Title: Young Climate Activists Step Up to Demand Action and Accountability
Subtitle: American teenagers and twenty-somethings increasingly work to shape policy and change the narrative on climate change
Date: August 15, 20XX
Kaliko Teruya, a 13-year-old resident of Lahaina, Hawaii, is determined to push for urgent action against climate change following the devastating wildfires that destroyed her apartment last week. The unprecedented wildfire, fueled by hurricane winds and weak natural disaster defenses, has heightened her commitment to the cause.
“The fire was made so much worse due to climate change,” Kaliko said. “How many more natural disasters have to happen before grown-ups realize the urgency?”
Kaliko is among a growing number of young people who are actively engaged in raising awareness about global warming and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In 2020, she and 13 other young individuals aged 9 to 18 filed a lawsuit against their home state, Hawaii, challenging its use of fossil fuels.
With active lawsuits in five states, impactful TikTok videos, and street marches, this youth movement aims to influence policy, sway elections, and shift the narrative to focus on the need for a healthier and cleaner planet, rather than just climate catastrophes. While American teenagers and twenty-somethings concerned about the environment have not yet achieved the same level of impact as their European counterparts led by Greta Thunberg, they are increasingly being taken more seriously.
Elise Joshi, 21, the executive director of Gen-Z for Change, an organization she joined while in college, states, “We see what’s happening with climate change, and how it affects everything else. We’re experiencing a mix of anger and fear, and we’re finally channeling it into hope in the form of collective action.”
The frustration of young climate activists with the Biden administration’s climate agenda is a wild card factor in the upcoming presidential race. They are particularly disappointed that President Biden, who pledged a complete halt on drilling on federal lands during his campaign, has yet to fulfill that promise.
Next month, young activists are organizing a climate march in New York during the United Nations General Assembly to further amplify their voices. Their influence is even being recognized in traditionally conservative states like Montana, where a judge recently ruled in favor of 16 young people who sued the state over its support for the fossil fuel industry.
Badge Busse, one of the plaintiffs in the Montana case, remarks, “The fact that kids are taking this action is incredible, but it’s sad that it had to come to us. We’re the last resort.”
While young climate activists exhibit a mix of pride and exasperation, many are energized by what they perceive as their generation’s defining fight. They resent the lack of serious action from adults in tackling a problem that has been widely understood for decades.
With active cases in Hawaii and Montana, among other states, the nonprofit legal organization Our Children’s Trust is providing support and resources to these young activists. In a federal case known as Juliana v. United States, which was revived by a judge’s ruling in June, plaintiffs like 24-year-old Vic Barrett are determined to hold the government accountable for its inaction on climate change.
Zanagee Artis, 23, who co-founded Zero Hour, a climate nonprofit, while in high school, expresses frustration with the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow drilling project in Alaska despite widespread opposition. The campaign against Willow on social media platform TikTok demonstrated the power of impassioned youth to shape the national debate.
Although progress on climate action has been slow, young activists are working to combat “climate nihilism” and inspire collective action. Efforts are underway to engage young people of color and provide real solutions to the problem, as fear alone does not motivate sustainable action.
The support for the climate movement is spreading across party lines and generational gaps. Pew Research Center data suggests that millennials and members of Gen Z, regardless of their political affiliation, are more likely to believe in human-made global warming and support efforts to reduce emissions.
Meanwhile, in Maui, Kaliko and her family are recovering from their second natural disaster in five years. Having experienced flash flooding in 2018 and the recent devastating fire, Kaliko emphasizes the need for adults to wake up and take action urgently.
“We really need adults to wake up,” she said. “If we don’t fix this now, there’s not going to be a future.”