Exhilarated. Optimistic. Stressed. Excited. Nervous. Every time the dozen of us youth met -- calling from Illinois, Maryland, and Texas--we would end our conversation with a one word description about how we felt. These were a few words that I remember being thrown out, and I also remember after hearing them, how aptly they served as a reflection for the climate movement as a whole.
In November 2017, I participated in a panel discussion on climate change policy in Indianapolis, headlined by a then-former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assistant administrator named Janet McCabe. She had left EPA at the beginning of the Trump administration and taken a post as director of the Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana University. When asked what could be done to thwart the administration in its effort to roll back environmental protections, Ms. McCabe offered some ironic assurance.
Spend a little more time with two of our guests from our March film festival screening of “YOUTH v GOV.” Please meet these dynamic young people who are speaking up about climate change and urging federal, state and local governments to do better in protecting their future, as well as the future of all people.
A freshman at Howard University, Isaac Vergun is a litigant in the Juliana v United States of America lawsuit, which was featured in the film, “YOUTH v GOV.” Brandon Pineda, our intern from Urban Alliance, interviewed him about why he got involved in the lawsuit, how climate change has already affected his health, and more. Check out the video or read the interview.
Most people who get married and decide to have children build a nest and settle in. Clement and Sophie Guerra did the opposite: they cashed in their savings and flew to South America. The result of their deep commitment to listening and learning is the revealing documentary “The Condor and the Eagle,” a film that profiles women leaders of communities most impacted by the fossil fuel industry. It will be screening on Tuesday, April 20, at 6:30 p.m. CDT.
Julie Howe interviewed Clement Guerra to learn more about why they made the film and what they learned.
Q: How did the young plaintiffs deal with the intersection between their passionate activism and the sometimes-inscrutable procedures of the legal system?
Christi: . . . They have a deep understanding of their claims, and which of their constitutional rights have been violated. They understand that this case is not about government inaction on climate change; it’s about actions the government has actually taken. Our government has known about the dangers of climate change for more than fifty years. And despite that, it has pursued reckless and dangerous fossil fuel development, harming the health of our communities and threatening our futures.
Q: What picture did you get of U.S. environmental justice?
A: Well, there really wasn't any justice for the people of Flint. There was no satisfactory outcome and still isn't. Obviously, there are now charges being faced by officials involved, from [former Michigan] Gov. [Rick] Snyder, which in a sense is some kind of turning against the state of affairs today.
