WASHINGTON – Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday kicked off her first day of new-member orientation by participating in a climate change protest at House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's office.

About 200 people were in Pelosi's office lobby and down the hall, and among them was the 29-year-old New York Democrat.

Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, said she wants to show Pelosi that "we're here to back her up in pushing for 100 percent renewable energy."

"This is not about me, this is not about the dynamics of any personalities," she told reporters outside Pelosi's office. "But this is about uplifting the voice and the message of the fact that we need a Green New Deal and we need to get to 100 percent renewables because our lives depend on it."

The protest was organized by Sunrise Movement, which is mobilizing young people to fight climate change and calling for more green jobs.

Pelosi, in a statement, reiterated that she has asked her caucus to reinstate the select committee to address climate change. Democrats campaigned on a $1 trillion investment in infrastructure reform that she said will make communities more resilient and create 16 million "new good-paying jobs."

“We are inspired by the energy and activism of the many young activists and advocates leading the way on the climate crisis, which threatens the health, economic security and futures of all our communities," Pelosi said. “We welcome the presence of these activists, and we strongly urge the Capitol Police to allow them to continue to organize and participate in our democracy.”

Protesters carrying "Green Jobs for All" signs are pushing for a bolder plan. They point to dire warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, saying there are 12 years left to limit the damage of climate change.

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"We're here because we're scared and we're angry," said Garrett Blad, a Sunrise Movement spokesman. "We don't believe we need any more education or any more science."

Ocasio-Cortez said she is thinking of the issue not just as an elected member of Congress, but as a 29-year-old woman who is concerned about the country over the next 30 years.

"I don't want to see Miami under water," she said. "I don't want to see my district under water. And I know that Leader Pelosi doesn't either."

Ocasio-Cortez is not among the newly-elected Democrats who said they would vote against Pelosi's bid to become speaker in the next Congress.

House Speaker Paul Ryan's spokeswoman used the protest to poke fun at Pelosi.

"Huh, well this is unconventional," AshLee Strong wrote in an email to reporters. "The incoming speaker is getting protested by one of her freshman."

Ocasio-Cortez said she admires that Pelosi comes from "a space of activism and organizing."

"I think that she really appreciates civic engagement," she said.

She later added: "What I hope we show is that this is an encouragement of her and that we're here to back up bold action."