Students from WashPIRG chapters around the state, including the UW and Evergreen State College, met on the front steps of the capitol building in Olympia to hold a press conference with state legislators on Friday.

At the conference, a papier-mâché polar bear and a petition with 1,000 signatures was presented to Sen. Craig Pridemore (D-WA), asking that the Washington state legislature make climate change and other environmental issues a top priority.

Junior Tamara Mitchell gave a speech addressing why climate change is an important issue for the legislature and important to college students across the country.

“The actions of America’s leaders today directly affect the severity of this threat to upcoming generations,” she said. “Clearly this threat is an intergenerational problem that requires an intergenerational solution.”

Pridemore agreed with the significance of the four energy efficiency bills WashPIRG is advocating. Two of the bills, one focusing on creating affordable energy efficient appliances and one encouraging energy efficiency in public buildings, failed early on in the process due to a lack of bi-partisan support.

“This is the greatest challenge we have faced,” Pridemore said. “Not enough people are concerned.”

Sen. Rosa Franklin (D-WA) spoke encouraging words to the students and commended them on their passion and activism, citing civic engagement and political involvement as the driving forces behind making their goals a reality.

“Believe in yourselves,” Franklin said. “Since the ‘50s and ‘60s I have seen the erosion, disinterest and hatred for civic engagement. Civic engagement cannot be stressed enough. … Look at history, this is where it starts: on the campuses. Let your voices be heard.”

Senator Franklin left challenging students to be stewards for the environment.

“Leave this planet a little better than you found it,” she said.

Mitchell said she hopes WashPIRG will continue to fight for government funding for the remaining two bills.

“We stand here at the steps of our capitol because we believe these are the right steps to take towards a progressive Washington state,” Mitchell said. “We stand here at the steps of Washington because we are the change we want to see in the world.”

[Reach reporter Garrett Troy at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]