We are so grateful to honor Harper Meyerson as our Climate Hero of the Month for November!
Harper hails from Seattle, Washington and is currently studying Economics and International Relations at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. That’s right, she is making a difference in the climate movement in Colorado from 4,000+ miles away! She’s passionate about outdoor adventuring and helping to protect the wild nature that she loves. She first got a taste for working with environmental nonprofits in high school, as a youth ambassador and avid volunteer with Washington Trails Association. Her main academic interest is in economic policy and how we can promote both equity and environmentalism through effective policymaking.
Harper began interning with 350 Colorado in May as a summer intern with Heidi Leathwood, 350CO Climate Policy Analyst. “Her passion and interest were really contagious when applying!” said Chelsea Alexander, 350CO Movement Building & Volunteer Director. “You talk with lots of applicants when filling internship positions and people like Harper stand out.”
“Harper brought an interest and education in economics and policy, experience with volunteer management, and a can-do attitude backed up with skills to match,” says Heidi. “She began her internship learning about ozone and health impacts, contributing to one of our big campaigns over the summer: bringing awareness to the role of oil and gas in Colorado’s ozone pollution.”
In the last five months Harper helped with campaign planning, and created a fact sheet that was used by a coalition of groups at the Air Quality Control Commission’s (AQCC) annual retreat meet-and-greet. She also jumped headfirst into Weld County, the most fracked county in Colorado, by creating a report to show what percentage of Weld County’s economy is made up of oil and gas revenue. Through her research she was able to show that it is not as much as many people might think! When Harper presented her findings at a staff meeting in August she opened a lot of people’s eyes and provided valuable insight in how to further deconstruct this harmful narrative about Colorado’s ‘unstoppable’ extractive industry.
“Her last project contributed valuable research on severance taxes and how the industry gets some big subsidies most people don’t know about. She continued to work on this from across the pond–back in Scotland now and in the midst of school,” says Heidi. “Harper helped behind the scenes with committee organizing, and always brought great ideas to the table in meetings. We appreciate all of her help and wish her the best.”
Harper wrapped her internship in October and is managing a full course load this semester, but had some final sentiments to share. “I’ve been thrilled to have the opportunity to work with 350 this summer and honored to work with Heidi. I’ve learned first-hand the importance of showing up to local-level committee meetings and rigorously fact-checking reports by the oil and gas industry,” says Harper. “Though my internship with 350 is now officially over, I look forward to following what the team does in the future and helping out where I can. Thank you, Heidi!”
Thank YOU Harper for all the hard work, dedication, and commitment to making the world a better place! Each and every one of us brings a unique skillset to the movement, and working with professionals like you that are entering these important fields is incredibly energizing and rewarding. You will continue to do incredible things, we just know it!
Want to be our next Climate Hero of the month? Join us as a volunteer and climate activist by emailing volunteer@350colorado.org.