Largest Youth Climate Convergence in Northwest

For Immediate Release:                                                   Contact:
February 4, 2007                                                                 Nicole Allen, WashPIRG
                                                                                    203.216.7112, nicole@washpirgstudents.org

Largest Youth Climate Convergence in Northwest

Students Urge Action Against Global Warming

As youth across North America demanded immediate action on climate change last week, over 130 students in the Northwest gathered over the weekend to collectively call upon local officials in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia to adopt bold climate policies. The Northwest Climate Justice Summit was scheduled to finish off the international Week of Climate Action put on by the Campus Climate Challenge. Students at 586 locations registered to take action during the week, which makes it the largest youth mobilization on climate ever.

At the University of Washington, the WashPIRG student chapter organized a week full of events, which included teach-ins, a clean car show, screenings of An Inconvenient Truth, and even a “climate carnival” complete with photo postcards to Congress with UW’s very own climate superhero.

These events coincided with the release of a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body charged with assessing the scientific record on global warming. The report stated that the world’s scientists are more than 90% certain that human activity – primarily burning fossil fuels – is responsible for most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century.

“If our lawmakers still needed a wake up call, this report certainly is it. Now, it’s time for the U.S. to do its part and pass meaningful legislation that reduces pollution quickly enough to avoid the worst impacts of climate change,” said Tina Utter, the WashPIRG student coordinator of the Campus Climate Challenge. “The Week of Action showed that students are ready to step up and take the lead in the movement to stop climate change. After all, we’re the ones who will have to live with the consequences if we don’t.”

The Northwest Climate Justice Summit, organized by the Sierra Student Coalition and the Energy Action Coalition, focused the energy and momentum from the week of action into developing a plan for achieving stronger climate policies in the Northwest.

The Summit, which was held at the University of Washington over the weekend, brought together over 130 high school, college and youth climate activists to expose the social justice impacts of global warming within our region, inspire students to take action in their communities, coordinate regional efforts and train students in effective organizing techniques. By the end of the Summit, students developed plans for how to engage their communities in demanding smart climate policies. Speakers at the event included Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, Brian Frank from Global Exchange, Faith Gemmill from REDOIL, Daniel Serres from the Columbia River Clean Energy Coalition and Eliza Simon and Nathan Wyeth from the Sierra Student Coalition. Mayor Nickels with Students

Nickels, creator of the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, spoke on the importance of regional and national cooperation and the impact that uniting cities and campuses has already had on Washington, D.C. “There is a climate of change, and I think this has been brought about by these grassroots efforts,” said Nickels. “What you’re doing here this weekend is very important, and I’m very proud of you.”

Gemmill, a native Alaskan, spoke on the impact global warming is having on indigenous communities and about the environmental and social injustice caused by climate change and the oil industry.

"What people need to realize is that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but rather a human issue, a social justice issue," said University of Washington sophomore and Northwest Climate Justice Summit Co-Organizer Christina Billingsley. "It affects all of us, but some more than others. Those of us with the ability to fight global warming have a moral obligation to take action."

"Global warming is the most severe problem facing our generation, and students in the Northwest recognize this," said Juliana Williams, a senior at Whitman College, and Co-Organizer of the Northwest Climate Justice Summit. "However, the public demand for action in this region has been limited, and we as students are advocating for bolder and more effective climate policies."

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The Campus Climate Challenge, a project of the Energy Action Coalition, unites young people to organize on college campuses and high schools to win 100% clean energy policies at their schools. Students at over 480 schools are working on the Challenge. Energy Action Coalition is a network of 41 organizations from across the United States and Canada founded and led by youth to help support and strengthen the student and youth clean energy movement in the United States and Canada.