[From Jennie Hatch, SustainUS Agents of Change Co-Coordinator]
There is no doubt that the outcome of today’s election will have a huge impact on global warming in this country and around the world, but whichever candidate wins we will still have an uphill battle in the fight for international climate justice.
That’s why December is such an important month. Never mind that it’s my birthday. SustainUS, the U.S. Youth Network for Sustainable Development is sending twenty youth delegates to the UN Climate Negotiations in Poznan, Poland from December 1-12. SustainUS will be joined by delegates from 350.org and hundreds of youth from around the world. This will the first chance for the US President-elect to show his commitment to climate change. 350.org has been putting pressure on the President-elect to attend the negotiations by gathering thousands of personal invitations from the likes of Van Jones, James Hansen, and Vandana Shiva. To send your own invitation, visit 350.org/invite.
While the negotiations themselves are incredibly important and we’re lucky to have youth representatives from all over the globe present a unified vision for climate mitigation to global leaders, it’s just as important that we bridge the gap between international climate policy and local grassroots action. Last year at the climate change negotiations Dan Riefsnider famously told SustainUS delegates: “Frankly, you don’t have the votes” to support a strong international treaty. Let’s show him he was wrong by bringing not only US youth delegates to the negotiating table, but a broad base of youth ready to show their support on the International Day of Climate Action, December 6. Already students at George Washington University, Georgetown University, and the University of Montana, among others, will be taking action in support of a strong international climate treaty. This will not only show our current administration that a weak international climate policy is unacceptable, but also hold the new administration accountable before they officially enter office.
We need to show the US that we are watching in December. As the future leaders and stewards of this planet, we demand action and leadership from the US in Poland this December. As the final week of campaigning comes to a close, the hardest work is ahead of us. After the confetti comes to a rest, let’s not lie complacent until January, but take the election momentum to Poland and the UN.
For more information on the US youth delegation, check out sustainus.org.
