Seven Generations Ahead (SGA) has been sending high school students to the annual United Nations climate conference, also known as the Conference of Parties (COP) since 2019. Through SGA’s It’s Our Future (IOF) program, Chicago area high school students of all backgrounds are empowered to work together towards climate justice in their schools and communities, […]

This year’s UN Climate Summit (COP26) in Glasgow arrived with much anticipation and urgency. In the wake of the latest IPCC report, which was described by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a “code red” for humanity, many have argued that this is the most consequential global climate conference of our lifetimes. It is against this […]

I began my day not with going to the Blue Zone for the UN climate change conference as I have done each day before, but instead by walking over to Kelvingrove Park to be a part of the highly anticipated climate strike organized by Fridays For Future.  When I arrived, the protest was already ginormous. […]

Al Gore Should Be Knighted Al Gore in front of a packed house in the heads of states plenary room at COP26 just gave the best talk I’ve heard on any subject – hands down. For 45 minutes non-stop with rapid fire graphics, videos and script-less details on extreme weather events across the world and […]

The 2021 Production Gap Report, by leading research institutes and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), finds that despite increased climate ambitions and net-zero commitments, governments still plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than what would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. The report measures the gap between […]

While the world’s expectations were that COP26 would be a culmination of raised commitments and a  turning point in the climate crisis, it’s apparent that this year’s event is a work in progress with some bright spots and other large gaps in commitments, detailed roadmaps toward net zero emissions, and rigor. The BBC reports that […]

My day 3 began with a visit to a Pavillion on Nuclear Energy. When we reached the pavilion, a woman offered us a banana. Soon after, she informed us that consuming one banana exposes you to the same amount of radiation as living next to a nuclear power plant for an entire year. In addition, […]

I began my second day with a laterflow COVID test, a requirement to enter the blue zone to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all the other attendees. As I left my hotel in the morning, Mr. Iselin and I had arrived at the Scotrail just before the train left, thankfully entering it as it […]

Today was the first day that the five of us high schoolers attended the UN Climate Conference, and the day was eventful to say the least.  I began my day with a COVID test – the first of many, since we have to test negative each day we enter the conference, and headed to the […]

Another lively day at COP26. Here are some highlights: Deforestation Agreement First Major Deal at COP26 Over 100 world leaders – representing 85% of the world’s rainforests – agreed to end and reverse deforestation by 2030, in the COP26 climate summit’s first major deal. Brazil – where stretches of the Amazon rainforest have been cut down […]