Kentucky students are joining the Just Economic Transition movement...

Editor’s Note: The following is a guest blog post from a guest blogger. The views and opinions expressed in this guest blog do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Renew Appalachia or of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED). Six proud, young Kentuckians kicked off the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition’s Just Transition Working Group with a spirited discussion about supporting the movement toward a better future for our state! The group talked about how we could share the values of the Just Transition movement in our own regions and create opportunities for prosperity in our state. We discussed the kinds of jobs we’d like to see: those that put to use our individual experiences as Kentuckians and the unique, rich, cultural heritage of our state, and jobs that we can be proud of without having to put our environmental health at risk. There was also discussion about how unfair it’s been that communities in Kentucky haven’t been given the money or resources they’ve been owed – and desperately need – to succeed in their own right. We talked at length about why these inequities exist and reached the conclusion that a viable solution for our state would be a permanent revolving coal severance fund. We would expect our legislators and the industries that operate in our state to hold each other accountable for getting the money that is owed to our communities where it rightfully belongs. When you invest in communities, help them succeed from the inside out, true prosperity can flourish. Young Kentuckians...