Interview with Nikkhil, a climate justice organizer in his 20’s.

What brought you into climate work and the climate movement?

Growing up in Florida, I witnessed the destruction of multiple hurricanes that hit my hometown. The increasing frequency and intensity of severe weather phenomena and the changes in climate patterns where I lived made me interested in learning about climate change in college. In college, I learned that systems of oppression, such as capitalism, are responsible for the climate crisis and that action around climate change should look like the dismantling of those systems.

I found it ironic that colleges advertise themselves as places where students learn to change the world for the better (solve poverty, etc), while simultaneously seeking to maximize profit at the expense of the Global South.  Why should we be paying large sums of money to learn how to solve the climate crisis from institutions that are directly investing that money into the very cause of climate change (such as the continued relevance of fossil fuels)?

I began organizing students to fight for my university’s endowment and pension funds to be divested from fossil fuel investments.

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

I believe the key to dismantling systems of western dominance and control, which is directly responsible for the climate crisis, is to build a revolution. This revolution is essential for the people to take power away from the elite class that seeks to preserve profits over the health of people and the planet. The key to having a revolution is to have organized communities and workforces.

My approach to organizing young people is to meet them where they are. It is to understand what their experiences are and how that connects to climate change (climate change is connected to every other form of oppression, such as gender violence or worker exploitation).

Next, it is important to help young people (and people in general) understand that they have the power to fight against corporations polluting their communities or profiting off of their suffering. By empowering them to participate at various levels within a campaign, they see themselves more and more integrated into and a part of the campaign. This creates sustainable and lasting momentum/energy to fight long, complicated and expensive battles waged by corporations to maintain the status quo.

I think it’s important for young people to organize with the understanding that the government, corporations, or any entity seeking to preserve neoliberalism/capitalism/other systems of oppression do not care about people. They care about profit. This is why advocacy (or asking/begging those in power to commit to doing something about climate change) does not alter our collective material conditions. Historically, taking up arms, rioting, and other forms of  direct action that threaten profitability actually move the needle when it comes to achieving justice for the people. In other words, the youth can peacefully protest in the streets all they want, but the government does not care because a peaceful protest does not effectively target elite power. This is why building social power is important. Having strong social power means having enough people who strongly support the demands of a campaign organized and ready to do anything to get their demands met. Examples of this kind of organizing can be traced to the Black Panther Movement.

Do you see any differences in your approaches based on age? 

I think that Gen Z and millennials understand (and are more open to learning about) the issues facing our planet (but I think that other generations like to push action on the climate crisis onto Gen Z, as well). But, I think that class and race and sometimes gender have an impact on susceptibility to messaging. In my experience, white and/or wealthy students may understand climate change, but they do not act to stop it. In my opinion, white people and rich people are less impacted by climate change and are therefore less likely to take action on it.

Thinking back to before the pandemic, pre-March 2020 – what did you consider the most effective way to engage and mobilize young people on climate? 

I did not organize before the pandemic, so I would not be able to answer this question. However, I will say that the pandemic has taught me that our government does not care about us. It has taught me that we need to organize to support ourselves, without help from the government or corporations. Only we can protect ourselves.

Would you say you relied more on online organizing or in-person mobilization?

During the pandemic, online organizing was vital, but in my experience, hybrid meetings have been the most accessible and engaging for people.

During the pandemic, what were the primary ways that your organizing and your job changed? 

During the lockdown, everything was shifted online. I started organizing and learned how to organize online. More organizations where workers organize remotely began to come about. I also noticed that organizers from across the US and around the world could talk with one another easier because of Zoom. I also noticed an increase in corporate and government spying of online groups that were organizing.

After the lockdown was lifted, organizing has become more in person or hybrid. Many of us organizers feel that it is imperative that we wear masks in public as the pandemic is still ongoing (and we should not trust the government’s pro-business policies on COVID-19). A revolution cannot be built without a disability justice lens.

And do you feel that positively or negatively impacted your ability to achieve your goals? 

I feel that organizing online has not negatively impacted organizing abilities. In fact, it makes meetings more accessible and it has made it easier to organize national and international movements.

How has the transition to online organizing impacted your confidence in the movement’s effectiveness?  

The transition to online organizing has increased my confidence in the movement’s effectiveness. I believe that online organizing has connected many organizers across the US and around the world, allowing for international solidarity to be built quickly. Technology has allowed for the radicalization of many more people because organizing spaces have become much more accessible.

That being said, I think that the cost of technology has also hindered people who cannot afford laptops and phones from being able to access organizing spaces. This is why hybrid organizing is essential. It allows for people who don’t own expensive technology to be able to access organizing spaces.

