Advisory: Washington youth will be in Olympia to call for climate action

9:30am-3:30pm Friday, January 24: Second annual Youth Climate Lobby Day will happen again as push for climate action continues

Traditional Coast Salish Lands (OLYMPIA, WA) — Youth from across Washington state are invited to the steps of the Capitol building in Olympia on Friday, January 24, 2020, for a day of climate-focused workshops, rallying, and discussions with elected officials. 

The day will begin with a lobby training by youth leads, followed by a march with youth leaders and speakers, and a rally with youth speakers and performers on the Capitol steps, and will end with meetings with elected legislative officials to stress the impact of climate change and push environmental initiatives that benefit everyone. 

WHO: Youth Climate Network (groups listed below)

WHAT: Youth Climate Lobby Day

WHY: To demand bold climate policy to protect our futures

WHEN: Friday, January 24 from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Olympia, WA 

• 9:30-11:45 a.m.: Lobby training at Temple Beth Hatfiloh  
• 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: Rally on the Capitol steps (livestreamed here)
• 12:45-3:30 p.m.: Meetings with elected officials in various offices on the Capitol Campus
• 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Celebration and raffle at Fish Tale Brewpub (all ages)

ONLINE: Learn more about Youth Climate Lobby Day, including the 2020 legislative demands, and RSVP for the event at youthlobbyday.org.

LIVESTREAM: The rally will be livestreamed at facebook.com/standearth. Follow along using the hashtags #YouthLobbyDay and #YouthLed.

This event was created by a coalition of youth-led organizations, including: Our Climate, Zero Hour Seattle, Climate Action Youth, Temple Beth Hatfiloh, Sunrise Movement Washington, Fridays For Future Seattle, Plant for the Planet – Washington State, Climate Action Families – HQ, Young Women Empowered, and WA Youth Climate Strike. 

These organizations in Washington are passionate about the environment, sustainability, and environmental justice. The message is simple: climate justice and sustainability should be at the forefront of legislative decision-making. 

This youth-led movement is one of many climate justice movements that are happening across the country. The younger generations demand radical change; enough is enough. Climate change is an issue that affects everyone and it should be regarded as a bipartisan issue. It is no longer an abstract issue that is focused only on greenhouse gasses but on social issues and solutions. Both sides must come together to create an equitable environment for all. 

The timing of these movements comes at a time when many states recently became pro-climate majorities after the 2018 midterm elections, and with the 2020 elections on the horizon, presidential candidates are looking to solidify their platforms with what their constituents are most passionate about. These recent widespread calls to action make it clear that an equitable response to climate change is becoming, and will remain, a major factor in upcoming elections. The youth are politically active in a way they have not been active in many generations and political leaders need to follow their lead.

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Media contact: Emily Martin, emily@ourclimate.us, 651-757-8775

Youth Lobby Day is an event led by young people across the country to hold elected officials accountable to passing bold and ambitious climate policies. It is led and managed by Our Climate, a youth-led organization dedicated to mobilizing the generations most affected by climate change to become powerful advocates for science-based and equitable climate policy.