Summit Team

The summit team is compromised of youth from coast to coast to coast in Canada as well as from around the world.

Canadian Team

Even though all her family comes from Quebec, Kateri was born in Denver (Colorado, USA). Explanation? Her father had gotten a job over there while she was in her mom's tummy! So, at the age of two, she came to Montreal (Quebec, Canada) where she still lives. She’s an undergraduate in law and she’s presently trying to obtain her Bar license. She has worked as a research assistant for a law firm specializing in environmental law, as a research assistant on a project pertaining to the implementation of the precautionary principle in federal environmental law, as a guide in the waste management field, as a camp counsellor and as a ski teacher. Her passions: travelling (she just came back from a trip to China), giving a hand in environmental protection, reading, skiing and escaping to the countryside. She can’t wait to unite her efforts with those of the other team members of the Summit. To all that are not there yet, she enthusiastically says “Bienvenue à Montréal”!!!

Diane Carter is a descendent of one of northwestern Alberta’s first pioneer families and grew up on a low input farm outside of Valleyview, Alberta. She was recently proud to become the first graduate of the Global and Development Studies program at the Augustana Faculty of the University of Alberta, graduating with her BA in May 2005 with minors in Political Studies and Drama. Whether facilitating workshops on popular education, teaching English to kindergarten children in rural Mexico, or producing theatre with the Tough Cookie Collective, Diane inspires all she meets to become active citizens. She is passionate about the role that art can play in both personal transformation and social change.

Amber Church has lived all across Canada. She was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia; grew up in the centre of Yoho National Park in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and then headed North to Whitehorse, Yukon, which she is very proud to call home. She headed south again to study at the University of Victoria where she received a double honours degree in Earth and Ocean Science and Environmental Science. She will soon migrate to Vancouver and Simon Fraser University to study the effects of climate change on northern river systems. The travel bug bit her at a young age, most recently taking her to Peru, Denmark and Iceland. Right after COP 11 she will be found in Argentina, Chile, Easter Island and New Zealand. She’s paid to be a geologist but finds herself working a second full time job with her volunteer obligations. She is the co-chair of the International Polar Year Youth Steering Committee and is on the steering committee for the Arctic Youth Network. She spends a lot of time educating school classes about climate change and its effects as well. In her “spare” time she is an avid rock climber, mountain biker and surfer. She is thrilled to be part of the youth summit and delegation and can’t wait to meet so many motivated youth. She also hopes to brush up on her French so that by the time COP 11 ends she can translate this bio into Canada’s other official language.

Heidi Cook is of mixed heritage (Cree and English), and is a member of the Grand Rapids First Nation. She grew up in northern Manitoba, spending time camping along the shores of Lake Winnipeg with her family and commercial fishing with her father. Early experiences and first-hand observation of the effects of large-scale hydroelectric development instilled a strong desire to pursue a career in environmental studies and sustainability. Heidi received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Winnipeg in 2003. She currently works with the Southern Chiefs Organization, advocating for First Nation rights and sustainable development in Manitoba.

Katy Dillon is from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. She has a BSc in animal physiology from University of British Columbia, and is taking a Masters of Northern Studies in Global Environmental Policy from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Through the Circumpolar Young Leaders Program Katy interned with the University of the Arctic's International Secretariat in Rovaniemi, Finland. She has worked as a policy researcher for government and is now on the Steering Committee of the Arctic Youth Network. Katy is happiest when singing, makes a mean coconut curry, and is obsessed with photography.

Graham Erion is a climate change activist and researcher who brings a unique blend of public policy knowledge and experience plus social movement organizing to the global struggle against climate change. Graham is currently enrolled as the George and Helen Vari Scholar in the combined Masters of Environmental Studies and Bachelor’s of Law program at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Graham spent the summer of 2005 as a visiting scholar at the University of KwaZulu Natal’s Centre for Civil Society in Durban, South Africa. Through this experience he was able to personally engage with various actors around Clean Development Mechanism projects and find out ways that we can better incorporate development with the prevention of the climate crisis. Graham has also devoted substantial amounts of his time to working with environmental organizations such as the Durban Group for Climate Justice and past policy work with the Green Budget Coalition and the Sierra Legal Defence Fund. Outside of his scholarly and activist passions, Graham is also an accomplished pianist, catering sous chef at a high-end Toronto restaurant, and an avid gardener.

Chris was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manitoba. Renouncing the Canadian prairies for the even more remote oil sands of Northern Alberta, Chris cut his climate change teeth on the front lines of oil and gas development in Canada. He returned to civilization to study climate change issues related to foreign investment in the Indian electricity sector at the Vrije University in Amsterdam. He currently resides in Calgary, Alberta working on sustainable energy solutions at Pembina Institute. In his spare time, Chris enjoys offsetting his carbon emissions and a good game of volleyball.

Alexandre Gilbert grew up in Ste-Marie-de-Beauce, but has been living in Québec City for the last eight years. After he finished his degree in Engineering Physics, he started a master degree in Economics at Laval University, which is still in progress. For his thesis paper, Alexandre is studying the willingness to pay for electric-drive vehicles in Canada. Within his studies, he managed to gather work experience in France, Germany and Spain in different fields such as tourism, research and development in engineering and international commerce. Alexandre has also teaching experience in high school, where he proudly put emphasis on climate change in his science classroom.

Genevieve grew up in Brossard, on the south shore of Montreal within a family which always encouraged her to follow her ambitions. For as long as she can remember, she has been curious about discovering the world. Idealist, humanist realist, she is involved in various social and environmental causes which to her are linked. She communicates her passions through radio presentations, newspaper writing, work in education and in the course of her trips to Africa. To a certificate in anthropology, she adds a bachelor in biology and a masters in environmental sciences. She is currently working in the public health domain as an officer in environmental health. Her work aims to protect the population from any physical, chemical or biological agent present in the environment which could represent a threat to their health. She loves nature, people and life. Careful, her smile is contagious! Her motto: Slowly, but surely.

Lorie Hamelin was born in Victoriaville, Québec. She is interested in a variety of fields: science, sports, agriculture, social injustices and world. In 1998 her humanitarian interests took her to Haiti to work on development projects, while in 2000, she won the judo championship of the Eastern Canada. Now she is involved with a number of feminist groups. Her passion for the world, and other cultures and languages, has been fed by her travels to England, Spain, the Philippines and Chile. She is conversant in French, English and Spanish. Her passion for the sciences led her to pursue an undergraduate degree in agricultural engineering which she will complete in May 2006. In 2004, she won the grand prize of the Excelle Science contest. Her interest in climate change grew out of her job at a research centre, where she was able to take part in several projects aimed at decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, specifically in livestock production. Thus she is very excited to take part in the Youth Summit on Climate Change, since this will enable her to appease her thirst to learn more about this subject, while sharing her knowledge with her peers from around the world. This is one step in her dream to change the world!

