Government officials with degrees and offices in the nation’s capital can’t seem to get it together to fight global warming. So a bunch of kids who aren’t old enough to vote have decided to take the charge instead.

The iMatter movement was founded three years ago by Alec Loorz, who at the time was just 13 years old, but already recognized the urgent need to fight climate change and focus on global sustainability.

Between May 7th and May 14th, iMatter will hold international youth marches to raise awareness of the importance of fighting global warming. According to iMatter, these marches are “the largest ever mobilization of young people against climate change.” Organizers expect tens of thousands of people to march in the U.S. alone.

Beyond the marches, the youth leaders are planning to appeal to the courts in a series of legal and administrative actions that will soon be filed against all 50 states and the federal government.

According to an iMatter March release:

Both the marches and the lawsuits are focused on getting governments to stop caving into the demands of oil and coal lobbyists and to create “climate recovery plans.” These plans, based on the best science, will establish peak global carbon dioxide emissions by 2012, reduce carbon dioxide emissions on a global scale by at least 6 percent every year and commit to widespread global reforestation.

The action that these young leaders are taking is bittersweet. Loorz says, “Young people will be affected most by decisions that are made today and yet we can’t vote, and we don’t have money to compete with lobbyists…We do, however, have the moral authority and the legal right to insist that our future be protected.”

While these young leaders are engaging in commendable actions, shouldn’t adults be protecting their children?

You don’t often see a child telling her parents to be more protective. It’s not often that a kid reminds her mom to do the dishes, clean her room… act responsibly. But this is exactly what these children and teenagers are doing. They are asking adults to act more responsibly, to protect their children’s future. Isn’t it about time that adults start acting responsibly to protect the climate?

For all interested “youth and those who love them,” find a nearby iMatter marching location.