justice March in Copenhagen on the Global Day of Action.

When asked what gives him hope that we'll be able to solve the climate
challenge, Archbishop Desmond Tutu unequivocally replied, ''THE YOUTH!!!''

Here's the video:


Here's the article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kroodsma/archbishop-desmond-tutu-o_b_390488.html
 

We Crashed AFP's Climate Denier Live Webcast

So an action I planned went really well today. Please repost and tweet around! Americans for Prosperity gave it coverage as well!




Check out the press release:
US Youth Crash Climate Denier Event in Copenhagen
Young Clean Energy Advocates called "Hitler Youth" by Climate Denier Lord Monckton

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - Fifty young Americans took over a climate denier conference hosted by a prominent conservative organization this evening in Copenhagen, rushing the stage and telling the live TV audience that a clean energy future is the real road to prosperity in America. The young people, merely a fraction of the more than 350 US youth in Denmark for the UN climate negotiations, entered a session of the Americans for Prosperity "Hot Air Tour" speakers series and were able to drop two banners and gain access to the conference's stage. The live event was webcast to over forty climate denier rallies in cities across the United States.

US State Department Briefing

Last  night the US State Department held a briefing for the NGO's and US civil society here in Copenhagen.  This is going to happen every other day for the rest of COP15. The US Youth wrote up a series of questions and got there early.

As soon as we walked it we took front row and joined tons of other youth in the crowd.  Jonathan Pershing, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change, started the meeting by giving a brief synopsis of where the negotiations are at, what the US sees happening and what we should expect.  Then Administrator Lisa Jackson, Chief of the EPA, joined the conversation, telling us about the landmark announcement yesterday by the US government that greenhouse gases are indeed harmful to human health (duh).  Then they took questions from the audience.

Youth owned this. We asked 7 out of the 9 questions that Mr. Pershing took. We asked tough questions about the US's official position on 350ppm, paying our climate debt, and how the recent EPA announcement will strengthen the US's targets. I started off the questions by introduing myself as a US youth delegate from SustainUs and pointed out that I was joined here by 500 American youth representing thousands back in the US working for climate justice.
Then I asked about the Danish Text, which you should read up on (interesting stuff).