Panel debates future of climate change activism

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Copenhagen in December, has generated much uncertainty and debate. Copenhagen was arguably one of the most important international negotiations in recent memory. Still, the implications for our planet and for international politics are still unknown. What changes should be made for a post-2012 international climate treaty?

Last week, students Rhidaya Trivedi ’12, Ben Wessel ’11 and alumna Jaimie Henn ’07, a 350.org campaign organizer, joined Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Chris Klyza and Scholar-in-Residence in Environmental Studies Bill McKibben on a panel attempting to answer that very question. Listening to the panelists and their apprehension, one sentiment resounded: the future of the planet is being negotiated and the youth of this world needs to be a part of the decisions that will shape it.

Many young Copenhagen attendees like Wessel proudly sported emblazoned t-shirts with the words, “How old will you be in 2050?” Part of the negotiations was widely focused on trying to match new targets that science suggests must include up to a 25-40 percent cut in CO2 emissions by 2020 and up to an 80 percent cut by 2050, Trivedi explained. Consequently, the panelists said, the people in office making — or not making — these decisions won’t be the ones to live through the repercussions of their actions.

While talks may not have produced immediate results, as Henn put it: Copenhagen went from “Hopenhagen to Nopenhagen” — a lot was happening amongst civil society members, especially young people.
One of the more remarkable aspects of the conference was the power asserted by some 2,000 young people present, who, in Wessel’s words, “fundraised for over a year, who educated themselves, who were leaders in their communities … and were coming to Copenhagen for the purpose of influencing their leaders to create an international climate treaty based on science and survival.” There were so many young people that for the first time, international youth were considered an official constituent by the United Nations.

In Copenhagen, passionate and dedicated young people from all over the world had access to policy-making in a way that, in the panelists’ view, should be made more available to youth year-round when dealing with issues such as those surrounding the Copenhagen summit.

While 100,000 people from various countries, ages and socioeconomic backgrounds marched the streets, others had the opportunity to work on the “inside” of the convention center, some of whom were Midd-kids advocating for legislation and policy change: Trivedi made her voice heard when she spoke to the administrator of the EPA and Wessel met with three members of Congress in the Hard Rock Café to discuss possible solutions to climate negotiations.
The panelists also addressed the pertinent question: beyond Copenhagen, what can young people do to advocate and implement change? Besides the progress in policy work that needs to be furthered, Henn explained, “there’s a real need for public pressure. There’s a real need for the U.S. Senate to make progress. We must work on the national level.”

Students who want to make a difference need to make their voices heard, according to the panelists. Said Trivedi, “That includes telling representatives what you want to see happen, and the criteria upon which they should be acting abroad.” The 350.org campaign sloganexpresses hope for a treaty that is “Fair, Ambitious, and Legally Binding,” and this vision can only be effectively achieved through advocacy and civic engagement.