BOSTON (WWLP) – Activists rallied on the State House Tuesday but these activists took the day off of school to do so.
Dozens of high schoolers gathered outside the State House to fight for climate justice. The State House steps were full of climate activists. The students are advocating for bills that the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition has selected as priorities.
They are focused in five categories: Inclusive and transparent government, environmental justice, renewable energy, equitable funding and climate and civics education.
One bill the group is advocating for is the Polluter Pay Climate Superfund, which would recover funds from large fossil fuel companies and create a superfund to finance climate adaptation projects across the state.
“A lot of these major corporations are profiting billions and billions of dollars, and by taxing them we can take less off the hands of citizens and put more on the corporations, which are creating more burden on our environment,” said Praksitha Rajasekaran, a high school student.
Another bill being advocated for has to do with climate and civic education.
“Climate change is going to bring about a totally different political and economic future and if schools not preparing us for that future, then I’m not really sure what we’re doing all day there,” said high school student Carlos Cepeda-Diaz.
They also advocated for public committee votes, which was recently shot down in the House Rules debate. Following the rally, the high schoolers went into the State House to ask their state representatives and senators to co-sponsor climate bills.