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).

Join me at COP and shape the news

There is mixed media on what is actually happening here in Copenhagen and you have a chance to shape what that message is by asking for the story you want to hear.

Submit videos that have you asking, the tough questions, to be displayed on the cube here and considered for inclusion in an upcoming CNN show at www.youtube.com/cop15.

*If you need some ideas here are some great questions the attendees of last week's youth Clean energy Forum came up with.

Hope to see your questions join me here at COP!

SustainUs Delivers TckTckTck Petitions

I took photos for this. Check out April and Kyle holding the boxes.

Letter from my friend here in Copenhagen

Please read this letter from my friend Caroline, cross-posted from It's Getting Hot in Here
Join Us in Copenhagen

Hello dear movement friends,

I have a very important ask of you, from one member of the climate family to another. Please read on.

http://powershift09.org/rapidresponse

I’m so excited and grateful to be here in Copenhagen for the International Climate Negotiations. These next two weeks are going to be jam-packed and intense. But it’s the organizers in the states who have the big job.

This weekend was the Conference of Youth where over 500 youth delegates from around the world gathered to prepare for our role as youth.

I have met so many inspiring young people- a young woman in Indonesia helping her farmers in her community adapt with the changing climate and its effect on agricultural production… Organizers from Australia who put on a spectacular flash mob dance to cap off their own Power Shift conference. And to think that, as we were embarking as climate leaders in our country, what happened here two years ago (Power Shift 2007) has become a wave of Power Shifts around the world! As you know, the US carries not only a huge carbon footprint, but a powerful influence over the outcome of the conference- what commitments other countries will make (or not make) and ultimately, the fate of these young people around the world.

1st Day at COP

At the first day of the UN Climate Talks yesterday I served as the spokesperson for SustainUS at the YOUNGO daily meeting. The international youth climate movement meets every morning to collaborate, decide what our major talking points are for the day, and pick out our official actions. The energy of this group is indisputable. But the depth and span of their knowledge of climate change, the UNFCCC, and community organizing is awe-inspiring. These leaders are well aware that the next two weeks will be two of the most important of our lives and I am confident we are ready to respond to the challenge.


Keep in mind that our success in Copenhagen depends on your action in the states!

How to stay in the 'COP15 know' without actually being here!

Oh and personal highlight!
On the flight over I met Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!. I recognized her from when she came to Hofstra for the lead up to the presidential debates, but then when her box of books broke open on the luggage carousel, I put the face to the name. It was hard to get really excited for COP the last couple of weeks with all the school work, but simply walking out of the plane in Copenhagen and being surrounded by advertisements from companies and various non-profits sharing the news of COP and what we will achieve and gain by fighting climate change gave me all the energy and excitement I had been lacking. So, with all this excitement seriously bursting at the seems, I approached Amy Goodman and told her why I was going and asked if she would be covering COP. I got her email address and we will be drafting out an email of our actions and sending a press advisory tomorrow morning. Absolute success.

Note the 0:00:00:00 on the Countdown to Copenhagen!

Why this is a Global Human Problem

Vegetarians for the Climate

Yesterday I had someone seriously question why I was a vegetarian. Its been a Really Long Time since this has happened. I had assumed that, at this point in the United States, most people had heard about factory farming. I figured that everyone had taken a second to look at the packaging of their food, list of ingrediants, and considered how much processing and travel had taken place. And I thought people had seen the various fake-meat products that were available to make the transition easier.

I found myself explaining the ethics and the larger picture of it and how I felt that this was a simple personal choice I was making. But, I also found myself talking about how this isnt't for me, but for the larger community, not animals but people and the health of the environment.

Perfect timing. Take a look at this Washington Post op-ed on whether eating meat is a personal choice.

James E. McWilliams writes: "So it's hard to avoid concluding that eating cannot be personal. What I eat influences you. What you eat influences me. Our diets are deeply, intimately and necessarily political."

No Deal in Copenhagen?

Leaders Will Delay Deal on Climate Change

"President Obama and other world leaders have decided to put off the difficult task of reaching a climate change agreement at a global climate conference scheduled for next month, agreeing instead to make it the mission of the Copenhagen conference to reach a less specific “politically binding” agreement that would punt the most difficult issues into the future."

Instead of attempting to hammer out a final pact, negotiators will seek a "politically binding" agreement—one that will likely lay out broad principles rather than concrete specifics.

What does this mean for the International Youth Delegation? How do you think we should shift our focus?

Hofstra's Homecoming

Hofstra's Homecoming was yesterday. The theme was "Myths and Legends." Now Homecoming is traditionally a fraternity-sorority event, and as such, I've never attended. But, this year our school decided to make this more "green." Intrigued, my campus clubs Students for a Greener Hofstra, Progressive Students Union and The Groove decided to get involved. Making the homecoming more green basically meant that they encouraged us to use recycled materials and that the first day of building we were told not to use electric tools. Whoop-de-doo. We knew we could do better. We used this opportunity to build a float that taught the real message of going green and illustrated why it is so important that we do this right. We build a float out of all recycled materials that we pulled from the trash, in our rooms, the student center, and dumps. Going with the theme, our float was titled "Myth" Global Warming. Whereas some groups spent upwards of $2000 on their floats (which wind right up in the trash), we spent $23 an organization on paint and twine. Bringing together education, activism and art, we won for the award for the Greenest Float. We built an educational art installation and spend some quality time with each other, learning about skills and talents that we didn't know we all had and we exposed greek-life to some new ideas and cost-saving measures for next year's homecoming. Just check out this picture.

