Dispatches from the Youth Climate Movement
Al Gore is now calling for a “mass grassroots movement in the United States,” and he’s calling it Carbon Freeze. The campaign will be modeled after the nuclear freeze movement in the 1980’s, pulling together groups from all over the spectrum, including business, political leaders, local organizations.
To read more about it click here.
Shadia began at age seven as an advocate for justice and the environment, in an eight year campaign to pass state legislation that, without it, was responsible for cancer clusters and deaths that existed in her community. In response to her efforts she has received the Yoshiyama Award from the Hitachi Foundation, and the Brower Youth Award from the Earth Island Institute. At age fifteen, She attended the World Summit on Sustainable Development, joining the youth energy caucus' efforts to create the Official Global Youth Energy Policy Statement. Months later, Shadia attended the Second National People of Color Summit and there she helped create the Environmental Justice Youth Platform. She is a member of the Environmental Justice Climate Coalition Youth Committee and is on the Kids Against Pollution National Board of Trustees. Shadia graduated from West Canada Valley High School in 2005, where she then took two years off before entering a career in higher education to work as a leader in the Global Youth Climate Movement. She finished working for the EJCC as the youngest Campus Climate Challenge Coordinator in the Energy Action Coalition, in October 2007. She is currently attending American University of Beirut, studying Arabic and Communications.
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Hey Shadia, thanks for the heads up.
Yet Gore leaves me with so many questions… I often find myself asking myself what he really wants, and, before throwing our towel in with his camp, I think we as youth must find out.
I was let down by An Inconvenient Truth. Yes, it was simple, simplified and to the point: convince everyone that global warming is actually happening and i a major threat to future security and well being for all people. I know that’s what they wanted; they weren’t going for something sophisticated. But it left a lot out. It painted a picture that to me makes Gore look like a climate superstar; well, there’s a question of justice that needs to be answered for me before I’ll recognize him as a leader I have any interest in following. The fact is Al Gore was a Senator and a Vice-President in a US government that conducted some pretty awful affairs internationally and screwed over a hell of a lot of working-class folks at home. While the US was obsessed with Monica Lewinsky, Kosovo was getting bombed. The labour ‘reforms’ passed by Clinton created a hell of a lot of low-paying jobs essentially offering people little or no choice. I’m no modern US history buff but I do know the gap between the rich and the poor is wider than ever and Gore had something to do with that - in fact, he had a lot.
I’m a big believer in forgiveness - in righting wrongs and moving on. But before I trust Mr Gore to ‘lead’ my movement - the one he evidently doesn’t know is already happening at the grass roots and is the continuation of every struggle for justice, freedom and equality that has been fought since your founding fathers essentially got together and decided to create a constitution that would keep the poor at bay - I’m going to need to hear him explain exactly what he thinks a green revolution will look like. Because in my vision there ain’t no fences around them windmills and the cars get replaced by bikes.
Peace and Love, Shadia.
Cam
Hey Cam,
I could not agree with you more! I am not in favor or against what Gore is trying to create and frankly I think, like Freidman, Gore should do a google search and see what the youth are up to. I merely just want people to be aware what is happening around them. What the high profile figures are saying and up to. I am glad that sparked your thoughts into questioning what he plans to do. That was the question on the tip of my tongue as well.
Take Care,
Much Love,
Shadia