By Anna Zuccaro/Unbendable Media
Hi Steve –
Happy Wednesday. Hope you’re doing well. I wanted to reach out and flag that Anya Sastry a 16-year-old from Barrington, has partnered with other young activists from around the country – part of Youth Climate Strike – in a new national campaign challenging 2020 Democratic Presidential hopefuls to join a debate or forum exclusively focused on discussing solutions to climate change and other environmental crises. Anya serves as National Outreach Director at Youth Climate Strike.
Since launching the campaign earlier this week, more than 30,000 people from around the country have signed onto a petition supporting Anya’s ask for Democrats to discuss the world’s imminent climate crisis in a debate focused exclusively on the topic.
VIEW THE PETITION HERE.
You can also watch this video featuring Anya and other activists from Youth Climate Strike:
The @usclimatestrike is calling on 2020 candidates and the Democratic National Committee to hold a debate or forum entirely around environmental issues like climate change.
Sign their petition! https://t.co/6QBTZ7L9og pic.twitter.com/wO8uk90W17
— MoveOn (@MoveOn) April 15, 2019
You can also watch on Facebook and Instagram.
I’ve copied a press release announcing the petition below, but if you have any questions, or would like to interview Anya who is based in the Chicago area, let me know and I’d be happy to help arrange an interview.
Thanks!
Anna
press@moveon.org
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Thousands Petition DNC and 2020 Presidential Hopefuls For Debate Focused On Climate Change
Rapidly Growing Youth Climate Strike Petition Urges 2020 Presidential Candidates, DNC to Commit to Environmental Forum
With the 2020 presidential race in sight and the world’s imminent climate crisis, young people from Washington, DC; Minneapolis, MN; Denver, CO; Ocala, FL; Chicago, IL; and Las Vegas, NV, are joining together to urge the DNC and 2020 candidates to commit to a debate or forum exclusively to discuss climate change and environmental issues.
The petition comes on the heels of global and U.S. Youth Climate Strikes and the introduction of environmental policies such as the Green New Deal. According to petition co-authors Karla Stephan, Isra Hirsi, Haven Coleman, Feliquan Charlemagne, Maddy Fernands, Anya Sastry and Salomée Levy, these are clear signs that the general public wants governmental action on climate change. The petition, which launched late Sunday evening, has been signed by more than 30,000 people and is rapidly growing.
In conjunction with the petition, MoveOn and Youth Climate Strike released a video featuring the young advocates elaborating on why their call to presidential candidates and the DNC is so important.
“There are many formidable candidates running for the Democratic nomination in 2020. We want all the candidates to commit to participating in a debate or forum on environmental issues and policies so we can hear detailed ideas and plans,” the young activists from Youth Climate Strike write on their MoveOn petition. “Let’s be clear. With the magnitude of the oncoming climate crisis it’s no longer enough to have a single token environmental question that 2020 candidates get to brush off with a soundbite. We need an entire debate on environmental policies.
“As increasing domestic and global devastation from fires, floods, and everything in between, we need to be discussing environmental policy much more, therefore we are calling for a debate or forum around concrete solutions. That’s why we’re calling on all 2020 Democratic candidates and the DNC to take part in a debate or forum around environmental issues.”
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More about/from Anya:
* “My name is Anya Sastry and I am a 16 year old junior from Barrington, Illinois. I am the National Outreach Director for the U.S. Youth Climate Strike . . . ”
* This Is Hell! interview: Older Generations Are Handing Us A Dying World.
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See also:
* New York Times: Pictures From Youth Climate Strikes Around The World.
* Wired: The Youth Climate Strike As Seen By Teen Photographers.
* National Geographic: These Young Activists Are Striking To Save Their Planet From Climate Change.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on April 17, 2019