Meet Youth Leaders Of The Climate Movement
Nearly a year ago, we published a blog about the Juliana v. U.S. case, in which Juliana plaintiffs list the climate change impacts that will directly affect the life and health of current and future generations. Today, September 20, 2019, youth and adults supporting their cause across 150 countries will go on strike, march to their local and national government buildings, and demand climate action from their elected representatives. We urge you to find a march in your region and attend in support of government climate action and the young leaders who demand it. You can find a march near you, here.
Meet a few of the youth leaders of the global climate movement below and share their stories!
Greta Thunberg (image from Greta’s twitter page)
The Swedish Greta Thunberg began the worldwide Fridays for Future climate strike movement, urging students to strike from school on Fridays in protest for climate action. She also addressed the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference in a speech that quickly went viral — view it here!
Levi Draheim (image from Kilby Photo)
Levi Draheim is the youngest plaintiff of Juliana v. U.S. and lives on Florida’s barrier island in the Indialantic. Public Radio International’sThe World interviewed Draheim in January 2018 — you can read the transcript or listen to the story here.
Michael Charles (image from The American Indian Science and Engineering Society)
Ohio State Ph.D. student and citizen of Navajo Nation (Diné), Michael Charles uses his background in science and storytelling to illustrate the impacts of climate change on the Native peoples of North America. Charles leads the first-ever Indigenous delegation for youth-led climate organization SustainUs.
Miko Vergun (image from Robin Loznak)
Miko Vergun is a Juliana v US plaintiff and climate activist for Plant for the Planet. She raises awareness of rising sea levels in the Marshall Islands, her birthplace. To read articles written by or featuring Vergun and her work, visit this page.
Kai Jones (image from Todd Jones)
Kai Jones is a young athlete advocating for climate action that protects his and future generations — and the snow-sports he hopes continue long into the future. He is the nephew of Protect Our Winters founder and professional snowboarder, Jeremy Jones, Kai Jones is a POW ambassador and educates about climate change through social media. You can view an interview with Juliana v. US plaintiff, here.
Journey Zephier (image from Flickr)
Journey Zephier is a Juliana v. US plaintiff and youth leader of the Earth Guardians group, Rising Youth for a Sustainable Earth. In his own words, Zephier is “suing the Federal Government because it’s the right thing to do. Our future survival depends on our leaders taking dramatic action on climate change now, for the sake of future generations and all life on Earth” (source). You can learn more about Mr. Zephier’s work, here.