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Tomorrow the committee will hear from young people on climate including: Aji Piper who joined the 2015 lawsuit Juliana v. United States (ourchildrenstrust.org/juliana-v-us), Chris Suggs, the 18 year old CEO of the nonprofit Kinston Teens...
...which empowers youth to get involved with their communities and local govts (and so much more) and Melody Zhang, co-chair of Young Evangelicals for Climate Action. They will urge policymakers to take action on climate NOW.
I'll have coverage for @CourthouseNews. Stay tuned.
I'll have coverage for @CourthouseNews. Stay tuned.
Also worth mentioning: this is the very first hearing the newly-formed House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis will hold.
With the hearing underway, Rep. Kathy Castor tells the panel of young leaders: “You are rising to the occasion and we must rise with you.”
Castor also notes that today marks 51 years since MLK was assassinated.
Castor also notes that today marks 51 years since MLK was assassinated.
"Dr. King understood how powerful young people are when it comes to fighting for justice. The 1960s brought some of the most intense student activism," Castor says before quoting King:
“Keep moving for it may well be the greatest song has not been sung, the greatest book not yet written, the highest mountain not yet climbed. This is your challenge.” - MLK
But Castor emphasizes: "Solving the climate crisis is not just your challenge but the challenge we all share. "
Aji Piper's opening remarks pull no punches:
"We have a tremendous amount of evidence, mostly from government documents, showing that the U.S. government has knowingly endangered our health and welfare by creating and promoting a national fossil fuel-based energy system...
"We have a tremendous amount of evidence, mostly from government documents, showing that the U.S. government has knowingly endangered our health and welfare by creating and promoting a national fossil fuel-based energy system...
"...through controlling energy planning and policies; fossil fuel extraction and production; subsidies, financial and R&D support; imports and exports; interstate fossil fuel infrastructure and transport; power plants
and refineries; energy standards for appliances, equipment..."
and refineries; energy standards for appliances, equipment..."
"...and buildings; road, rail, freight, and air transportation; government operations. All of these deliberate orchestrated actions by the United States have cumulatively resulted in dangerous levels of atmospheric CO2..."
"...which deprive us of our fundamental rights to life, liberty, and property. Importantly, the defendants have admitted many of the allegations in our complaint, including that greenhouse gases pose risks to human health and welfare and..."
"...threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations; that the U.S. has emitted 25 percent of cumulative global CO2
emissions from 1850 to 2012; and current CO2 concentrations are unprecedented for at least 2.6 million years.”
emissions from 1850 to 2012; and current CO2 concentrations are unprecedented for at least 2.6 million years.”
Young voices are critical when it comes to discussing climat. They hold a HUGE stake in a daunting future. In that spirit, I encourage all to read full remarks from all of the panelists.
From Chris Suggs: documentcloud.org/documents/5793…
From Aji Piper: documentcloud.org/documents/5793…
From Aji Piper: documentcloud.org/documents/5793…
From Lindsay Cooper, now a policy analyst for the Office of the Governor of Louisiana: docs.house.gov/meetings/CN/CN…
Representing young people of faith engaged in climate, Melody Zhang's opening remarks. "Congress, I invite you to dream beyond this deep-rooted history of
partisanship into co-creating a world of wholeness together."
docs.house.gov/meetings/CN/CN…
partisanship into co-creating a world of wholeness together."
docs.house.gov/meetings/CN/CN…
If you want to watch the hearing, you can do so here:
Rep. Huffman on addressing climate impact: "If you think incrementalism will work now, you may be in the wrong room. Or in the wrong century."
