Valley Voices
Fresno City student learns valuable lesson: She makes a difference on climate change
We were feeling small, waiting
outside the office door. We had planned what we wanted to discuss during
this meeting, but still, the three of us students felt, in that moment,
very much like students. We were nervous, and unsure of how the meeting
would go. None of us had lobbied before, let alone on Capitol Hill. And
here we were standing outside the office of a member of the U.S. House
of Representatives.
When we went inside, we were, to our surprise, greeted by a familiar face. The intern at the office was a Fresno State student, the president of the campus’ Republican group. We had flown across the country to lobby our representatives, and we still ran into someone we know from back home in Fresno. Laughing at this encounter, we were suddenly put at ease, and the meeting started off on a good note.
Rob Jeffers, a student from Fresno State, Emily Salazar, a student from Roosevelt High School, and I, a Fresno City College student, had traveled to attend the Citizens Climate Lobby International Conference and Lobby Day. Over 1,200 people, Democrats and Republicans from all 50 states, attended the conference. It was astounding to see so many people committed to making a difference for a more livable world.
As a volunteer for the Fresno chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, climate change is an important issue to me. Though often seen as a liberal platform, climate change is something that is affecting all of us. As a student and young person, I am concerned with the future of our planet, and I fear that it will take our representatives too long to enact legislation to prevent climate change.
At this conference, however, I was given new cause for optimism. So many people were there to make a difference, working together to achieve a policy that will decrease carbon use. And many of these people were students like myself, working beyond political party for a cause that affects all of us. At this conference, climate change was not an issue for liberals. Young Republicans and Democrats were there in agreement that we need to come together to end climate change. It was testimony that people are willing to work together to solve climate change, for the sake of our planet, and for the sake of ourselves.
During the conference, a mixer was held for the student attendees. Rob, Emily, and I met a student from Yale. The next day at the conference, this student along with another from Harvard had a panel discussion on Students for Carbon Dividend (S4CD), a student coalition supporting carbon dividends as a climate solution. Seeing these students succeed in bringing together Republican and Democrat college groups for a climate solution was truly inspiring. This was a student just like us, with whom we had joked around with the day before, leading a national bipartisan coalition of students dedicated to climate action. Emily, Rob, and I felt that this was one of the most important things that we took away from the conference: Young people, of the generation who will be most affected by climate change, are working together for a climate solution, to show the decision makers of our country that we need action now. This is showing our government that a bipartisan solution is possible.
With the Fourth of July coming up, I think it is appropriate to think about the independence and future of our country. We are capable of become increasingly independent, moving away from reliance on carbon that pollutes our world and degrades our lives. Enacting a carbon fee and dividend policy will allow us to become independent of carbon, leading to a healthier world and better future. And as Americans, we all have the ability to stand up and ask our representatives to act, to make a change. This conference encouraged me more than ever to continue to work toward change with people who may hold different beliefs than my own. Encouraging companies to lessen their carbon footprint by putting a fee on carbon, and returning that fee to American households, will benefit all Americans by leading us to a livable place.
When we went inside, we were, to our surprise, greeted by a familiar face. The intern at the office was a Fresno State student, the president of the campus’ Republican group. We had flown across the country to lobby our representatives, and we still ran into someone we know from back home in Fresno. Laughing at this encounter, we were suddenly put at ease, and the meeting started off on a good note.
Rob Jeffers, a student from Fresno State, Emily Salazar, a student from Roosevelt High School, and I, a Fresno City College student, had traveled to attend the Citizens Climate Lobby International Conference and Lobby Day. Over 1,200 people, Democrats and Republicans from all 50 states, attended the conference. It was astounding to see so many people committed to making a difference for a more livable world.
As a volunteer for the Fresno chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, climate change is an important issue to me. Though often seen as a liberal platform, climate change is something that is affecting all of us. As a student and young person, I am concerned with the future of our planet, and I fear that it will take our representatives too long to enact legislation to prevent climate change.
At this conference, however, I was given new cause for optimism. So many people were there to make a difference, working together to achieve a policy that will decrease carbon use. And many of these people were students like myself, working beyond political party for a cause that affects all of us. At this conference, climate change was not an issue for liberals. Young Republicans and Democrats were there in agreement that we need to come together to end climate change. It was testimony that people are willing to work together to solve climate change, for the sake of our planet, and for the sake of ourselves.
During the conference, a mixer was held for the student attendees. Rob, Emily, and I met a student from Yale. The next day at the conference, this student along with another from Harvard had a panel discussion on Students for Carbon Dividend (S4CD), a student coalition supporting carbon dividends as a climate solution. Seeing these students succeed in bringing together Republican and Democrat college groups for a climate solution was truly inspiring. This was a student just like us, with whom we had joked around with the day before, leading a national bipartisan coalition of students dedicated to climate action. Emily, Rob, and I felt that this was one of the most important things that we took away from the conference: Young people, of the generation who will be most affected by climate change, are working together for a climate solution, to show the decision makers of our country that we need action now. This is showing our government that a bipartisan solution is possible.
With the Fourth of July coming up, I think it is appropriate to think about the independence and future of our country. We are capable of become increasingly independent, moving away from reliance on carbon that pollutes our world and degrades our lives. Enacting a carbon fee and dividend policy will allow us to become independent of carbon, leading to a healthier world and better future. And as Americans, we all have the ability to stand up and ask our representatives to act, to make a change. This conference encouraged me more than ever to continue to work toward change with people who may hold different beliefs than my own. Encouraging companies to lessen their carbon footprint by putting a fee on carbon, and returning that fee to American households, will benefit all Americans by leading us to a livable place.
Samantha Perez is a Fresno City College student majoring in sustainability.
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