[rad-green] Calling Him Only 2020 Candidate Whose Plan 'Can Save Our Planet,' US Youth Climate Strike Leaders Endorse Sanders for Pres

*https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/06/calling-him-only-2020-candidate-whose-plan-can-save-our-planet-us-youth-climate
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/06/calling-him-only-2020-candidate-whose-plan-can-save-our-planet-us-youth-climate>Common
Dreams          December 6, 2019Calling Him Only 2020 Candidate Whose Plan
'Can Save Our Planet,' US Youth Climate Strike Leaders Endorse Bernie
Sanders for PresidentAs sit-ins targeted establishment Democrats nationwide
to demand the Green New Deal, Sanders stood with climate campaigners in
Iowa on Friday and applauded striking youth worldwide who are saying: "Hey,
we want a planet that we can grow up in and have kids in that is healthy
and inhabitable."by Jon Queally, staff writer*

[image: Demonstrators from several environmental groups including
Extinction Rebellion and Sunrise Movement demand broad action at a
youth-led climate strike near City Hall on December 6, 2019 in New York
City. Hundreds attended the strike, the latest in a series of school
walk-outs dubbed "Fridays For Future." (Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images)]

*Demonstrators from several environmental groups including Extinction
Rebellion and Sunrise Movement demand broad action at a youth-led climate
strike near City Hall on December 6, 2019 in New York City. Hundreds
attended the strike, the latest in a series of school walk-outs dubbed
"Fridays For Future." (Photo: Scott Heins/Getty Images)*

As Sen. Bernie Sanders stood with activists striking for climate in Iowa on
Friday morning, the act of solidarity was repaid in kind later in the day
as key leaders of the youth-led movement in the U.S. officially endorsed
the Vermont senator's 2020 presidential bid.

"Historically, movements have had young people at the forefront and the
climate movement is no exception," Hirsi said. "Bernie has been there since
day one fighting alongside all the young people across the country." —Isra
Hirsi, US Youth Climate StrikeAs youth members of the Sunrise Movement
targeted Democrats who have refused to endorse the Green New Deal with
sit-ins nationwide on Friday, Sanders joined climate strikers near the
Capitol Building in Des Moines to bolster their demand for bold action on
the crisis that is impacting people around the world, including rural
regions in the United States.

"You're seeing planting seasons decline, and harvests decline, because
farmers cannot grow crops when their fields are underwater or when they
have drought," Sanders told the crowd of young people and allies.

"We're looking not only in Iowa, not only in the Midwest, not only in
America—we're looking all over the world about a serious crisis in food
production," Sanders said. "That's the bad news. But here is the good news.
If we have the courage to take on the fossil fuel industry and other
special interests, if we have the courage to pass a Green New Deal, we can
create up to 20 million good-paying jobs transforming our energy system."

Along with local youth climate leaders, Sanders addressed the need for a
broad and bold vision to address the emergency and applauded those around
the globe rising to demand action.

"Young people all over the world, not just here in Iowa or in the United
States, but all over the world are telling their leaders, 'Hey, we want a
planet that we can grow up in and have kids in that is healthy and
inhabitable,'" Sanders said at the Des Moines event. "When that global
movement spreads, maybe, just maybe, we can tell world leaders all over the
planet that instead of spending $1.8 trillion a year on weapons of
destruction designed to kill each other, maybe we can pool our resources
and combat our common enemy which is climate change."

Watch:

Later on Friday, several leaders of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike
group—namely co-founder and partnerships director Isra Hirsi, executive
director Felíquan Charlemagne, political director Daylon Prochaska, and
creative director Pujan Patel—all stepped forward to officially endorse
Sanders for president.

"Historically, movements have had young people at the forefront and the
climate movement is no exception," Hirsi said. "Bernie has been there since
day one fighting alongside all the young people across the country."

Sanders' plan for a Green New Deal, added Charlemagne, "is the only plan
that addresses the climate crisis to the scale it needs to be addressed. It
is the only plan that sets our goals to 2030. It is the only plan that has
such a consideration of climate migrants, the only plan that has such a
consideration of climate justice. It's the only plan that can save our
planet."

Sanders' Green New Deal has been heralded by climate experts as the gold
standard among those currently running for president. With a goal of
reaching 100 percent renewable energy for electricity and transportation by
no later than 2030, his campaign says the proposal aims to ensure "justice
for frontline communities" and vows to build on the organizing and demands
set forth by climate justice movement that gives priority to young people,
workers, indigenous people, and communities of color.

"When Bernie talks about this being a global crisis where we need to come
together as one planet, this is what he means," Pujan said. "A grassroots
movement where the working class stands up and tells the government that we
have a say and that we deserve to survive."

Meanwhile, Sunrise activists who have championed Sanders and other
lawmakers leading the charge in Congress, but said those standing in the
way—whether President Donald Trump, other Republicans, or Democrats still
downplaying the need for urgent action—can no longer be tolerated.

"We need a Green New Deal. All these other watered down ideas are a waste
of time," said Wally Mazon, 25, a Sunrise organizer in Iowa. "When my
people from the LGBTQ community are under attack, when people can't get
healthcare, when people can't vote, I can no longer live in a world of
apathy on the part of our government. The Green New Deal is about fighting
for the world we should be living in, but was stolen from us by a handful
of greedy people."

According to Sunrise statement early Friday afternoon, sit-ins were
underway at the offices of Rep. Axne
<https://twitter.com/sunrisemvmt/status/1203009006475862016> in Iowa, Gov.
Charlie Baker <https://twitter.com/Sarahmduckett/status/1202991113747017728>
 in Massachusetts
<https://twitter.com/VarshPrakash/status/1203025938503491584>, Rep. Chris
Pappas  <https://twitter.com/The10thMTN/status/1203025146421956609>in New
Hampshire, and the Asheville City Council
<https://twitter.com/sunrisemvmt/status/1203005688563322880> in North
Carolina,  with more to come <https://twitter.com/sunrisemvmt?lang=en>
throughout
the day. Young people also die-ins and banner drops in major cities
including Chicago,
<https://twitter.com/SunriseMvmtChi/status/1203005983913582592> San
Francisco, and Houston.

With the United Nations climate talks at the COP 25 conference taking place
in Madrid, Spain this week and next, there were massive Fridays for Future
protests across Europe and elsewhere. In Madrid itself, an estimated half
million people rallied in the streets
<https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/06/even-500000-march-madrid-greta-thunberg-warns-climate-movement-has-achieved-nothing>
.

In a tweet on Friday, Sunrise's executive director Varshini Prakash, said,
"Big Oil wants us to believe we're too young, that we can't win, that we're
powerless.  Because for every person disillusioned, despairing and in
denial that's another dollar in their pockets.  We won't give that to
them.  We are rising. The young people will win a  Green New Deal."

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