Youth Rally At Statehouse For Climate Change Action

TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS— Hundreds of young men and women descended on the Indiana Statehouse Wednesday to advocate for legislation that will mitigate climate change.

Rep. Carey Hamilton, D-Indianapolis, hosted the first-ever Youth Climate Action Day on Tuesday. After being inspired in September while hearing younger children talk about their concerns about climate change, she decided it was time to address the issue and propose legislative solutions.

“Today is about acknowledging the problem and taking action to strengthen Indiana,” Hamilton said. “Action to protect our agriculture sector, to build resilient communities, to grow a renewable economy, to improve our quality of life and be part of the solution.”

Hamilton has proposed three bills to pursue that agenda—House Bill 1227 which would repeal the fee to register an electric or hybrid vehicle, House Bill 1228 which would allow net metering for renewable energy, and House Bill 1415 that would improve storm water management.

Cooper Tinsley, a sophomore from Westfield High School, said that Hoosiers are at risk because of some of the impacts of climate change.
“We need legislation that will help to mitigate the effects of climate change,” he said, adding he supports Hamilton’s efforts and Rep. Carey Hamilton’s resolution does exactly that,” he said.

“It is tragic that youth has been consumed by the climate energy instead of the more conventional concerns of growing up,” said Jim Poysar, executive director of Earth Charter Indiana, adding that the voices of the young have been ignored for too long.

Prior to the conference students were invited to watch the House session and take lessons on how to write letters to their state legislators.

FOOTNOTE: Haley Carney is a reporter with TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.