Initially unsure of what to do, Rachel shuffled about the world teaching English, hiking glaciers, and surfing the seas before she began studying environmental sustainability at the University of Winnipeg. In her second year of studies, she started volunteering for Climate Change Connection (a local ENGO) and one climate change thing led to another. She went to chilly Churchill Manitoba with several other students to make a documentary film about how global warming is affecting the North and is currently doing a research project on how greenhouse gases at her University can be reduced. She is absolutely thrilled with this latest opportunity!

Conrad Iskra was born and raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He completed his B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan in 2004. He is currently pursuing a M.Sc in Mechanical Engineering in the area of Heat and Mass Transfer. In 2004, Conrad was recognized as an Energy Ambassador by Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency, for a design project that dealt with the conservation of energy at one of Saskatchewan’s uranium mines. Since this experience, he has become increasingly interested in the design of buildings and industry processes where energy efficient ideas are implemented. In his spare time, he enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee and taking as many photos as he can.

David Joanasie was born in Iqaluit, Nunavut and raised in Cape Dorset (Kinngait - mountains). After finishing a two-year college program directed to Nunavut (Canada’s largest territory) beneficiaries, he has ended up working at the National Inuit organization, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (means “Inuit are united in Canada) based in Ottawa. Mr. Joanasie has had the pleasure and honour to have had the chance to travel to different parts of the world and meeting a number of amazing people that have helped him learn and enjoy life. Most recent memorable trip included an Expedition starting in Iceland following through to Southwestern Greenland and over on to Nunavut – what an amazing trip! David hopes that he’ll learn to teach then move back North and help strengthen Inuit traditions and culture.

Crystel Jobin-Gagnon was born and raised in Quebec city, but left for Saguenay for college when she was 17. She studied in Journalism. After falling in love with the place, its nature, the lac Saint-Jean and the kindness of its inhabitants, she decided to stay there after college and worked for a daily newspaper, Le Quotidien. While working there, Crystel studied at University in International Cooperation and Sociology. Actually, she is a participant of a Journalism and Human Rights program initiate by Canada World Youth. She’s now in Rimouski but will leave for Senegal in less than one month. Passionate about human rights and overtaken by the effects of climate changing, she tries to mix journalism and environment, in wish of a better place to live for future.

Kathryn Kinley is from Winnipeg, Manitoba – a place she fondly considers home – and is currently pursuing an Hons. B.A. in Environmental Studies, International Development and Political Science from the University of Toronto. Her passion for tasting everything life has to offer has brought her to Central America, New Zealand, Europe, Kenya and, most recently, India on a 6-month internship with an HIV/AIDS prevention project. These adventures have found her trekking in the Himalayas, whitewater rafting in Costa Rica, building a school in the Maasai Mara, and, most importantly, broadening her knowledge of the potential impacts of climate change on the most vulnerable individuals. It is these experiences that have acutely highlighted the detrimental effect of the minority western lifestyle on a majority of the worlds’ citizens. As a result, she has been a passionate activist for the environment at U of T, carrying out energy efficiency research projects, lobbying for energy efficient measures at university facilities, volunteering with the Sustainability Office, engaging in meaningful dialogue at international conferences, and serving as an analyst for the G8 Research Group in the area of energy and the environment. She is enthusiastic to attend the International Youth Summit on Climate Change because she strongly feels that youth have a fundamental role to play in addressing this issue and can be a powerful voice for change!

Erika Lackey-Ruwald was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Her adventures over the years have taken her all over Canada, Antarctica, Iceland, Greenland, Costa Rica, and Japan. She spent her high school years lost in the wilds of Montebello, Quebec at a school based on an environmental approach to learning. Today, she can be found at Trent University studying nursing and playing rugby. Why nursing? She’s not sure yet, but when she finds out she’ll let you know. Between the classroom and the pitch, Erika can be found working on an independent thesis on climate change and working of the Environmental committee at Trent. The International Youth Summit on Climate Change will be an important and exciting experience for Erika; she can’t wait to meet and be a part of the Summit team!

Robbie Larson hails from Canada's National Capital Region (Ottawa-Gatineau), and speaks English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and some Mandarin. This "language jam" in his brain is the likely reason for his sometimes slow and thoughtful demeanour; however, people who don't know Robbie well often assume this must be due to frequent use of cannabis, which is untrue! Robbie is active and has traveled substantially, leading to his profound interest and respect for the diversity of cultures. He has a BSc in Environment from McGill University (including an exchange year in Brazil) and is now starting an MSc modelling snowpack and climate change effects on water supply in southern Alberta. Robbie has enjoyed a variety of enjoyable employment experiences, from Environment Canada, to selling ski boots in Whistler, washing dishes in Spain, and delivering newspapers as a boy. His energy, however, is greatest when involved with community groups having positive environmental and social intentions. This is why he is stoked (slang for "thrilled") to be a part of the International Youth Summit on Climate Change.

Dominique Leroux was born in 1987 in Quebec City. With her mother being Swiss, Dominique often traveled back and forth between these two countries. She has undertaken all of her studies in, except for one year abroad spent in Oregon, United-States. In the spring, she will finish the IB programme in business and management. She is contemplating doing her undergraduate degree in international business with a minor in environment at McGill or the equivalent in Geneva. True to the Swiss cliché, she is passionate about anything that involves mountains such as skiing, biking, longboarding…It is these passions that brought her to realise the serious impacts of climatic changes: through her short 18-year-life, she has noticed that the glacier were receding along with the shortening of the ski season. She decided to direct her studies towards this environmental cause when she visited a wrapped glacier in Andermatt this summer.

Alex Longmire is a forth year Bsc of Economics studying at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was born in the Annapolis Valley region of Nova Scotia. Being an economics student, Alex is interested in pollution abatement policies, and the effect on human welfare. Alex is also an avid curler, bicyclist, and is also hopeless addicted to analyzing his fantasy hockey team. He is very excited to have the opportunity to meet other youth who are interested in the effects of climate change, and the resulting associated policy issues.

