The environment is perhaps the most pressing issue of our generation—one that affects all global citizens, but increasing falls to our generation to address.  Various terms have been used to describe the wild fluctuations in temperature, the prolonged droughts, severe weather disturbances, and the loss of biodiversity, such as climate change and global warming.  By whatever name, the facts speak for themselves. For example, “most of the United States has already warmed, in some areas by as much as 4 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, no state in the lower 48 states experienced temperatures below average in 2002. The last three five-year periods are the three warmest on record.” Climate change is real. Beyond the recession of glaciers, the disruption of animal habitats, and the irrevocable loss of some the world’s natural gems, global climate change also negatively affects global health and development.  The increasing incidence of hurricanes, droughts, heat waves and floods have widespread and disastrous impacts upon men, women, and children worldwide, but especially poor and marginalized populations which lead to  higher incidence of diseases, income shocks, destroyed houses and crops.

Although climate change is a global challenge, there are things that we, as students, can do to ameliorate and stop its effects on our campuses, in our local communities, and nationally. As students, we have both a unique and promising opportunity to reduce our carbon emissions, green our campuses, and in the process, ensure the sustainability and integrity of our world’s eco system for our generation, as well as generations to come. In fact, students are often better positioned and effective in countering global climate change than policy makers due to their passion, energy, and the environment in which they work—namely, their universities.

The following toolkit serves two purposes: 
1) It will provide background information on a variety of environmental issues, and
2) It will present students with the tools necessary (including templates, mini-grants and other resources from films to speakers) to become involved and take action in order to stop global climate change. 

This toolkit, moreover, will empower students to proactively address global climate change on three complementary levels:
A.  Campus Carbon Neutral Commitment:
There is a strong link between the environmental practices of a university and the broader reprecussions of global climate change.  Universities can be leaders in the fight against global climate change by committing themselves to be carbon neutral, and thus taking concrete steps toward greening their campuses and reducing their carbon emissions.
B.   Urban Environmental Accords: 
Similar to the Carbon Neutral Commitment, but tailored for entire cities.
C.   National Bird-dogging:
Attend a campaign event and ask targeted specific questions to understand candidates commitment to reducing the U.S.’s role in global climate change.

To help students undertake these campaigns, Americans for Informed Democracy offers a diverse set of resources to students, including assistance with film screenings, video conferences, speaking events, rallies, and general organizing support.  Guides to all of these activities can be found in this toolkit.  Also, if you have other ideas for innovative campaigns and activities on your campus, contact us and we will help you organize them.

We, as youth, have the ability and opportunity to play a substantive role in halting global climate change.  We are inextricably linked to others throughout the world, and our actions have broad repercussions.  Let us work together to build a more equitable, sustainable world.