Seattle City Council passes resolution urging schools to support student climate walkouts

A "Seattle Climate Walkout" is planned for Friday. The city is no stranger to environmental demonstrations. Here, environmental activists, opposing a planned Canadian oil pipeline, erected four large "tarpees" in the middle of 2nd Avenue between Union and University Streets, blocking traffic for several hours, Monday, May 7, 2019. Demonstrators protested tar sands and oil pipelines, as well as the companies who invest in those projects, including J.P. Morgan Chase. Fourteen protesters were arrested. less A "Seattle Climate Walkout" is planned for Friday. The city is no stranger to environmental demonstrations. Here, environmental activists, opposing a planned Canadian oil pipeline, erected four large ... more Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Seattle City Council passes resolution urging schools to support student climate walkouts 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

The glacial indifference toward climate change, displayed for 30 years by America's TV networks and news media, is fast melting.

NBC News has launched a week-long "Climate Crisis" project, with Today Show weatherman Al Roker witnessing the retreat of Greenland Glaciers. The Seattle Times, fresh off opposing the carbon initiative on last year's ballot, has joined a "Covering Climate Now" project.

The public is at last tuning in. CBS News posted a poll on Sunday, showing 56% of Americans want the climate crisis addressed "Right Now." Sixty-four percent believe that climate is a "crisis" or "serious problem."

A "Seattle Climate Walkout," part of a "Global Climate Strike," Friday, aims to unite school students with Amazon and Microsoft employees in a march on City Hall.

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The Seattle City Council responded Monday in classic fashion with symbolic action. It voted unanimously to create a new oversight committee. And it passed a non-binding resolution saying students should be allowed to skip school to join the "Climate Walkout."

The Council's resolution "urges Seattle Public Schools to support its students' right to assemble and participate in the Global Climate Strike on Sept. 20, 2019."

City Council member Kshama Sawant, in a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee, argued that students across the state should be excused to join the strike. "We need to build grassroots resistance fueled by youth and workers," Sawant argued.

Sawant, a militant socialist, has turned the climate strike into an organizing tool.

"Pack City Hall," Sawant said in a Sunday tweet, urging support for her resolution, which also called for Seattle city employees to be allowed to take unpaid leave on Friday.

The 19-member Green New Deal Oversight Board will meet at least every six months to ensure that policies of "ALL" Seattle city departments conform to the Council's recent Green New Deal resolution.

The oversight panel is designed to be activist dominated. It will include eight members from communities deemed "directly impacted" by climate change, including one tribal member and two young people between 16 and 25.

"We want the Oversight Board to break down the barriers of 'expertise': Peoples' lived experiences are important to consider and it's important to have their views heard," Nancy Huizar of GotGreen told the Council.

Four labor union representatives will sit on the oversight board, along with three representatives from "environmental justice organizations," three people with expertise in climate issues, plus a facilitator.

"I feel optimistic because the exact communities we need to lead this charge are here today demanding this city leads this charge," said Council Member Mike O'Brien, who sponsored the broadly worded Green New Deal resolution.

Strike actions on Friday are being organized by 350 Seattle. The group has put on a succession of demonstrations designed to grab media attention, but has shown no talent for deeper, sustained involvement with specific climate issues.

The emphasis on local action comes against a backdrop of three sledgehammer blows by the Trump administration already this month.

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The administration has axed an Obama program that limited emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas more powerful than carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. It is planning to open the entire coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas leasing, hoping to have the leasing process underway by year's end.

The administration took a third action on Friday, drastically scaling back protections under the Clean Water Act.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., delivered a strong statement against drilling in the Refuge, which she has fought on the Senate floor.

Aside from that, Washington's Democrat-dominated congressional delegation has been curiously silent on the latest depredations of the Trump Administration.

Perhaps, those who are acting locally -- striking, marching, packing City Hall passing resolutions and creating committees -- might consider raising a little hell nationally.