Youth delegation attend climate talks in Morocco

Climate leaders from around the world are meeting in Morocco in early November for the COP 22 climate talks. Daniel Jubelirer, a student at Naropa University, is in Marrakesh as part of Sustain US, a youth delegation. “Sustain US is a youth led organization that has been active in the climate justice and social and economic development space and this delegation to COP is all about story telling and really building relationships and networks with other youth around the world to advance our goals and message through creative media work and story telling work and powerful actions that grip people’s imaginations.”

image: SustainUS delegates at COP 22 talks in Morocco.

The second day of the COP 22 talks coincided with the US elections. President elect Trump has called climate change a hoax that was created by the Chinese.

In response to the election results, the youth delegation at COP 22 decried Trump’s win and spoke truth about what President Trump means for global climate justice. They held up a “People’s Presidential To-Do List,” edited to reflect the unexpected win. Items on the list included “Break Free from Fossil Fuels,” “Respect Indigenous Sovereignty,” “Zero by 2050,” and “No Corporate Trade Deals.”

SustainUS delegates also visited the U.S. State Department offices inside the U.N. first thing the morning after the elections asking for an immediate meeting with representatives to sit down and discuss the implications of the election. They were greeted with a closed door and a firm “No comment.” Daniel Jubilirer says that there are other legal avenues for the youth environmental activists to take to tackle climate change.

“I’m a part of Earth Guardians, a plaintiff in the historic constitutional climate change lawsuit filed by twenty-one U.S. youth against the federal government. By causing climate change, the federal government has violated the rights of young and future generations…When Trump is sworn in, he will become the named defendant in the case. Trump, we will see you in court.”