A common theme during most movements in history is old people complaining that the youth don’t really know anything and should stick to focusing on school and not politics. Unfortunately for them, when it comes to climate change the youth today are empowered and vocal. While many grown men and women can only express their opinions on the internet and not take any further action, these three young women have taken charge of our future:
1. Greta Thunberg
If you haven’t heard of Greta Thunberg’s work yet, then you must be living under a rock. When Thunberg was fifteen years old, she protested outside the Swedish parliament alone to push for stronger action in response to the global climate crisis. Over a year later, she has inspired a school climate strike movement called Fridays for Future, as students strike for climate change every week all over the world. Thunberg spoke at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit a few days ago, addressing many world leaders, telling them, “You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you.” With her sharp words and actions igniting the climate strike movement, Thunberg draws attention to the Earth’s increasingly dangerous environmental conditions and world leaders’ inaction and refusal to even believe it is a serious issue.
2. Amariyanna Copeny
Better known as Little Miss Flint, Amariyanna Copeny is a twelve year old activist from Flint, Michigan who advocates for her hometown’s water crisis as well as other global issues. Copeny first gained recognition when at age eight she wrote to President Obama about elevated lead levels in Flint’s drinking water. Since then, she has still worked to draw awareness to the fact that Flint still does not have clean drinking water and President Trump’s inability thusfar to fulfill his promise to fix the water crisis. Beyond the water crisis, Copeny has used her platform to partner with several non-profit organizations and has initiated her own fundraisers to promote education and a positive self-image for young students.
3. Autumn Peltier
Autumn Peltier is a fifteen-year-old member of the Wikwemikon First Nation who took over advocating to protect the Great Lakes after her great aunt passed away. Now, she is the water commissioner of the Anishinabek Nation and represents many First Nations communities in Canada. She has spoken to the UN General Assembly, saying “No one should have to worry if the water is clean or if they will run out of water. No child should grow up not knowing what clean water is, or never know what running water is.” From her bold move confronting Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau on his approval of pipelines to speaking to the UN, Peltier has gained international recognition as an advocate for clean drinking water for everyone in Canada.
These three teen climate activists, as well as many other young activists, show how dire the situation has become for our generation. Despite the inaction of major world leaders, we can look to these inspirational women for guidance in the fight against climate change.