Maya Faison spoke to conference participants meeting in Doha, Qatar last week on the perils of climate change. She spoke as a youth leader and one who had a personal connection to the topic. Her uncle died just a few weeks ago in the storm surge brought on by Hurricane Sandy which she considers a direct result of global warming and rising sea levels. Seventy-four-year-old Albert McSwain fell in his home in the Rockaways which was without electricity, and dark.

You can watch her testimony in this video.

A senior at Long Island City High School, Maya was chosen to speak at the conference because of her ongoing activism on climate change. She also caught people’s attention with a blog post describing her reaction to Sandy. Here’s an excerpt:

I am happy to hear that our Mayor has decided to endorse a president who realizes what a problem climate change is. As climate change has become more of a reality, some people have been trying to dispute the fact that it is as grave of an issue as it is. My message to them and to all of our leaders in the wake of the election is simple: Do not let any more time pass before you take action. Our nation is in danger and my future is in danger.

Maya is involved with Global Kids, a non-profit that develops youth leaders and runs a variety of after-school programs focused on civics and global issues. For more about Maya, check out this Global Kids slide show.