Sharon Buccino, Director, Land Program, Washington, DC

I got a new phone over the weekend.  My 13 year old daughter said, “Mom, that’s great!  Now you can text me.”  I welcome the chance for a new way to connect.  Even a quick exchange of “LUVU” would be great.  This morning I found something even better.  I sent my daughter the link to a short video  by Brittany Trilford, a 17 year old from Wellington, New Zealand, speaking before the opening plenary of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.  She urged the 130 heads of state in attendance to “save us [ the world’s 3 billion children],” rather than simply “save face.” 

One of the specific ways Brittany and the thousands of others gathered in Rio put on the table to “save us” was the end of fossil fuel subsidies.  The world’s collective governments give almost one trillion dollars in subsidies and tax breaks to the fossil fuel industry.  Our youth are fed up with this.  They want a more prosperous, sustainable future than we have provided them to date. 

The Obama Administration can end one of these fossil fuel subsidies and save money at the same time.  We need ...

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