JUNEAU – Twenty-two teens from 11 rural and urban communities met with Governor Walker in Juneau Tuesday and asked him to establish a Climate Change Task Force. With their request, the teens delivered more than 1,000 signed petitions in support of the Task Force from Alaskans statewide.
“The meeting seemed to be promising for the future of Alaska’s environment and I think the administration is headed in a good direction to address climate change,” said Roan Rediske, a Youth Delegate from Homer, AK.
The teens, all members of Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, are spending the week of Spring Break in Juneau for an annual youth leadership training that brings teens from diverse regions of the state together to build skills in civic action, issue analysis, advocacy and statewide leadership through high-impact civic engagement lessons.
The youth delegates selected climate change as their priority issue at the beginning of the school year to address the coming climate crisis. As young leaders invested in the future of Alaska, they recognized the necessity for our state to take immediate and decisive action against climate change. Their priority is to get the ball rolling on climate change by re-instituting a Governor’s Climate Change Taskforce – and they’ve been working towards this goal ever since.
“The Governor was very open to listening to us,” said Griffin Plush, a Youth Delegate and Trainer from Seward, AK. “He is obviously willing to consider anything for the best of Alaskans.”
Under the Palin Administration, a Climate Change Subcabinet was formed and several in-depth reports were generated. A visit to climatechange.alaska.gov Tuesday shares this information, but hasn’t been updated since 2008. The youth are recommending that a diverse Task Force be formed to review these reports and address the issues of climate change in Alaska. With a renewed focus on the Arctic, and the U.S. chairing the Arctic Council this year, their request is especially timely.
In addition to the Governor’s meeting Tuesday, the youth delegates will gather in front of the Capitol Building at noon on Thursday, March 12th for a wild salmon BBQ and legislator of the year awards ceremony. Awards will be given to Rep Jonathan Kreis-Thompkins, D, Sitka; Rep Andy Josephson, D, Anchorage; Rep Les Gara, D, Anchorage; Rep Charisse Millett, R, Anchorage and the public is invited to participate in the event.
Alaska Youth for Environmental Action is a youth program of Alaska Center for the Environment program that inspires rural and urban teen leaders to impact environmental issues by providing leadership skills training and supporting youth-led community action projects and campaigns.