Caitlin MacLeod comes from the suburbs of Toronto, a place of front yard snow-man families and street hockey. Beginning circa 1995, the lakes and trails of Algonquin Provincial Park became a utopia of summer exploration for her, where she eventually became a camp counselor, teaching young girls about the environment and outdoor skills. Attending Lakefield College, she again found herself amidst the forest, this time on a river. There, her interest in the environment expanded and she became head student of environmental affairs and CREST (citizens responsible for environmental stewardship). After graduating from high school, Caitlin set out for the Amazon Rainforest, a long awaited trek. In Ecuador, she worked with RECOKA Foundation, a community development co-operative focusing on local initiatives in villages facing the impacts of regional oil drilling. Earlier this autumn, when leaves were still green, the International Development major arrived at McGill, where she is now involved with several working groups through QPIRG (Quebec Public Interest Research Group) and representing five houses in the Environmental Residence Council. Caitlin is thrilled to be working with such a highly and eclectically knowledgeable group of people, and cannot wait for the Summit to begin!

Liz McDowell hails from the west coast of Canada, and can truly say that she loves the BC rain. She is currently working with the Post Carbon Institute in Vancouver as a development coordinator, where she’s learning all kinds of interesting things about peak oil production and local renewable energy. She recently moved back to BC from Montreal, where she studied business and international development studies at McGill and, to completely break the management student stereotype, was also a coordinator with the Sustainable McGill Project. Liz is excited to be back in Montreal again and is thrilled to be part of such a great event!

Jennifer Mullane is a “maritimer” through and through. She was born on Canada’s east coast in the province of Nova Scotia and loves every minute she has near the ocean. The travel bug she caught early on often takes her away from the Maritimes, but she will only ever call Nova Scotia home. At home and in travel, Jen always tries to do her part in our collective quest to “save the world”. When she was 7 years old she joined the “Green Team” at her school. Somehow between then and now Jen moved from gathering classmates’ milk cartons for recycling to completing a Bachelor of Science in the School of Environment at McGill in Montreal, for which she spent one semester studying in Kenya. In Canada again and recently finished university, Jen is working on Species at Risk projects in the Heritage Presentation section of Parks Canada. She has a passion for protecting the integrity of our national parks and has worked in Banff, Kejimkujik, and Prince Edward Island national parks. Jen is currently living in Ottawa. She is greatly looking forward to the excitement, learning, experiences and action the Youth Summit on Climate Change and the UN Conference on Climate Change will bring.

Tania Oommen was born in the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She now finds herself at the same location 23 years later, studying in the second year of Medicine after completing a Neuroscience/Science Psychology degree two years earlier. She now realizes she would have saved time if she had never left. Tania is interested in stimulating discussion through writing and has written for high school and university newspapers, as well as for an online youth magazine. Her interest in climate change is a product of a long-standing respect and appreciation for her planet and a strong conviction that the consequences of human actions upon it will return in full-force, with, for example, effects on public health. She is amazed at the diverse backgrounds of the future Summit members, and is trying to contain her excitement for long enough to finish her current block in medicine. She is sincerely looking forward to returning to Montréal for the Summit and meeting and working with its amazing members.

Stephanie is a Coast Salish Indigenous woman from the Cowichan Valley located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. After living in the Cook Islands (a small island state in the South Pacific) during a six-month internship with the National Environment Service, Stephanie’s interest in climate change heightened. She has since completed a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Anthropology and Geography from the University of Victoria. She is undecided about her graduate program, for now she is working to enhance her native language skills and her knowledge of traditional plants and medicines. She is especially interested in how climate change will affect Coast Salish people’s culture and resource management. She is currently employed with the Cowichan Tribes Environment and Natural Resources Department and works on public engagement projects about species at risk, wetlands and traditional use plants, and forestry initiatives

Karen Pinchin was born in Toronto, the promising daughter of an environmental physicist and a chemist. Then she decided to mess with their heads and become a writer, a journalist to be precise. Fate works in mysterious ways, however, and the pull of environmental issues was too strong for her to resist. Through absolute chance and the right set of skills she ended up in Petaling Jaya, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia last summer. She worked on a report for the Clean Development Mechanism of Kyoto, helped her employer with their press strategy and came up with a plan to help Malaysian children care about their beautiful country. She did all of this while avoiding the maniacal car drivers, heatstroke on the way to work and hypothermia within the office building. Doomed to travel, write and care about the planet, Karen can’t wait for the 11th COP to start. Peux ce que veux. Allons’y.

Louis was born in Valleyfield, Quebec and raised in the suburbs of Montreal. Natural born traveler, he quickly figured out a way of going elsewhere to see what’s happening in the big world. Among other things, he managed to obtain a piece of paper called a BSc at McGill in environmental science and is currently spending is time at UQAM doing a master in forest management. Although he has never worked professionally on climate change, he remembers the numerous debates he had with other students and still studies how the issue touches many aspects of our society. He always likes to share thoughts while relaxing around a few beers and cannot wait to meet everyone from the conference and share this activity with them.

Felicia Slogoski was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan where if she did have a dog growing up, she would have been able to watch in run away for three days. After completing high-school, Felicia moved to Calgary, Alberta to attend the University of Calgary where she is currently still working on a joint degree majoring in International Relations and Biological Sciences. As an active member of campus and community radio, CJSW 90.9, working mostly in the news department educating society on issues over-looked by the mainstream media. Active in a number of environmentally focused clubs and associations, she also holds an executive position on the New Democratic Youth of Alberta (NDYA) where she acts as the Federal Youth Liaison. Participating in model United Nations at the collegiate level for four years has lead her to conferences all over North America and sparked her passion for international issues, including climate change. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to partake in the International Youth Summit on Climate Change, and looks forward to meeting and working with the Summit team to eliminate climate change all over the world for generations to come.

Robyn Spencer is a proud product of the Canadian Prairies, born and raised in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Moving out of the bread basket, Robyn went on to Montreal where she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at McGill University in International Development Studies and Chemistry. Taking advantage of the rich opportunities that Montreal has to offer, Robyn became involved with a number of non-profit organizations and really got a taste of the potential for social change. In search of some international experience Robyn found a job with Tudatos Vasarlok Egyesulete (the Association of Conscious Consumers) in Budapest, Hungary where her focus turned to Sustainable Consumption and Production and Corporate Social Responsibility. After a wonderful year abroad Robyn returned to Canada this fall and relocated to wonderful Vancouver. Her current position is as the Coordinator for the Urban Mobility Program with the Environmental Youth Alliance. In this role Robyn has been helping to promote a wide range of transportation alternatives, from biodiesel to electric bikes, for Vancouver urbanites and the local business community. Robyn is thrilled to be a part of the International Youth Summit on Climate Change.

Valeria Spezzano was born in Hamilton and raised in Toronto Ontario, Canada. Valeria currently attends the University of Toronto and is in the fourth year of completing an Environmental Studies Specialist and Political Science Minor Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree. How she moved from dancing classical ballet since she was three years old, and playing provincial level volleyball for eight years to environmental policy is still unknown. She must have seen the light! Valeria is currently employed as a Youth Outreach Worker with the City of Toronto. In the summer of 2005 she was a Research Assistant to the United Nations, International Council for Local Environment Initiatives- Canada Office and conducted a cost benefit analysis of climate change mitigation issues for Canadian municipalities. She has been engaged in many volunteer and community initiatives including municipal youth civic engagement, facilitating the opening of Toronto’s first Youth Centre, waste diversion and conservation projects. On October 6th 2005 she was awarded the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers in the residing province of Ontario, Canada. She is very happy to be part of the International Youth Summit on Climate Change and is looking forward to meeting the Summit team. She also promises to make pasta with tomato sauce for members of the Summit team, only if she has access to a kitchen with a working stove. :)

Julie Thériault was born and raised in Saint-Quentin, a small town located right in the middle of the woods in the beautiful northwestern part of New Brunswick. She really enjoys outdoor activities…Probably because its one of the things that her hometown has best to offer! Her love for nature has driven her to pursue a career in the environmental field. Having finished her degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Moncton, Julie decided to try something different and so entered Moncton’s Environmental Studies Masters program. She will graduate in the spring of 2006. Julie is very active at the university level as well as works with primary school children on a number of environmental issues. She is driven by the passion and energy found in the youth environmental movement. Through these activities she has become aware of the climate change issue. She is totally overwhelmed by this opportunity to take part in the International Youth Summit on Climate Change as one of the Summit member and really can’t wait to meet every participants coming from all around the world!

JMeagan Wohlberg is a prairie girl from the heart of Saskatchewan who seems to have gotten a little lost after all her travels this summer, ending up in Ottawa, or more specifically Gatineau, PQ. After studying a wide array of arts and social sciences at the University of Saskatchewan last year she jumped on a travelling bike circus (the day after her last exam!) of hopeful hooligans called The Otesha Project, and biked from Calgary, Alberta, to Yorkton, Saskatchewan, delivering wondrous environmental and social justice education to youth all over the prairies through fun theatre presentations and interactive workshops on climate change, alternative transportation, etc. The HOPE she was spreading was so contagious, she got caught with a huge case of it and ended up joining the Otesha Great Lakes cycling tour through southern Ontario for the rest of her summer! This fall she is studying fine arts at the Ottawa School of Art and is working at an organic grocery store in Ottawa. She is returning to the University of Saskatchewan to continue on with her degree in January. Meagan is SO EXCITED to be part of this amazing team of youth from all over the world who are going to make a huge impact at the end of November. The pleasure is all hers!

International Team

Often mistaken as a college student because of her petite frame and cheerful disposition, Joy Bailey has been with ICLEI’s Cities for Climate Protection Campaign for three years. She works as program assistant and provides technical support to Southeast Asian local governments in quantifying and forecasting local greenhouse gas emissions, setting reduction targets, crafting and implementing action plans and monitoring reductions. She was exposed at an early age to environmental advocacy because of her mother, a licensed urban planner. Joy earned her bachelor’s degree (and graduated with honors) in environmental management from the Ateneo de Naga University. To stay away from too much television at night, she is currently taking up graduate studies in community development at the University of the Philippines. She enjoys traveling (alone) to places she’s never been to and meeting people from different cultures. For sure, Joy will very much enJOY the summit because it will be mixing work with pleasure!

Don’t let your eyes deceive you: Martin Dietrich Brauch is the Brazilian youth delegate. (Why would you think he’s German?) Since 2003 he has been studying Law and Economics in the Federal University of Pelotas. He used to take some subjects in a Journalism course 300 Km away from home, because he loves to write. In diplomacy on climate change he has found a great professional opportunity to harmonize his main personal interests – Law, Economics, foreign languages and environmental issues – and to serve the Lord. He has worked with the Brazilian Climate Change Forum on spreading awareness about climate change among youth. Besides that, he has given lectures in schools and he has written newspaper articles on climate change. A word about languages: he’s studied English and Spanish and he’s nowadays learning German and French. He also loves music: composing, playing (recorder and recently flute) and singing. Martin can be formal and serious but if you are willing to know him better you’ll see that he’s also friendly and quite funny.

Lindsay Dahl is a born and raised Minnesotan, or as she liked to call herself “corn fed”. She graduated from St. Olaf College with a major in Political Science and Environmental Science and is particularly interested in clean energy policy, climate change policy, dissident movements and international relations. After moving to Wisconsin for a year to work for the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, Dahl found herself back at home in Minnesota working for an energy policy and advocacy group called Minnesotans for an Energy Efficient Economy (ME3). She has traveled extensively, including Europe, Martinique, Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Australia, New Zealand and more. Her passion for life, fried chicken and cheese curds keeps her positive when it comes to the somewhat uphill battle here in the United States. Dahl likes to read, bowl, play croquet and skinny dip when she has free time.

I was born in Strasbourg, France in 1979. My parents decided to name me Damien, in remembrance of the city of Amiens where their history of love had begun. Unfortunately, my father had to move to Amiens for professional reasons, and so did I. “Woo, this is Damien from Amiens” (in French, “from Amiens” is said “d’Amiens”…) became the favourite “joke” of the kids of Amiens. To escape from their laughs, I went to Paris when I was 18. But it was worst: “What a shame, Damien comes from Amiens”. Indeed, coming from Amiens for a Parisian is like, I suppose, coming from deep Iowa for a New-Yorker. I finally took refuge in… studying: 7 years later, I have a diploma in general engineering from l’Ecole Polytechnique, a diploma in environmental engineering from l’ENGREF and a master in environmental economics. Having noticed that people working on the climate change issue never laugh about my origins or about the link between my name and the city where I grew up, I have decided to begin a PhD in economics on the competitiveness impacts of climate policies on carbon-intensive industries. Moreover, I am a new member of the NGO “Réseau Action Climat – France”. I’m now waiting impatiently for the summit, hoping that my observations on people working on CC will remain valid outside France. Because thanks to them, and thanks to the CC, I can now say: “Yes I come from Amiens! Yes my name is Damien! And I’m proud of that!”

Olga’s interest in environmental science dates back to her years at University, when she was a volunteer at the Ukrainian Society of Sustainable Development – a national level NGO. Later on she joined European Youth for Action, a group which promotes socially and environmentally sound ways of living. After graduation from the National Technical University of Ukraine “Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, Department of Applied Mathematics, she became a post-graduate student at the Institute for Economic Forecasting, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In this capacity she has participated in several conferences and seminars dedicated to the long-term energy and environment interactions and the environmentally benign economic restructuring of Ukrainian economy. She has also published several articles on various aspects of the Kyoto Protocol implementation in her country, two of which were published in leading academic journals. Her Ph.D. focuses predominately on a General Equilibrium Model for the research of alternative allocation schemes of emissions allowances and their impact on the national economy.

Arege Douglas is a native of Kisii, Nyanza province of Kenya where he grew up and spent most of his childhood. He now resides in the City of Nairobi where he has emigrated to study and work. He has fond memories of rural Kenya where existence was natural but now it is changing fast! Douglas has had an interest in nature since childhood when he started a botanical garden of natural herbs in th is backyard! In high school and University he has been involved in lobbying government to conserve indigenous forests, advocacy on climate change and cleaner technologies, and organic farming. Douglas helped set up environmental groups in his hometown, campus and city. Currently he is working as an intern and running Eco Ethics International Union Nairobi Chapter which focuses on an ethical approach to interaction with nature. He is also an e-lobbyist for greenpeace international. Douglas studied Anthropology at University (I will be graduating in December I need gifts, oops!) and plans to do a Masters in Ecological/Environmental Anthropology. Douglas is happy to be associated with the International Youth Summit on Climate Change as it will be his first international appearance on the international environment scene!

Emmanuel Edudzie was born and raised in Ghana, where he undertook his basic, secondary and tertiary education. Before graduating from University of Ghana with a BA in Political Science, he engaged in many international youth processes, including projects with UNEP, UN-Habitat, UN Youth Program, UNV, the YES Campaign and Taking IT Global, among others. Emmanuel has traveled extensively and participated in many international youth meetings, with the most recent being the 13th session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) held at the headquarters in New York. Soon after that meeting, Emmanuel was nominated, and later appointed as a Coordinator of the UNCSD Youth Caucus. This new role has provided him with a clearer vision for engaging young people to speak out on critical environmental issues, and to take action to create change. Currently, Emmanuel is pursuing an MSc in Organization Development at the University of Cape Coast, and also coordinates the Youth Employment Summit Campaign in Ghana. He is extremely humbled by the opportunity to participate in the upcoming International Youth Summit on Climate Change and looks forward to meeting the rest of the Summit team, as well as to make inputs into the process. Stay blessed! No curse! So long!

My name is Enongene Franklin Ewane, but I prefer friends to call me Franklin. I was born on the 11th of September 1983 in a small neigbourhood of Muyuka, South West province – Cameroon. I studied sciences in secondary and high school, with special interest in biology, chemistry and physics. In the university, I graduated with a Bsc. in Geography with special interest in environmental science. I refer to myself as an ambassador of nature. I love the forests as well as the animals that live in them. I hope for a good life for all generations. I therefore condemn all sorts of phenomena that put these sentiments to a test. I am a leader of a Cameroonian youth NGO, aimed at involving and sensitizing young people on environmental issues. Last year, I attended the CoP7 to the UN. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and I was overwhelmed to be the spokesperson for all the youths of the world. This time, I am attending the CoP to the UN. Convention on Climate Change and again, I think it is once more a solemn occasion for the younger generation to share their views, with their elderly counterparts. In Cameroon and most parts of Africa, Climate change is a phenomenon that affects almost all facets of human life. It is amongst other aspects the cause of droughts, famine, floods, disease outbreak, deforestation and desertification. I therefore wish to join the wonderful team that makes up the International Youth Team, so that we can together join our voices and ideas to Speak Out! and Cause a positive Change!.

Ariele Foster was born and raised in rural Virginia and studied sustainable agriculture and environmental studies at Hampshire College before being sucked into climate activism by attending a Ruckus Society Climate Action Camp and subsequently joining the Greenpeace student delegation to the 6th Conference of the Parties of the Kyoto Protocol in The Hague. Later, Ariele worked for such varied organizations as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership, the Alliance to Save Energy, Cities for Climate Protection, and the Climate Justice Corps program of the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative (for which she resided in the Gwich’in village of Arctic Village, Alaska, adjacent to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). She also ran energy conservation campaigns with GreenpeaceUSA and worked closely with SustainUS. In 2004, Ariele directed the Ohio Environmental Voter Education effort of the Sierra Club, which reached over 200,000 swing voters in 3 months. Ariele has traveled extensively in Latin America (and wants to go back to Alaska!); speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and some French; and hopes to start a sustainable agriculture education center on her family’s farm when she grows up.

He Gang comes from the great ancient mysterious China, a rising big responsible country. He has been studying in Peking University where he considers it as an Eden of science and humanity, and a paradise for learning. His background is in Geography with a focus on economics, ecology and the environment. He has participated in two major projects on LUCF (Land-use change and forestry) and its impacts on regional sustainable development, all related to climate change. He is the former president of the graduate students’ union of the College of Environmental Sciences, at Peking University. He also works for the CEEC (Center for Environmental Education & Communication of State Environmental Protection Administration of China) and serves as an assistant project manager and special reporter here. He loves nature and to travel. His motto is ‘Do responsible work, and enjoy life’. Reading, movies, poems and music, he thinks they makes life more beautiful with sunshine, and also help people spend their free time. He believes that the greatest man serves the public, no matter with science, ideal or even small action. So he is so excited that he can meet all the other delegates from all over the world who are concerned the earth and take action to create a sustainable world.

Alden Glinert lived in the southern California coastal and mountain areas for 16 years before he moved to southern Florida. He enjoys moonlit walks along the beach and is an Aquarius…….;-). Always exploring as an oceanic pioneer, Alden has always loved the ocean and been known to some people as, “Spending as much time in the water as the fish.” At 12 years old, he began his college career with a full semester load at Saddleback Community College. He took night classes while attending high school during the day time. Alden graduated from his 2 year college and high school in 2000 (age: 14) and ever since, has been searching the world to find a profession which best fits him. When Alden moved to the Florida Keys, he was first employed as an aquarium scientist, where his love for the ocean developed even further then it already was. During this time, Alden was working with a WWF supported group named: team panda. He bravely confronted his public speaking fears last year at the Coral Reef Task Force meeting (200+ people) and was trained by WWF in Washington D.C. to lobby. Team Panda lobbied members of congress to support the McCain/Lieberman Act. They swung about 7-10 out of the 25 supporting votes they were trying to get support for. Now, Alden works as a teacher for Monroe County (although he really wants to teach environmental science). Alden was selected as one of the applicants to be apart of the UN Summit/Delegation on climate change……..He is still in disbelief that he is going to be apart of something so amazing. He is also very anxious to meet the rest of the team and finds it really hard to write a Bio. in the “third” person ;-)

Despite having an unfortunate appreciation of sushi, since childhood Al’s life has been dominated by an unhealthy obsession with marine research and conservation. He studied degrees in zoology and environmental management at Edinburgh and Oxford Universities in the UK, and since his early student days the focus of his work has been in coral reef environments, particularly in the Western Indian Ocean. His interest in climate change has been borne out of working on coral reefs - highly biodiverse and critically important marine habitats, which are fundamental to the livelihoods and cultures of hundreds of millions of people worldwide, yet which are in state of rapid degradation as a direct result of global climate change. Al is now based in London, working as a biologist for Blue Ventures, an award-winning marine conservation NGO that he set up after University, dedicated to facilitating projects that enhance global coral reef conservation and research. He’s very much looking forward to the summit for the unique opportunity of working with young climate change activists from around the world.

Marina got involved with environmental issues at the tender age of 9. At that time her desperation for “saving the world from massive catastrophe” encouraged her to fund a local environmental group in her community and drive all the people around her into the green revolution. At the age of 12, a book bought at a supermarket got her in contact with Peace Child, an international youth led organization whose mission is to “Empower Young People”. Soon after, she became its national representative for Argentina. Ten years now of work with PCI have offered her the opportunity to work from many different angles, from sustainable development and environment protection to education, youth participation and human and children’s rights. She has participated in several youth related gatherings and international negotiation processes and coordinated projects and initiatives in partnership with the goverment and other organizations, such as the Young People’s Initiative at the COP10 of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change in Buenos Aires. Marina was elected as an Associate Advisor of the UNEP Tunza Youth Advisory Council for the 2003-2005 mandate, and more recently as Advisor for the 2005-2007 mandate. She also works the GEF/UNDP project “Biodiversity Managment and Conservation in the Esteros del Ibera Wetlands”(Corrientes, Argentina) and in other initiatives seeking to promote sustainable development in one of the poorest areas of the country. Marina is graduating in Environmental Sciences at the Universidad Catolica de Salta (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and is at present working on her thesis.

Hello, all!! My name is Mari. I’m Japanese, brought up in Tokyo but spent 5 years in Kyoto, which must be our favorite place! As undergrad, I majored in the environmental policy and did research on the Kyoto Protocol, especially on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). This year I’m studying in London, doing master’s degree: MSc Environment and Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and suffering a lot from the British English and British foods!! My main interest in climate change is how the developing countries can cope with this issue together with the developed countries. Last year I did the internship in a Japanese NGO and attended the COP10 in Argentine. I strongly hope that this COP will be a more fruitful one and I believe that we can make a big push towards the positive outcome!! In general, I like music, books, paintings, traveling, chatting and drinking. I am really looking forward to the rest of the Summit team in Montreal!!

Oleg Izyumenko was born in Volgodonsk (at the heart of the traditional Cossacks’ land in Russia), near the place where two great Russian rivers – Volga and Don – connect to each other (which gives you some clues about the city’s name). Since early childhood he was a “tree-hugger” type of person, forbidding other kids to break trees and torture hamsters, desperately wanting to have a pet (which wasn’t possible because of mom’s strong dislike of animals at home, so he went with the fish-bowl). Having joined Greenpeace quite early (at the age of 16) Oleg dreamed about becoming a “Rainbow Warrior” himself one day. So, after graduation from the university (BSc in Computer Sciences and Economics) and moving to the capital city of Moscow, he began to work at the local Greenpeace office as the English-language website editor and a public campaigns coordinator (supervising those annoying youngsters who always ask you for donation on the streets and at the malls). There Oleg learnt a lot about environmental and social issues and became very “green” in his lifestyle (being vegan and anti-car, maniacally recycling every bit of garbage around and installing compact fluorescent light bulbs at the friends’ and relatives’ apartments). The next big dream of Oleg is to enter a university in Sweden the next academic year to study Sustainable Development at the Master’s Degree level. Participating the International Youth Summit and the UN Conference on Climate Change will help him big deal, no doubts about it!

Travis is a person who isn’t too sure what his main interests are, so he tries to do everything. Currently studying a combined Engineering (Environmental) / Commerce degree at Melbourne University, he decided to also partake in a Diploma of Advanced German, thus extending his course to six years. Although he sometimes rues his decision to be a student for an outrageously long time, he can’t complain about lazy mornings reading the paper over a coffee and student loans provided by the Government. Travis is passionate about social justice and development issues and has spent an extended period of time in South Africa and Ghana teaching English, working with orphans with AIDS and providing access to clean water. In Australia, he coordinates a program called through the Oaktree Foundation called ‘Oaktree Interactive’ - a curriculum-based social justice and global issues forum for young people in schools, universities and corporations. Climate change is an issue that Travis can’t ignore as his future career will be intrinsically involved with the environment and its well-being. He’s fascinated in the reactive nature of humans and our ability to ignore a problem that could be our ultimate undoing. On a lighter note, Travis has no idea how to speak French.

Levan Kobakhidze was born in the beautiful city of Georgia – Sukhumi, located on the shore of the Black Sea. But due to the war (I’ve never understood why people are killing each other. Is there anything more precious then our lives?!) in 1992 was constrained to move to Tbilisi (the capital of Georgia), where he currently lives. From his early childhood he has fought against climate change, against polluting our planet and all the related issues mainly by promoting Renewable Energy usage practically, scientifically and morally. He has a Bachelors in Economics with Informatics though has decided to continue studying for MBA. He is currently working for “Sun and Earth” – a Georgian ecological NGO, mainly concentrating on Renewables. His hobbies include (almost everything related to the nature): traveling, mountain climbing, swimming, rafting, skiing, snowboard and car racing (in the hope of invented an ecologically clean fuel ). He cannot wait to meet the rest of the Summit team from all over the world in Montreal!

Hi, I'm Ingrid and I have been privileged enough to grow up in the African bushveld. My youth was spent in the outdoors, hence my passion for the environment. After finishing school I traveled and worked overseas for a year in Ireland, the USA and Europe. It was an experience I have never forgotten and I learnt so much about other cultures and countries. I then studied a BSc in Geography and Zoology at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and am currently completing my honours in geography focusing on climate change adaptation. I am hoping to attend Oxford University in the UK for Masters next October, so hold thumbs for me! I am so excited about the conference next month that I don't know how I am going to get through exams and projects first. At least this will make the time fly by and before we know it we will be in Montreal.

Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis was born and raised in La Plata, Argentina. A University based city and capital of the province of Buenos Aires. He is doing his 3rd year of Ecological Biology at the National University of La Plata. During year 2002, he lived in Ontario, Canada as participant of the Youth Exchange Program of Rotary International. During his second year of University he got involved with Sustainable Development and Climate Change Seminars, which introduced him to Fundación Biosfera, an environmental NGO where he works now as the Secretary of the Climate Change Department. As part of the CC team, he organizes seminars, SD projects and writes short articles on Climate change. Since he is concerned about the impacts of human activities on Nature he also participates on Research projects to measure and evaluate those activities as he did in an internship, last summer in Tierra del Fuego, Southern Argentina. Enrique is now looking forward to meet all his team mates at the summit to share and produce together the voice of youth for the COP 11, COP / MOP1 of the UNFCCC.

It is very hard to describe Jochen and so I will start with some keyword which his friends maybe would use to describe him or link with his person: Big bear, bicycles, black hole, trusty, awkward, renewable energies, wood, foreign countries, high mountains, neurotically diplomatically, XXXL, persistent, big beer glasses, communicative, team ball sports, bad Swabian dialect, sun power. To prove if these are the correct impression it will be the best way to meet him and get your own view. Therefore temporally the best place is maybe in lectures of renewable energy systems at the FHTW in Berlin. But it is also possible to meet him at several solar conferences, in his amateur handball team, or cycling around on his bike. In the past you could have meet him in China where he wrote his thesis about the new Chinese Renewable energy law, or on other internships or on bike trips in several other countries. His first sheltered 20 year he spend in a tiny village between vineyards and a nuclear power plant. The wine and the power production followed him till now. He still loves drinking wine, cooking and enjoying good food together with friends, and on the other hand he works and fights for a better and more sustainable power generation. Therefore events like this are a good change to link and integrate the views of the generation of the future.

Elisabeth Wendy Lokshall is a Norwegian girl from the capital town Oslo. Elisabeth holds a Bachelor degree with a major in Social Anthropology from the University of Oslo, and is currently completing her MA. Over the last year she has been working part time for Point Carbon, a Norwegian company that specializes in the climate field. At Point Carbon she has spent oh so many hours staring at the UNFCCC webpages in an attempt to understand the Kyoto mechanisms. This year, Elisabeth`s obsession with climate change took her all the way from the polar circle to the equator when she visited Uganda. Apart from befriending mountain gorillas, she studied CDM projects in Uganda. Now she is looking forward to seeing Montreal.

Catherine was born (1982) and raised in Mukono District, Central Uganda. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Management from Makerere University Kampala, Uganda-East Africa. Currently, she is pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in Meteorology at the same University, where she is also a lecturer in Climatology. Catherine is a member of Africa Environment Outlook (AEO) for Youth and a Research Assistant in the field of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Auditing of Development Projects. Her fast growing interest in Climate Change is in the field of Water Resource Management and Variability. Catherine loves meeting people, making new friends, music, learning from others and sharing ideas. Coming from tropical experiences, the International Youth Summit on Climate Change is therefore one of those great opportunities for her to learn and share with new people ideas regarding the global trends on Climate.

Fawzia Nasrin was born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh and proud to be in the forefront of environmental policy advocacy in Bangladesh and the Asia-Pacific region. She works for the Asia-Pacific Forum of Environmental Journalists (APFEJ), a non-government organization (NGO) dealing with sustainable development and has national forum in almost all the Asia- Pacific countries and closely works with UNESCAP, UNEP and ADB for promoting the cause of sustainable development especially through the media, as Programme In-charge of its secretariat in Dhaka. She also spent a year in Vietnam working with the Vietnam Forum of Environmental Journalists (VFEJ) in 2003. Her academic count includes M.A in Philosophy as well as in Health Economics from the University of Dhaka. She also writes for the Environment and Heritage page of the Holiday, a broad sheet national weekly, published from Dhaka. She also contributes regularly in the APFEJ newsletter, WWFJ newsletter ‘Water Vision”, FEJB newsletter “Environment and Development”. She has participated a number of international, regional and national conferences and co-authored a number of research articles besides associated in organising several regional conferences and training programmes. She is now a member of the UNEP Global Environment Outlook-4 Outreach Working Group formed by UNEP. Fawzia is very keen to the issues related to Climate Change and proud to be the part of COP11/MOP1 voicing youth thoughts.

Gayatri Patwardhan was born in Karnataka almost 21 years ago and raised in Maharashtra. She did all her education (!!) till now in Pune, combined with extra activities like teaching in rural schools, running the local nature club at school, and going for nature trails and treks in snow capped mountains. The most important turning point arrived in her life occurred during her first trek…when she fell in love…with NATURE. Since then every creature that breaths is a friend of hers. Currently she is enjoying her last semester as an Architecture student. She is dealing with current city level problems regarding pollution, traffic, and network fabric. She is looking forward to continuing her studies in Urban Design which surely deals with the global context and climate change. Apart from her love for nature and Architecture, she is mad about sketching, painting, photography, writing and reading, you name it. She can hardly wait until the Summit starts, to meet a group of new and interesting people…

Abel Ramoelo was born in area called Limpopo (normally refer to as the Eden of Africa), Republic South Africa (RSA). He is presently stuck in the southern part of the Island (England), Southampton, studying MSc in Geoinformation Science for Environmental Management and Modelling. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa was baffled and flabbergasted to learn that he was going to study in the UK, rather they understood him as they emphasizes on developing their human capital and gave him 18 months study leave. He likes working in CSIR, serving in knowledge generation organisation for SA. Abel studied a Bachelor of Environmental Sciences honours in a stunning area (Greenish and fully embedded with natural scenery) of Limpopo (Thohoyandou), at the University of Venda for Science and Technology, RSA. His interest in Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation for the environmental management and modelling is inevitable. Among other interests land cover change detection and climate change has been the areas he always wants to see himself prospering in. Concomitantly, Abel has been invited to the International Youth Summit on Climate Change which he is looking forward to add-value and by far, vicariously waiting to see other enthusiastic and energetic Summit team.

