Today was a special day for our Education Ambassadors and their students – the group met with President Obama’s Science Advisor Dr. John Holdren at the U.S. Embassy in Paris to hand-deliver the position statements on climate action that their students created. During the course of the meeting, Dr. Holdren shared insights into his work, listened to each educator present the hopes and concerns of their students for a strong agreement at COP21, and pledged to deliver the position statements straight to the hands of the President. The educators truly fulfilled their role as ambassadors for their students, elevating the youth voice for climate action to the highest levels of U.S. political leadership.
Over in Le Bourget, a new draft of the agreement circulated amongst the negotiators on Wednesday, which some called a step forward, but which still leaves the key details of the agreement up in the air. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivered an impassioned speech calling for consensus, while also announcing a U.S. plan to double spending to help poor countries adapt to the effects of climate change by 2020. Secretary Kerry’s announcement seemed explicitly intended to spur forward the stalled talks. Despite the tensions and frustrations in the conference halls these days, observers and negotiators still insist that a final deal will be reached. To add your voice to the call for a strong final agreement, watch this hope-inspiring video and consider submitting a petition here.
In the News
During the week that our Education Ambassadors are in Paris, The Huffington Post has invited us to submit a few of their blogs to share teachers’ perspectives on COP21. Check out Lauren Leith, Billy Koenig and Roy Lander ’s Huffington Post blogs!
Education Ambassador Blogs
Beckie Alexander: Legacy
Billy Koenig: The Pope, the Encyclical and the Future of Climate Change Education
Nicole Anderson: Why Climate Change Matters
Kathy Bosiak: Children Should Always Feel Hopeful
Kristy Otte: The White House is Listening to Us and Our Students
Lauren Leith: True Power Lies in the Individual
Peter Johnson: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Solutions to Climate Change
Phillip Haberman: Students Are the Answer
Roy Lander: Moving Forward on Climate Change for Our Children
Shannon Bartholomew: A New Approach to Climate Action
Staff Blogs
Janet Brown: A Few of My Favorite Things
Kristen Poppleton: Sustaining Hope Through Teachers
Webcasts
Tune in to today’s Education Ambassador webcasts!
Click here at 8:30am CDT to hear Nicole Anderson in Paris and her students in St. Paul, MN.
Click here at 10:55am CDT to hear Beckie Alexander in Paris and her students in Golden Valley, MN.
Click here at 12:50pm CDT to hear Peter Johnson in Paris and his students in Pine Island, MN.
Click here at 1:30pm CDT to hear Lauren Leith in Paris and her students in St. Paul, MN.
Check out our webcast schedule and archive for a complete schedule and to view past webcasts.
Follow Us
Check out our Twitter and Instagram for even more footage from our Paris educator delegation: @ClimateGenOrg #COP21Educators #youth4climate #COP21
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