Written by Tanvi Mishra
Edited by Emil Koch & Kashish Raj
As sea levels rise and temperatures skyrocket, our future becomes more and more uncertain. Climate change will affect today’s youth the most, so we must be at the forefront of climate action. As a young person, it might seem like you cannot bring meaningful change, but if every youth stepped up, the change would be easier than we can imagine.
There is no fixed way to advocate for stricter laws for climate action. Young people have started organizations, sued governments, participated in protests, and done countless other things in the past. We can take motivation from these youths and follow in their footsteps.
The easiest way to take part in advocacy for climate action is to simply join a climate organization. Countless youth-run organizations across the globe provide the platform and opportunity for youths worldwide to play a role in environmental conservation. Some of these organizations include the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (Australia), the Indian Youth Climate Network (India), Power Shift (North America), and Generation Climate (Europe). Through protests, petitions, and environmental literacy, these organizations empower an increasing number of young people to take action and build pressure against governments to do more for climate action.
Meaningful change can only be created when the masses come together and commit to this change. As such, environmental literacy is a huge part of advocacy. Starting a small environment club in your community, giving talks in your school’s assembly, or publishing newspaper articles might be the push needed to spark the flame of climate activism in countless young people. Moreover, as young people’s voices get louder, governments will be forced to listen and take action.
We are running out of time to save our planet. It is time that we take action to secure a better future for ourselves and the generations to come.
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