Junior Launches Carbon Tax Petition, Aims for Congress

By Brian Yoffe

For the last few months, junior Nathan Foster has been petitioning for a tax on carbon emissions, hoping to ultimately bring this document before Congress.

Foster decided on this petition as his “Hero’s Journey” project, a full-year assignment in his American literature class intended to give students an understanding of what it means to be a hero.

“The way I teach my junior class is with a focus through the American Dream lens and also through the heroic lens, which I feel is very much a part of America,” said Marc Banks, Foster’s English teacher.

Not all students choose projects of such magnitude, though.

“In my eight years, Nathan’s project is the first of its kind in terms of making a connection with someone in Congress or trying to reach out to Congress and make a change in this way,” Banks said.

Foster’s interest in political activism and his recent visit to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) convention prompted him to create the petition.

“I had recently gone to an AIPAC convention in Boston and canvassed for Elizabeth Warren and Joe Kennedy for the 2012 elections, both of which exposed me to politics and inspired me to do more,” Foster said.

“I chose a carbon tax specifically because I received advice that I should focus my message, and a carbon tax is one of the most effective ways of reducing the effects of climate change.”

Foster said he believes that environmental issues such as global warming and climate change deserve more attention.

“I feel that climate change is an extremely important geopolitical problem and more can and must be done to reduce its effects and adapt for it,” Foster said. “It also doesn’t have the same level of advocacy that many other issues have.”

Several others have helped and supported Foster with his project, including the Environmental Club.

“The idea excited club members,” Environmental Club co-president Dani Davidoff said. “The whole club was inspired by him.”

Foster said that he and others who are helping him have already collected about 700 signatures from South students. They are aiming for 1,000 signatures by the time he completes the project.

While the petition has been a success, Foster said he has faced some adversity while working on it.

“It is quite time consuming, so I actually had to take a week and a half off from it due to schoolwork a few weeks ago,” he said.

The Environmental Club has also had some difficulties in helping Foster with the petition.

“People can ask some hard questions, try to make you doubt what you’re doing,” Davidoff said.

Although some see Foster’s age as a challenge, he said he believes that his age and status have not, and will not, present a problem.

“I don’t see being a high school student as too much of an impediment,” Foster said. “I and nearly everyone who has signed the petition will be able to vote in the next 2-4 years.”

Members of the Environmental Club agreed that being a high school student is not a setback for projects such as this one.

“People don’t look at a high schooler and say, ‘Oh, they’re not even 18, they can’t vote and they’re not a legal adult, [so] their opinions don’t matter,’” Davidoff said.

“People look at high school students taking a stand about climate change and they think, ‘Wow, if they can think this way, so can I.’”

Banks said that Foster’s personality and performance in class have helped him stay determined and continue collecting signatures.

“Nathan’s great as a student,” Banks said. “He often participates and brings great insight to conversations. He thinks things through and is willing to put himself out there and give his thoughts.”

Foster said his ultimate goal is to have the petition addressed in Congress.

“The petition itself–while it wouldn’t be decisive in getting a carbon tax passed–would optimally influence my Congresspeople to strongly support a carbon tax,” Foster said. “This would be quite a big impact for a high school student to have.”

Foster and those helping him said they are optimistic that the petition will be a success.

“You never know where something like this may go,” librarian Marnie Bolstad said. “Congresspeople love to hear from people within their constituency and they love to hear from students, particularly kids who are well-informed.”

“What I really like about Nathan’s project is that it may not necessarily go to the floor of the House or the Senate but he is trying,” Banks said. “At the very least it will bring awareness to the environment. It starts the conversation.”

Foster hopes to finish the project by April break and deliver the petition to Congress shortly afterward. For the South community, Foster’s commitment to the environmental cause has been an inspiration.

“It shows to the student body that you don’t just give up because something is hard,” Banks said. “Even though you’re only one person you’re still making a small difference that collectively makes a big change.”