PHOENIX — Inspired by activists like 16-year-old Greta Thunberg of Sweden, about 150 students as young as 12 years old gathered for the first-annual AZ Youth Climate Summit.
The students learned about civic engagement, activism and lobbying.
They are also preparing to participate in coordinated protests around the world on Sept. 20. There are several strikes planned in Arizona on that day.
“I am extremely happy that people are actually going out, doing strikes and protests and I actually have a platform to speak,” said Keerthana Kumar, a sophomore at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix
The students also participated in roundtable question-and-answer sessions with state lawmakers.
Topics raised by the students included the fossil fuel industry, the process of passing legislation, the impact of climate warming on immigration and the push to create broader consensus around the science of climate change.
"The planet has already warmed by one degree," said Kyle Kline, a student at the University of Arizona who is co-director of Tucson’s Sept. 20th climate strike.
"If we don't cut global carbon emissions in half by 2030 we're going to face irreparable damages for the rest of our lives on earth.
“I really want to make sure I can help every single person on this planet to make sure we have a livable future," he added.