An interview with Elise, a 19 year-old college student and climate activist.

What brought you into climate work and the climate movement?

I was brought into this movement through a Sunrise Green New Deal crash course, where I felt hope for my future for the first time in a long time. Being a sophomore in high school, having a vision to propel me in the rest of my life was so powerful and I knew that this was what my life’s work would be (although I hope it doesn’t take that long.) I’d always been peripherally interested in environmentalism, but being mobilized and educated was my way in.

What do you think is the best reason to support taking action to combat climate change?

My self-interest is in the people, and all living beings. I think a life-centric approach allows us to fully appreciate humans’ self-interest in staying alive with a high quality of life, as well as consider others’ well-being like animals and plants (of course, we know their well-being is tied up with ours – we are nature.) I urge people building self-interest in the movement to identify their own values and reasons for climate action that may not align perfectly with general movement messaging.

How would you describe your approach to organizing and mobilizing young people on climate?

I think the vast majority of young people have some sort of anxiety around the climate crisis, whether we’re all conscious of it or not. The most powerful way to pull someone in is to nonjudgmentally present an opportunity for them to tap into that feeling – whether it’s through expressing anger/frustration at a protest, unpacking their grieving of blizzards at a grief circle, or them recognizing their prior isolation in the topic when they’re finally in similarly-minded company. Once we can crack those emotions open, we can see where their self-interest lies and show them the value that this movement has for them, and vice versa. I never want to feel like I’m pushing someone to do something – I maintain that people should organize for themselves.

How has organizing changed for you during the pandemic, and have you noticed any similar changes with the activists you work with?

I started organizing during the pandemic, so I don’t have a pre-pandemic POV, but coming out of the pandemic definitely de-normalized my pandemic organizing days. I feel like there were so many more implications and questions for organizing in the pandemic, like “is this issue worth a mass gathering?” I think my spirits also grew more when I was able to be in person with folks, and I noticed this with some of my organizing community as well. Nothing’s the same as an in-person retreat 🙂

Does the federal government’s response to the COVID pandemic give you any more or less confidence in their ability to address climate change?

Maaaaaan it’s so dysfunctional. I think COVID showed where the government’s priority really is – in that way, it isn’t so surprising. It only shows that they won’t do what’s required of them without the people standing up for it. It definitely lessened my confidence in them, but getting into organizing strengthened my confidence in the people, and our collective future.

How about the public’s response, and young peoples’ handling of it?

I felt discouraged by all the people advocating a loosening of restrictions so early on in the pandemic, especially because that does constitute a large swath of Gen Z. Even in my liberal city of Pittsburgh, once mask restrictions were lifted in my school, probably 2% of my school still wore one. I think it demonstrates that a ton of young people near me have a huge potential to influence our community and greater politics, but they aren’t plugged into the issues. If we gave them ample opportunities to get into climate activism – including replacing lost wages – they’d dive into it.

How do you feel about the Biden-Harris Administration’s approach to climate action, and any actions they’ve taken thus far?

It’s cool that the IRA passed, but I think Biden brags about it a bit too much considering that there’s still suuuuch a long way to go. This cannot be the climate legislation he’s known for; it should go down in history as the appetizer legislation. And the really cool, accessible aspects of climate repair they’ve pushed through, like the Whole Homes Repair, haven’t been sufficiently publicized. My hub had a whole campaign to just tell people in our community about it, because it’s an amazing resource to electrify… but if you’re going to get the political will to pass it, you need to make sure it gets in the hands of the people!

Do you personally believe you have the ability to affect change on the issues that you most care about?

Hell yes. Even passively, I’ve normalized lifestyles for my friends (like veganism), helping them adopt more ethical practices in their lives. Actively, I can plan protests that get thousands of passersby to answer a polarizing question in their heads, and influence attendees to take more action. I can mentor others on what I’ve learned. And I can build relationships electorally to take on policy.

Have the experiences in the past year given you any more or less confidence in this?

Yes! I was part of Sunrise NYU’s fight to divest, and that win was huuuuuge for us! Seeing our energy pay off was so gratifying. I’ve also watched my home hub of Sunrise Pittsburgh have tons of policy wins because of their ties with the city and county council.

What role do you think the youth climate movement should play moving forward, and how confident are you in its ability to have a significant impact?

I think the youth climate movement needs to better organize itself to act as one block of cohesive power, and that looks like mass school strikes and sustained non-violent protest. We’ll only be taken seriously if we can command a strong moral voice of reason, and having big enough numbers will give us the platform to do that. Once everyone is
listening, we’ll generate massive political power. I think youth are integral to winning Green New Deal policy.