Youth-Led Sunrise Movement Pushes Forward on Green New Deal

By Julian Hayda
Environmental activists occupy the office of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, the speaker-designate for the new Congress, as they try to pressure Democratic support for a sweeping agenda to fight climate change, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018.
Environmental activists occupy the office of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, the speaker-designate for the new Congress, as they try to pressure Democratic support for a sweeping agenda to fight climate change, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo
Environmental activists occupy the office of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, the speaker-designate for the new Congress, as they try to pressure Democratic support for a sweeping agenda to fight climate change, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018.
Environmental activists occupy the office of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, the speaker-designate for the new Congress, as they try to pressure Democratic support for a sweeping agenda to fight climate change, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo

Youth-Led Sunrise Movement Pushes Forward on Green New Deal

By Julian Hayda
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After a symbolic vote on the Green New Deal in the Senate on Tuesday, Senator Mitch McConnell joined conservative pundits to declare the idea dead. Varshini Prakash, the executive director of the youth activist Sunrise Movement which formulated the Green New Deal, said that her organization is not ready to back down. “It’s a vote meant as a political stunt for the purpose of fracturing Democrats on this issue,“ she said. “But Mitch McConnell bet wrong … For the first time, we’re seeing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer actually out making speeches on the floor about the climate crisis.” Joining us to discuss how youth activists have been receiving Tuesday’s news on both the national and local levels is Stephen O’Hanlon, the co-founder and communications director of the Sunrise Movement, and Paul Campion, who is hub coordinator for Sunrise Chicago.

Our audience contributed to this reporting. Worldview listener Chris Morton asked about how environmentalists can fight undemocratic tendencies. Ask you questions for future shows here: