A student-led petition urging 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to debate on environmental policy has garnered more than 51,000 signatures since its posting nearly three weeks ago.
The campaign, launched by U.S. Youth Climate Strike activists, wants all candidates to commit to participating in a debate or forum on the issue.
So far, five candidates—U.S. Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, former U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel, and Gov. Jay Inslee—have expressed their support for a debate. Inslee also has a different petition on his website specifically encouraging the Democratic National Committee to host a climate debate.
The recent petition is a part of a wave of student activism related to climate change.