Do you think it’s important to build a sense of collective efficacy or confidence among peers? How does that change with online organizing and activism?

It’s important to build trusting relationships with your comrades because trusting relationships are essential for achieving risky collective action, such as strikes. Online organizing and activism does not have a large impact on this because trust is built through sincerity, honesty, and solidarity. Trust is not exclusively an in-person phenomenon. It can be fostered in both environments.

Do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. govt has handled Covid and the way that it could address climate change?

I think the US government has more allegiance to corporations than it does to its own people. Lobbying and campaign donations from pro-business groups have resulted in policy able-ist and racist policy output that has caused the deaths of millions of people globally. In the case of COVID-19, the US government has essentially caved to corporate interests, dispersing mass misinformation that the pandemic is over, all so capitalism can continue. The government has stopped paying for Covid vaccines, and for those who are uninsured, the prices of covid vaccines are unaffordable. The government has slowed down testing reporting for covid to make it seem like there is less covid, when in reality, we are in the middle of a massive spike of infections (but we can’t tell because there is not widespread data collection). The government has stopped mandating masks. This policy completely leaves behind immunocompromised people, who as a result of dropping the mask mandate, are more at risk of catching covid. The government does not care about its citizens. It cares about business and imperialism. Similarly, the government refuses to completely do away with fossil fuel drilling, production, and consumption. Instead, it delays action at every level of action on the climate crisis. This is because it caters more to businesses like fossil fuel companies than it does to its own people.

Similarly, do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. public has handled covid and the way that it could address climate change?

The free-rider problem is commonly seen when it comes to both Covid and climate change. Where does this come from? American individualism, which stems from Reagan’s neoliberalism. Americans have been brainwashed by American culture to only think of themselves and not others. This is what makes collective action seem so hard. This is why we have free rider problems so much. People want to gain something out of doing something for someone else, but they don’t see they have anything to gain from masking or consuming less.

Additionally, the American public deals with its problems by consuming. COVID causes stress and anxiety. Americans have no one to support them so they turn to consumption  to fill the void. But consumption results in the perpetuation of capitalism as well as an increase in carbon emissions and pollution.

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

The Biden-Harris Administration haven’t done shit on climate action. They are more concerned about power and ego than they are about their constituents.

How about Congress?

Same thing as above. Corporations and lobbyists are in the pockets of our Congresspeople.

How do you generally feel about the state of the youth climate movement and our prospects for progress? Are we moving in the right direction?

I think more people need to turn to controlled/principled/targeted violent direct action. Historically, it has been the only thing that has achieved any progress. Look at the Civil Rights Movement. Look at South Africa. Look at Palestine. People need to see that the US government does not care about them and it is a violent to every person except for rich white people.

Interview with Dejah, a climate justice organizer in her 20’s.

What brought you into climate work and the climate movement?

I grew up in Chicago and was on a path to become an environmental scientist, a marine biologist, and I studied abroad in my junior year of college. I did a climate change program where we traveled three different countries – Morocco, Vietnam and Bolivia, and it was the first time that I ever got in a real deep understanding of the root of the climate crisis, getting to our economic system and capitalism and neoliberalism. And there’s a light bulb moment in my head where I’m like, oh, this is a systems issue. It’s not enough for me to just study it, but I have to transform structures and systems of power to address this issue. So, I pivoted away from science and moved towards movement building and organizing. So I joined Sunrise in January of 2019 and joined the Chicago Hub and sort of came at a time when I was looking for a movement to be a part of.

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

I think our approach in Sunrise is really about base building, membership building and direct action. And so we have the Green New Deal as our sort of core campaign vision. I think for us a lot of what we do is try to bring young people and train and develop them, give them some clear – I guess – sense of skills needed to be able to do the work around addressing the climate crisis and winning a Green New Deal. And so a lot of our programs in Sunrise that we run – I’m on our national staff – sort of work to bring young folks under 35 into the movement and sort of give them the heart and skills needed to build power, build bases, and build a membership to ultimately push for federal Green New Deal type policy.

Do you see any differences in your approaches based on age? 

I think for us we are experimenting with a lot of like digital and online stuff given that a lot of young people are on Instagram, are on TikTok, and so are really trying to experiment with ways that we take action that then go viral online that then bring people into our movements — that we can absorb into the different programs that we have.

Thinking back to before the pandemic, pre-March 2020 – what did you consider the most effective way to engage and mobilize young people on climate? 

