LTE: Students wake up to perils of climate change

Recently, 20 members of The Evergreen State College joined 200 other college students in Eugene, Ore., to strategize how youth will leverage climate justice. This event, entitled Cascade Power Shift, was put on by a recently formed student group, The Cascade Climate Network (www.cascadeclimate.org). We see this world and country waking up to the perils of climate change, and believe that we can act strongly to slow the effects that every human and living thing on this earth will feel. We, as students have a vested interest in this as we stand to be living here for a long while, and many of us want to raise kids in a stable atmosphere without the unknown fear of how this world will look in the near future.

The students who gathered were intelligent, motivated, inspiring folks, who believe strongly in a more prosperous and just future for all. We came away with energy, ready to mobilize on countless ideas of change that can and need to take place very soon. Immediately we want to ensure that some of the strong climate bills going through this legislative session get passed, including the climate action and green jobs bill and local solutions to climate change.

We also plan to give presentations here in Olympia on the youth climate movement, in hopes to build bridges among students and community members and organizations to move our efforts forward. We encourage everyone to get involved and take actions in empowering ourselves in this immense issue.

Schuyler Timmons, Olympia