Anna Rose was born in the largest coal port (by export volume) in the cosmos, so perhaps it was no wonder that she developed an obsession with climate change upon becoming involved in the Australian student left at the University of Sydney. Taking a year “off” her Arts/ Law degree this year to convene the Australian Student Environment Network and be the National Union of Students Environment Officer has led to many interesting climate – related situations, including sticking post-it notes saying “its our air too – stop climate change!” to the walls inside her state government, leading a march of 800 angry students waving sunflowers into the offices of one of the worlds worst climate criminals (BHP), organizing hundreds of phone calls to University Vice Chancellors pressuring them to switch to clean energy, helping create a giant paper mache power station (which may or may not have ended up looking like a mushroom) and giant sun costume for ‘super solar vs kranky coal’ boxing matches, and being escorted out of a local council meeting about to approve more coal mining for chalking slogans and pictures about climate change on the front of their buildings. She is stoked about coming to Canada to meet other climate-obsessed young people from around the world and can’t wait for us to figure out how to end the world’s addiction to fossil fuels. She also thinks it would be really cool to see snow!

Razcel Jan Luiz Salvarita is often mistaken to be a girl. Genetically, he is an XY species but he is also an advocate for women’s rights. He does volunteer teaching in art and environmental education for local kids at Tambobo Bay and plans to establish a children’s green library at Apo Island, Philippines. He has been with the whales and dolphins (esp. humpback whales!) for World Wide Fund for Nature as photographer and environmental educator. On his 21st birthday, he walked around the city, painted in white, holding a banner, painted by his father that reads: “Save Lake Balinsasayao! Treat the Environment with Respect!” It was a gift to himself, the environment, and his future kids. He is a practicing environmental journalist and currently studying MS in Environmental Policy and Advocacy at Silliman University. He writes columns about the environment, especially on climate change. He is a prolific visual artist, writer, photographer and performance artist. He is excited about his first travel adventure outside of the Philippines and in meeting his interesting green-minded fellows of the Summit!

Steve Schwartz is a junior at Columbia University studying Political Science. He is a member of SustainUS, the U.S. Youth Network for Sustainable Development. His first UN conference representing SustainUS was the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Before that, he attended the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children nearly by accident when looking for a summer job. Climate change is important to him because he doesn't want Long Island, his homeland, to go underwater. Steve's hobbies include writing novels, listening to music, and eating. Steve is excited about the Summit and conference because he enjoys nitpicking over language in government documents. He looks forward to meeting you, too.

Aritetsoma Ukueberuwa would like everyone to know that, although her name is of Nigerian origin, even many Nigerians still have trouble pronouncing it! It means “a child is loved” in Itsekiri, her father’s native language. Her friends and family in the U.S.A. call her Tetse. Tetse was born and raised in New Jersey, United States, where she lives today. She received a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College, New Hampshire U.S.A. While she was an undergraduate she had internships in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and traveled to South Africa to do environmental research with her peers. After graduating, she lived in Nigeria for several months and worked with the Nigerian Federal Radiation Protection Service and the Basel Convention Centre for Hazardous Waste Policy in Ibadan, Nigeria. She would like to pursue a career in environmental policy and is very excited to join the Summit team.

Harro van Asselt grew up in the small town of Aalsmeer, near Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He liked this big city close to him so much, that he decided to move there. Harro studied Dutch law, and specialized in international law at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. As it would be strange for an international law student not to know the other countries in the world, he decided to go abroad for a while, where he fell in love with the beauty of South Africa during his exchange period at the University of Pretoria. After his graduation, he started working for the Institute for Environmental Studies of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Working on a great diversity of issues, mostly related to climate change, he’s enjoying the combination of working and, above all, learning more and more about the world we live in. Seeing the breathtaking beauty of the melting glaciers in Patagonia, Argentina, after the tenth Conference of the Parties in Buenos Aires, only got him more motivated to continue to work on abating climate change. In February 2006, he will start his doctoral thesis on international law and climate change. He’s looking very much forward to participating in the Youth Summit and the Conference of the Parties.

Tiantian Wang was born in Nanjing, a beautiful city in the eastern part of China. During her sixteen year, a two-week long experience of staying in the countryside, surrounded by the beauties of nature deeply impressed Tiantian and made her more concern about the issue of environment protection. She chose to major in English by accident and life in university in this city far away from her hometown was much more wonderful than she had expected. She joined a students’ society of Environment Protection during her freshman year in college and took part in an “Anti-Private Car” campaign in the local community in the second semester. Recently she has become very concerned about the ecological breakdown in the region around the source of the Yellow river in China because of climate change. Tiantian is eagerly looking forwards to participating in this summit to share her ideas with all the members of the team!

I grew up in the woods of eastern Washington State where the only source of electricity was solar panels. This experience is the source of my continuing belief that there is another way to do things than what mainstream American society accepts as inevitable. I am interested broadly in the question of how we get from 'here', the social, economic, and energy systems we have today, to 'there', the systems that are compatible with long-term sustainability of the earth's resources and that are more just and equitable. This interest lead me to a master’s degree in Energy & Resources that I completed six months ago, to an internship with the Just Transition Alliance designing a curriculum to introduce labor unions to climate change, and most recently to working as part of a Catholic Worker community. Speaking of climate, after having lived the past two years in a climate with no snow and recently moved north again, I am looking forward to winter opportunities for sledding!

Lisa Zelljadt is an American citizen born in Massachusetts, but has lived in Germany for much of her childhood and studied Environmental Policy there for the last two years—in fact, she just returned to North America and is still re-adjusting to gallons, pounds, and Fahrenheit. During her time studying at Northwestern University, from which she has a B.A. in political science and international studies, she lived in Moscow for half a year and therefore speaks Russian, too—but French would be more useful in Montreal, so she hopes to learn some at the Summit! Lisa has been active in climate change policy since being part of the US student delegation to COP6 in den Haag and its follow-up in Bonn, where she helped organize the delegation working with Greenpeace USA. In Germany she interned at the Federal Environment Council, where she got involved with climate policy at the German and EU level, and now she’s hoping to use that experience to promote ambitious climate policies in her home country. She’s especially interested in how climate change mitigation can help developing countries and promote sustainability, and is writing her Masters thesis on climate policy right now. She’s looking forward to meeting the rest of the summit team!