OK, two things around this. There’s one about depth and one about scale. I think scale wise, social media is probably one of the biggest ways that we engage young people, and we have a Comms, a Digital Team, that’s experimenting with this. But how do we run exciting videos, create exciting content that attracts young people and brings them in. This was before the pandemic. But I think, and I think from my experience in the Chicago Hub, we never really canvassed. We would like table occasionally, but a lot of the ways that people came to Sunrise was through [action]… They saw an action, they saw us on social media and they wanted to join. Post-pandemic, I think we still do that and are still leaning on that a lot but have made a really big shift towards trying to really base-build and like get in community, talk to our neighbors, talk to our friends, talk to our people, and really meet people face-to-face and organize them.

During the pandemic, what were the primary ways that your organizing and your job changed? 

Yeah, I think during the pandemic a lot of our work was virtual, which is very hard. I originally got hired in Sunrise to be a regional organizer, had plans to travel across the Midwest and, you know, run training for hubs, develop their leadership, build their teams – and that didn’t happen. And so I think it was really hard – it is really hard – to like build relationships with people when you aren’t with them in-person. But it’s interesting because while that was a challenge, we also had in the Chicago hub at the time our biggest hub meetings ever, because we were on Zoom and people from across the city could come together, they weren’t limited by— they could “only come to the meetings on the north side” or “on the South side.” And so there was an interesting relationship between like, our engagement with people and the times during the pandemic. I would also say people have more free time with like, getting checks from the government, and so they didn’t have to work as much and they could organize with Sunrise. And so yeah, I don’t know if there’s like a direct correlation around the impact of the pandemic on achieving our goals.

Do you think it’s important to build a sense of collective efficacy or confidence among peers? How does that change with online organizing and activism?

I think that there are limitations to online organizing, and –as an organizer right now in Sunrise–on like using digital tools and systems as the floor and not the ceiling. And that really to organize people into our movement who are ready to take the risk and escalate, and sort of do what must be done to address climate change – I don’t think we’re going to get that solely from being in a relationship with people online. And so yeah, I think to build a sense of collective efficacy, we really need to be meeting people in-person and I think a lot of Sunrise’s work has shifted towards figuring out how to do that. And again, I think there’s still a role for online organizing, but it’s the basis and the start – not the end.

Do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. govt has handled Covid and the way that it could address climate change?

This is a great question. I think the biggest threat – through both of them – is the inability to actually see the problem. I felt this with the Republican Party, and I think the Republican Party’s response to both COVID and climate are pretty similar, where it’s like, deny, deny, deny that the problem exists. Other parallels, I think another one is around solutions that don’t actually get to the core or root of the problem. For climate especially, it’s like we just passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which is one of the biggest climate pieces of legislation in history, and still is also is nowhere near enough of what is needed. And I think one of the biggest things is that it doesn’t do is deliver a dent, or death blow – as I like to call it – to the fossil fuel industry – one of the biggest entities in the way of massive progress on climate. And so that feels like an issue or a parallel. Yeah, to the first point around the not seeing the problem and kind of just ignoring it and then another problem around not getting to the core or root of the issue.

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

I’m completely underwhelmed. And you know, the Inflation Reduction Act has passed and there is a recent LNG decision that came out, but to me, when you look at the data and the context of the liquified natural gas, it’s actually I think six or nine wells that are being paused but not stopped and shut down. And I think, yeah, they would get an F in my report card if I had to grade them on climate action. The fossil fuel industry still has an immense amount of power. We are providing carrots for decarbonization. So like incentives, tax rebates for corporations and businesses, not sticks. And not actually doing things like pushing for a phase out of fossil fuels, which is one of the biggest indicators for me that we’re not on track to decarbonize our society. A then I think there’s also the piece around like social safety net, which is why I was so in love with the Green New Deal – that it wasn’t just about carbon in the atmosphere, it was about building a society where eople have good housing, good access to transit, they can breathe clean air, they have good, dignified union jobs; and I think Biden has – because of people like Joe Manchin and caving to his interests – not done enough.

How about Congress?

I think I would say the same thing about Congress.

How do you generally feel about the state of the youth climate movement and our prospects for progress? Are we moving in the right direction?

