National Youth Policy Summit

Greenhouse Gas Reductions Keystone, CO

June 15-21st, 2009

Keystone Science School’s Youth Policy Summits (YPS) provide students with a unique training and preparatory experience that engages a contemporary, science-intensive policy issue. Their experience provides them with the research, negotiation, problem solving, and policy analysis skills they will need to be successful in their future endeavors as scientists, lawyers, doctors and business professionals.

In partnership with the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Math Science and Technology (NCSSSMST), Keystone Science School will conduct a Youth Policy Summit in 2009 focused on Greenhouse Gas Reductions. Keystone will work with NCSSSMST to select 40 students from 10 different schools around the country to participate in this program. Participating students will be asked to negotiate consensus-based recommendations for their respective Governors, state legislatures, and leaders in the business and non-profit sectors.

The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Summit is particularly timely. Though climate legislation failed in the current session of Congress, it is expected that some form of carbon controls will be enacted in the next Congress. Opportunities for action at the national, state and local level abound. Possibilities include reducing electricity consumption by industrial, commercial and residential users; increasing the amount of renewable energy; improving energy efficiency of buildings and appliances; improving fuel efficiency of transportation; and finding methods to safely remove and store greenhouse gases. All these choices will result in fewer carbon emissions to the atmosphere, but every choice also has economic and social implications. Students will consider options to reduce greenhouse gases, while balancing political, legal, economic, technological, environmental and social factors.