One of the most significant climate restoration milestones of 2024 happened on November 5th. Yes, really.
It’s also a preview of how young people are taking the reins of the movement.
After months in the making, a Climate Restoration Resolution (HR 1563) was introduced on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on November 5th. It's modeled after the California Senate’s Resolution 34 and recognizes that “...humanity has an obligation to future generations to restore and maintain a safe climate that ensures our long-term survival.”
Further, it calls on the President and other officials of the US and UN to “take actions that will restore the climate and stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at pre-industrial levels.”
Representative Mike Thompson of California introduced HR 1563 along with four co-sponsors: Anna Eshoo and Salud Carbajal of California, Shri Thanedar of Michigan, and Joseph D. Morelle of New York. I’m looking forward to their re-introducing the bill in the new Congress with bi-partisan support.
Remarkably, the measure was propelled not by national NGOs but by high school students. Members of Napa Schools for Climate Action (Napa S4CA) brought the resolution to Thompson’s attention and shepherded it through months of negotiations and revisions. The group’s mentor, Jim Wilson, teaches climate responsibility in high school science classes in Napa County.
In 2023, Napa S4CA had advocated for a similar resolution by the Napa County School District. After a year of surveys, organizing, educating, negotiating… it passed. When that passed, the students immediately looked toward Washington.
“So many people have resigned themselves to the supposed reality that there's nothing they can do—especially youth,” says Abner Silva Tuscano, senior at New Tech High School. "It's important that the youth recognize their power, because they are just as much citizens as older folks.”
I often say,“Everybody wants to restore a safe climate for future generations” and no one ever disagrees. Liliana Karesh, a senior at Napa High School and President of Napa S4CA, takes the idea a step further. She told a colleague recently:
“Especially in the United States, where we’re so polarized, a message like ‘We want to restore our climate’ can bring people together. We can use it as a tool to bring politicians together too. And we’ll need to because bipartisanship support is now the only way we're going to get things done.”
More state resolutions could also propel climate restoration, and ease the way for further Washington action
Notably, HR 1563 doesn’t request any funding. I consider this a positive. Government funding would almost surely make climate restoration political, which is the last thing we want. In any case, government money doesn’t appear to be needed. My view is that many grandparents care so much about their grandchildren’s future that they’ll invest in it. I have in mind not only our friends and neighbors, but grandparents like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and thousands of other wealthy and ultra-wealthy families.
In the meantime, while we watch for next steps on the resolution, I hope this milestone brings you as much optimism as it does me.
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