Over the week of Earth Day union educators, youth, and the climate movement organized and participated in actions calling for green, healthy investment and for President Biden to declare a national Climate Emergency. From New York City to Los Angeles and from Chicago to San Antonio, educators acted at their schools and in the streets with the youth climate movement to escalate the pressure for urgent climate action that will save the two systems we need in order to have a living future: our environment and our public schools.
Educators and youth want green, resilient community schools, with modern, healthy, energy-efficient facilities. To achieve this they also want to see the era of fossil fuels and environmental racism brought to an end. By declaring a national Climate Emergency, the White House could direct green investment to communities and school districts in need and save our schools from budget austerity, all while restricting fossil fuel production that is destroying our students’ futures.