Six Chicago area high school students are headed to Dubai this fall for this year’s UN Climate Summit, COP28. They are all members of It’s Our Future (IOF), SGA’s youth environmental advocacy program, and are engaged in numerous other environmental advocacy projects. Two of our students, Danica and Natasha, met through IOF and then formed […]
It’s Our Future Supports Climate Advocac
Photo courtesy of E-town Sunrise Facebook page By Milo Slevin, ETHS student As youth climate advocates, our connections with other young people are an important way for us to create greater impact. It’s Our Future (IOF), a youth-driven program that empowers Chicago area high school students to advocate for just climate solutions in their schools […]
COP27 Reflection: The Importance of Joy ...
COP27 youth delegate and Chicago Public School teacher, Greta Kringle (left) and IOF program consultant Rachel Rosner (right) finding a joyful moment at COP. By Rachel Rosner, IOF Program Consultant In a time of darkness, you don’t curse the darkness, you light a candle. -Al Gore As I reflect on our time in Sharm el Sheikh […]
COP27 Youth Dispatch: Change is Hard. Ch...
By Emmet Ebels Duggan, IOF Youth Delegate For those that attended the livestream, I confess that this dispatch is very similar to what I presented. The reasons for this include 1) this really is a good summary of my main takeaways from the week and 2) I’m way too tired to write something original right […]
COP27 Youth Dispatch: For the People, no...
Manolo Avalos, IOF Youth Delegate, with climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe. By Manolo Avalos, IOF Youth Delegate There seems to be this excitement in the room everywhere I go at COP 27 – even on the shuttle buses. I love hearing the many different languages, seeing everyone connecting and feeling the passion about climate change. […]
COP27 Final Dispatch: Recommitments and ...
The IOF crew gathering on their last night at COP27. By Gary Cuneen President Biden The It’s Our Future team was able to listen to President Joe Biden deliver his “good to be back” talk at COP27, emphasizing that the U.S. is recommitted to COP after former President Trump’s withdrawal and ready to take a […]
COP27 November 11th Dispatch: Natural ga...
Leading climate activist and writer, Bill McKibben, at a protest outside COP. By Gary Cuneen Natural Gas and Climate Goals With protests chanting loudly in the background admonishing high ghg emitting countries to pay developing nations for loss and damage as I write this post, scientists continue to remind that we have less than a […]
COP27 November 10th Dispatch: Challenges...
By Gary Cuneen I attended a high-level session with the ministers and managers of various countries on ghg emissions tracking and reporting (European Union, African nations, Israel, Belize, etc.). The issue of making strong enough country commitments to stay within 1.5 degrees Celsius is one thing, and another is getting accurate data from a diverse […]
COP27 Youth Dispatch: The Drive to Serve...
By Antonio Padilla, IOF Youth Delegate During the beginning of this adventure, I was running wild with eagerness, a spirit which hasn’t died down with every moment being eye opening. Just from the trip from Chicago to Sharm, beauty was ubiquitous. Within European skies, the clouds became their own kingdom with dunes that look like […]
COP27 November 9th Dispatch: Just Transi...
By Gary Cuneen Just Transition In the opening round table on just transition there was agreement on what just transition means moving forward, including interventions at the individual, sector and country levels: A) Individual: most vulnerable individuals should be protected during the transition: workers at risk of losing their job should be provided adapted social […]