That's My Planet You're Burning

Greenpeace recruited nearly 225 university students to be advocates for future generations at critically important global warming negotiations that took place in The Hague, Netherlands between November 13th-24th. The students traded the chance for a long Thanksgiving weekend at home for the opportunity to attend the negotiations as officially accredited delegates. During their time at the negotiations the students pressed for a strong, enforceable international treaty that would slow global warming and the severe impacts already wreaking havoc with the planet's climate.

The undergraduate and graduate student delegation came from a broad range of disciplines ranging from biology, environmental engineering and physics to political science, international relations and economics. The students were motivated by the knowledge that The Hague negotiations were probably the "make or break moment" for a strong global warming treaty, the vital first step required to address this pressing environmental threat.

On November 18th, thousands responded to a call from Friends of the Earth to demonstrate the public concern over climate change. Using five thousand sandbags they built a wall four feet high around the conference center, hammering home the message of countries at risk from sea level rise. View the video.

On November 20th, students delivered a declaration to the U.S. negotiators calling on the U.S. to "...rise to the challenge of curbing global warming now." Read the declaration.

While in The Hague the students will unite with other activists around the world to: