Woodland Hills Climate Action Team Meets With the Doyle Administration to Discuss Climate Policy Affecting Youth
Written by Katie Modic - Executive Director
The Woodland Hills High School Climate Action Team, which is co-facilitated by Woodland Hills Teacher Margeaux Everhart and Communitopia Youth Educator, Lauren Palamara, met with Congressman Mike Doyle’s staff on 4/6/2022 via zoom to share their vision for a climate-friendly PA and ask the Congressman what his plans are regarding climate policy moving forward. Congressman Doyle is the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district, serving since 1995, and is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in Pittsburgh and includes most of Allegheny County.
Woodland Hills students Katie Green, Dove Hughey, Levi McGraw-Sapp, Grace Moon, and Joy Willard were able to share with the Congressman’s administration policy they appreciate that he’s supported as well as policy they hope he advocates for moving forward. Levi McGraw-Sapp, an 11th grade studuent shared, “We know that you and your staff are working so hard for our country, and we are grateful for your service. Congratulations on over 25 years of service to the state of PA! We especially want to thank you for your support of The Build Back Better Act and most recently, for introducing the Reclaiming the Solar Supply Chain Act, which will bring solar manufacturing jobs back to the United States as we move toward a more clean-energy future.”
In addition to sharing what they appreciate, the students had some specific asks for the Congressman, including supporting H.Res 29 which provides guidelines for the state to incorporate climate change education into the curriculum. “We believe supporting the teaching of climate change in schools and facilitating youth activism are important ways to combat climate change on a community level, especially since policies put in place today will impact us the most in the future,” shared Katie Green, Woodland Hills junior. “Our school district has made the decision to implement climate change education in grades K-12. However, as a whole, the United States is failing to prepare students for a changing climate by providing a robust climate education. The National Center for Science Education studied how each state teaches climate change and gave each state a grade; six states have received an F, including Pennsylvania. We need your help to encourage school districts in Pennsylvania and across the country to remedy this issue and provide a robust climate education for their students. H.Res 29 provides strong guidelines for states as they look to revise their standards on climate education.”
Additionally, the young constituents advocated for bills to support the mental health of teens experiencing anxiety and depression due to the environmental injustices surrounding climate change. The students asked Congressman Doyle to commit to co-sponsoring H.Res975, which acknowledges the disproportionate impact on youth mental health and was written word for word by youth climate activists. The students referenced 2021 research showing that 45% of youth have developed depression after a climate-related disaster, and 57% of youth suffer from climate anxiety. This is the first congressional resolution offering solutions including congressional action guided by the UN-IPCC reports, incorporating mental health into existing disaster preparation efforts, reducing cost, and increasing access for treatment through federally qualified health centers and mobile and virtual healthcare. This resolution has over 80 endorsements, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association and the students urged Congressman Doyle to commit to co-sponsoring it himself.
