Young climate activists meet in Miami. Trump has changed their agenda
'This is our future, and a lot of times we don't even have a say,' said Parishay Azer, a 17-year-old from California. 'But with conferences like these, our opinions are heard and it gives us the confidence to go to other places and speak out.'
For the past three years, the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) has collaborated with the federal government to produce a national youth climate statement outlining recommendations for the how the U.S. should deal with spiraling concerns, from rising temperatures to more extreme weather events.
This year, things look different.
Under the Trump administration, federal engagement has dried up. Agencies that previously supported the youth-led effort, including the White House Climate Policy Office and the State Department's climate negotiation team, have been dissolved. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has also pulled back support. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, meanwhile, wants to largely end regulation of greenhouse gases driving much of the global climate problems
Despite the setbacks, organizers say the youth movement is looking for ways to adapt as they meet at the University of Miami's alumni center and law school this weekend after a beach cleanup early Friday.
Coco de Marneffe, LCOY's lead coordinator, said the federal pullout was discouraging but they were shifting focus from federal authorities to local and state representatives. South Florida counties have lead the way in acknowledging the mounting problems and already have spent billions to reduce the risks of sea-rise and other climate-driven concerns.
The statement crafted at this year's conference will still be presented on national and international stages, including the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) in Brazil this year.
'Our federal government isn't showing up and if civil society doesn't show up we could be left out of the international discussion,' Marneffe said.
The LCOY conference will bring together students and young adults from 40 different states. The youngest delegate is a 12-year-old from New Jersey and the oldest is a 35-year-old from Florida.
At a beach cleanup Friday morning ahead of the event, many delegates told the Herald they remain determined to push for local change, even as federal climate policy backslides.
Morgan Brown, a 25-year-old from Denver, Colorado said the news surrounding the White House pull back on research and regulation is overwhelming, 'but we can still create change in our local governments.'
Nitya Nekkauti, a university student from Ohio, said the conference offers a rare chance to share strategies across state lines.
'Since we are focusing on the state level, it's a good chance to compare issues in different states and take ideas from each other,' she said.
Marneffe said they chose Miami as the conference's location to show students what ground zero for climate change looks like. Throughout the weekend, delegates will attend workshops on policy writing, speaking to politicians and grassroots organizing. They'll also hear from local leaders, including State Rep. Anna Eskamani, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, and Miccosukee environmentalist Betty Osceola.
'South Florida is no stranger to a hostile political climate, and Floridians are on the front lines,' Marneffe said. 'The youth who will inherit this messy, messy world represent the best of us.'
Ashley Miznazi is a climate change reporter for the Miami Herald funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation and MSC Cruises in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.
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