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Transy student plays unique role at U.N. climate talks in Poland; youth delegation challenges leaders

Posted on December 19, 2008July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania senior Marcie Smith, of Richmond, has been playing a particularly unique role at the U.N. Climate Change negotiations in Poznan, Poland. The two-week conference is wrapping up this week as world leaders try to make headway on a global climate agreement to be completed in Copenhagen, Denmark, next December. Smith is one of 20 youth delegates from the U.S. to attend the talks and be part of an international youth delegation of over 500 from 54 countries, sponsored by SustainUS. Smith is one of the group’s deforestation policy experts, and gave a speech to the final U.N. session on deforestation policy. Because of her expertise, she has also been in consultation with other countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo was not able to send enough delegates to Poland to keep up with the workload, so Smith has been serving as their eyes and ears at meetings they have not been able to attend. She has assisted with policy statements to increase the capacity of the African country that is one of the most important players in a global deal on deforestation. Frustrated by the lack of progress at the U.N. climate meetings, Smith and the rest of the international youth are taking the process into their own hands. They are demanding that the outcome of the talks be anchored by a survival principle that any global climate treaty must safeguard the survival of all countries and peoples. Their

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Transylvania senior represents U.S. at U.N. Climate Change Conference in Poland

Posted on December 3, 2008July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—It began as a personal quest to lessen her impact on a changing environment. Now, Marcie Smith is on a global journey to challenge others to do the same—and then some. Next stop on her itinerary? Poznan, Poland, and the United Nations Conference on Climate Change. Smith, a senior at Transylvania University, is one of 19 young people who is representing the United States at the U.N. conference, a major effort aimed at laying the foundation for the international response to global warming. She and other youth leaders were chosen after a highly competitive, national selection process by the internationally recognized SustainUS Agents of Change program, a youth network advancing sustainable development. The delegation draws from outstanding young leaders, including a Truman Scholar, a Watson Fellow, and a Fulbright Fellow. “One of the biggest aims of the delegation is to re-engage the United States,” Smith said. “We want an international climate treaty, and we want United States leadership.” That may seem like a pretty tall order for Smith and the others who make up the SustainUS delegation. But, she said, they are not dissuaded. “Do I believe we can make a difference? Yes, I very, very much believe that we can,” she said. “It is ultimately the members of our generation who will be dealing with the effects of decisions made today, so youth voices must be represented at the conference. “It’s important to understand that current emissions levels

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