"Climate change isn't just about temperatures and weather, it's about people. Our earth will be here for millennia, it's up to us to decide if humanity will be too."
20-year-old activist Vic Barrett is fighting hard for a future for all of us. Barrett witnessed the reality of climate change firsthand, as he was among the many impacted by the climate change fueled superstorm, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which left his family and school without power. Barrett became involved in activism in high school by becoming a member of Global Kids, an organization that focuses on developing leadership skills for youth. Barrett then became a Fellow with the Alliance for Climate Education and spoke at the COP21 UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris in 2015, at the age of 15. Barrett was among 400,000 participants in the People’s Climate March in NYC and delivered a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in support of sustainable development goals.
With all of these achievements under his belt before age 18, Barrett has his eyes set on his biggest target to date: The federal government. Barrett is among 21 youth activists between the ages of 11 and 23 who are actively suing the government to take action on climate change in Juliana Vs. United States. The suit states that the government violated youth rights by allowing activities that harmed the climate, and are asking for progressive changes to current carbon dioxide emissions. Barrett understands that it is his generation that will be impacted by the policies and decisions of older generations refusing to combat climate change, and make meaningful changes towards a sustainable environment. Most recently Vic attended COP24 in Katowice, Poland interrupting a US Fossil Fuel panel in order to bring in the voices of frontlines communities and took part in acts of protest to highlight the voices of those most vulnerable.
With all of these achievements under his belt before age 18, Barrett has his eyes set on his biggest target to date: The federal government. Barrett is among 21 youth activists between the ages of 11 and 23 who are actively suing the government to take action on climate change in Juliana Vs. United States. The suit states that the government violated youth rights by allowing activities that harmed the climate, and are asking for progressive changes to current carbon dioxide emissions. Barrett understands that it is his generation that will be impacted by the policies and decisions of older generations refusing to combat climate change, and make meaningful changes towards a sustainable environment. Most recently Vic attended COP24 in Katowice, Poland interrupting a US Fossil Fuel panel in order to bring in the voices of frontlines communities and took part in acts of protest to highlight the voices of those most vulnerable.