Governor's Global Climate Summit

Last week I took a cross country flight to LA. Leading up to Copenhagen, tons of events are happening that are trying to capture the spotlight onto the climate fight that we are in the midst of. The Governors' Global Climate Summit aims to "deepen and broaden cooperative efforts by subnational governments to implement strategies that can immediately grow a green economy, increase the use of sustainable clean energy, reduce dependence on oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in advance of, and in support of, the next global agreement on climate change." Not too bad.

Fortunately there were some amazing youth activists involved in the planning of this summit that saw value in adding youth voices to the agenda. Young people are everywhere and are voices are getting louder, but we've left some gaps in the places we are spreading our message. Subnational governments and business are on the top of that list. I participated in the normal summit, raising questions, networking with business leaders, and listening to how successful subnational governments can be at lowering emissions. I'm going to go out there and say it, I think my cross country flight was worth its carbon emissions. These business leaders were exposed to a youth view and saw the interest we had in these topics and the knowledge and personal stories we brought to the table. I started thinking about the possibilities youth organizing has on a state level. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced during the conference that the EPA is going to start to limit emissions based on the Clean Air Act. Did you know that in the first year of the Kyoto Protocol 227 US cities signed on despite the failure of our federal government to do so?! We have open doors here. Our subnational governments, local communities, businesses, and government agencies are stepping up, and the youth climate movement has not even begun to show what it can do in those areas.

The Environment News Service has a great article talking more about the summit

E-Recycle Bin

SustainUS is collecting old electronics. Ancient fax machines, scanners, copiers, giant cell phones, noisy printers we want them.

http://agentsofchange.gazelle.com/

You empty your basement, youth attend the UN Climate Talks and we work towards a bold and binding deal. Done and done.

Global Call for Climate Action

I joined hundreds of people this Sunday afternoon. We all came out to New York City's Central Park to make an aerial art theater piece in the Trump Wollman Ice Rink. The image was stunning. The earth in an hour glass melting and showing the time running out to form the words 'Tck Tck Tck" in the bottom of the glass. Time is running out for us to reach a global climate treaty and this week in NYC thousands of people are attending events, rallies, panels, and actions to demonstrate the need for bold action now.

GOT- You can't go wrong!

I can't get over how critical the Greenpeace Organizing Term (GOT) has been! I did it last summer and now I'm raising money to be on the International Youth Delegation to Copenhagen while my friend, who did the program with me, is doing incredible actions with Greenpeace.

Best life choice ever.

Activities Fair

My club on campus, Students for a Greener Hofstra, made its first appearance of the semester this Monday at the Clubs and Activities Fair. We had our postcards to Obama set out, stickers and information available, and meeting times written and attached to our free clif bars, ready to rock and roll. It was so empowering to feel everything come full circle! I got to see some amazing students that just finished the Greenpeace Organizing Term deliver perfect pitches and I got to go from campaign planner, to trainer for trainers, to student organizers- all in like a week! It was a huge success. Over 80 students, mostly freshman, signed up and over half of those said yes to coming to our planning retreat this weekend. I'm making the agenda for the retreat right now and can't wait to see the campaign plan that comes out of it. And- Something I have been wanting to do my whole college experience.. the dirty waste-to-energy plant down the street is trying to expand and so I will finally get to work with community leaders to shut down dirty energy!

Final Day in EAC Office

Wow. Its been an incredible 8 months. A little over a year ago Jessy Tolkin bounced into my Greenpeace Organizing Term and gave the pitch that sold me to this movement. From there its been all Energy Action all the time. I moved out to DC this past January to intern for Power Shift, organizing the largest Lobby Day in history. There have been a lot of first's here. My first blog post, first Power Shift, first radioshow interview, first call as a field organizer, first New York State Network, first retreat planned, first fundraiser planned, and first campaign planned and created! This summer, working out of the EAC office I was the climate program fellow. Past SustainUS delegations felt that having a domestic campaign before the international negotiations is the best way to actually shape the results of the talks. This summer I wrote a campaign, pitched it to other organizations, created the materials, held the calls, and trained the field support team. This summer has really demonstrated that this is what I want to do with my life. I love working with young people and I love being inspired everyday by the growth and creativity of our movement. Going to Copenhagen this December is cherry to this sundae. I will be with the top sustainable develpment organizers surrounded by the top NGO's and business and industry leaders. Seeing the local, state and federal-focused work I've been doing lead up to and affect these key international negotiations is the opportunity of a lifetime and I can't wait to share the experience with you all. Thanks Energy Action, SustainUS, and Hofstra University.

US Delegation Acceptance Letter

I hope this finds you well and your summer going fantastic! I am still in DC and just found out great news that I wanted to share with you.

I was one of the 25 youth chosen to serve on the US delegation to the UN Climate Negotiations and fifth meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP15 and COP/MOP5), which will be in Copenhagen from December 7-18!! Basically you've heard of Kyoto, and soon you'll be hearing of Copenhagen! I'll be part of the International Youth Delegation submitting policy recommendations, entering testimony on climate change, and planning demonstrations and actions in response. I could not be more excited.