COA BEAT
The Montreal Stomp By Brett Ciccotelli ’09 and Sarah Neilson ’09
I was not expecting so many other youth to show up, but I was acutely underestimating the In late November, six COA students headed to dedication and passion of my peers. RememberMontreal for the United Nations Framework ing this passion now makes my heart explode into Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and bright silver hope. the first meeting of the parties under the Kyoto As part of the Youth Expression theater group, I protocol. The conference coincided with the first met ten or twelve others inside the busy, fluorescommitment period of the protocols, in which cent halls of the Palais des Congres at noon every countries agreed to more drastically cut greenday to solidify our plan for the daily theatrical house gas emissions and actively engage in all of event that we put on at the bottom of the escalathe political, economic and social processes tors. These events attracted delegates and pressed entailed in mitigating and adapting to climate our message of the need for post-2012 commitchange. ments from both those who have signed the Kyoto The COA group, Elsie Flemings ’07, Juan Pablo Protocol and those that have not signed on, such Hoffmaister ’07, Sarah Neilson ’09, Henry Steinberg as the current U.S. administration. On this day, we ’06, Kathleen Tompkins ’08 and myself, are all had come up with the idea to “take the steps.” We members of the Maine branch of SustainUS, choreographed a Stompa nonprofit youth organilike routine to perform zation promoting suson the empty staircase tainable development. beside the escalators. As Drawn to Montreal by we moved up the stairs in a concern for the future, our clapping and stompwe were hoping to see ing routine, each of us how the U.N. works, nettook our turn turning work with activists and around and shouting out policy makers, and learn a step we were taking in from this historic event. our own communities We quickly found out and lives to mitigate danSarah Neilson ’09, second from the left, joins other youth in how much there was to gerous climate change: “I the Montreal Stomp. do. commit to making my Our group had a strong presence on the youth voice heard in my local government!”“I commit to lobbying team. Through this we were able to meet riding my bike to work!” “I commit to educating with many delegates, including the U.S. delegamy peers!” Clad in the t-shirts of various youth tion, gaining New York Times coverage. One of our and non-governmental organizations, our peers major goals was to convince delegates to address cheered for us, creating a flare of noise that global deforestation’s impact on climate change. seemed to infiltrate the hearts of everyone presAs youth representatives, we worked alongside ent, speeding up their beat. As we moved into our scientists, environmental groups and indigenous grand finale chanting, “We’re taking our steps, you peoples to demand that action be taken by the take yours!” all the youth joined in. Suddenly, in a countries of the world to slow global climate bout of collective consciousness that still gives me change and ensure a stable future. With so many a rush of adrenaline, we stormed the stairs—sixty people from such different places with different or seventy young people who feel in their very ideas about how to manage the planet, it became pores the potential for a sustainable future— obvious that to secure a safer environment we shouting our chant, running up the stairs as peomust work together. Saving the world looks a lot ple in business suits and security guards in blue easier when the world is with you. stood in what seemed to be momentary surprise ~ Brett Ciccotelli ’09 and shock. 4 | COA