So I think my biggest feeling and sentiment about the youth climate movement, I think one: it’s disparate. I’m sort of deep in Sunrise, and so I’m really like… Sunrise is my world. I feel like there are burgeoning groups like Climate Defiance and Pop in New York City that are sort of coming together very direct action-ey. But I think the biggest gap to me is that there is no overall strategy or plan to deeply weaken the power of the fossil fuel industry. This is something that I’m like always harping on in Sunrise. We can run really powerful campaigns and we’re running one right now that actually does try to do this – there’s a End the Fossil Fuel Era demand around having the government prosecute and go after fossil fuel executives, and doing things like ending subsidies, but I think we like, must reckon with the power of the fossil fuel industry and work to obliterate it if we are to pass anything like a Green New Deal or massive federal climate policy. And so yeah, I think I’m like, we need a stronger strategy in the youth climate movement around addressing the fossil fuel industry. I think we also need to articulate a very clear vision of society, sort of the post-Green, I don’t know, eco capitalist [world]—I don’t know if that’s a word…but I think the other thing that we’re missing is like putting forth this vision of the world that young people feel excited about – a world where people have clean air, clean water, the right to rest and play, the right to have housing that isn’t expensive and is green; have access to jobs that are meaningful, whether you’re an artist or an organizer or a teacher that’s like low-carbon oriented. I think we’ve missed out on this vision. Like, right now we’re living in the dreams and nightmares – honestly – of billionaires, and wealthy white people, and I think we need to articulate a more sharper and clearer vision – to me – the vision of the Green New Deal. And to energize young people and get them fired up about an alternative. And yeah, I think there could be some more coordination between some of these groups like Sunrise and the Extinction Rebellions. I don’t really talk to folks in those spaces that much, and I think it could be helpful for coordination.

And that I think the only other final thing I’ll say, which maybe is a spicier take, I just think strategy… I come back to strategy and power when I’m thinking about the work and organizing that I’m doing in Sunrise. I see so many people that are taking action, being very bold and brave, and standing up to power. But it is not always in the context of a campaign or doesn’t have a clear arc or campaign around it… or strategy to be honest. And I just think a lot about like Martin Luther King Jr and Bloody Sunday, I believe, and how actions were art couched within a broader campaign that was about energizing people, bringing them to the movement and growing the movement. I think sometimes I felt this in Sunrise in the past where we were taking action but there wasn’t any coherent strategy or campaign within it; and we I think we’ve done that better lately. But I think my agitation to organizers and activists is like: good strategy. And there is a really good book – Good Strategy, Bad Strategy, that might be by some like business-ey guy, but it’s really helpful that it states we have to always be assessing power: Who has it? What do we want? Who’s in the way? Who can give us what we want? And like building campaigns and strategy that are actually rooted in a power assessment or power analysis. I think sometimes you like, throw shit at the wall and we need to do that a little bit more strategically because the opposition is incredibly organized and we need to be too.

Interview with Meghana, a climate activist in her 20’s.

What brought you into climate work and the climate movement?

One of my friends had been organizing for several years — his hard work and dedication continues to inspire me. I have so enjoyed seeing positive effects from my organizing within my community, such as improved public transit access.

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

I primarily work in communications, so young people are a major focus — they’re the people following us on social media. I really enjoy looking at analytics and seeing how many people clicked on our website because of a post. I hope it has inspired at least a handful of people to take action!

Do you see any differences in your approaches based on age? 

I don’t think so! I’ve been very fortunate to work with activists of various ages, from high school students to middle-aged people. I think it’s important to have a diverse array of activists from all backgrounds.

Thinking back to before the pandemic, pre-March 2020 – what did you consider the most effective way to engage and mobilize young people on climate? 

Not applicable — I began climate organizing in 2022, near the end of the pandemic.

During the pandemic, what were the primary ways that your organizing and your job changed? 

Same as above.

Do you think it’s important to build a sense of collective efficacy or confidence among peers? How does that change with online organizing and activism?

Absolutely! I think it’s especially important to build a collective mindset while online organizing, because there’s less of an automatic connection than there is when organizing in person.

Do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. govt has handled Covid and the way that it could address climate change?

In both cases, I feel like the U.S. government didn’t take it seriously enough, and that their approach was not human-centered enough.

Similarly, do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. public has handled Covid and the way that it could address climate change?

We need to aggressively ramp up our campaign against climate change, and we need to advocate for our local communities, starting with the most vulnerable populations.

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

Overall, I’m leaning towards disappointed — I’m grateful to have a president who believes in climate change, but I feel like Biden has not measured up to all of his campaign promises re: climate change. I hope to see the administration ramp up their efforts soon.

How about Congress?

I really appreciate the Inflation Reduction Act, but there is still so much left to do!

How do you generally feel about the state of the youth climate movement and our prospects for progress? Are we moving in the right direction?

I feel optimistic! I’m very inspired by the work of other young people, especially those within the Sunrise Movement. I look forward to continue advocating for climate action and environmental justice.

Interview with Max, a student and climate organizer in his 20’s.

What brought you into climate work and the climate movement?

I’ve had a keen interest in climate change since high school and decided I wanted to dedicate my life towards mitigating its effects. I decided to focus on marine climate solutions and began a marine biology degree at UCSD. During my second year of this degree, feeling overwhelmed by the climate crisis and like we were running out of time like it was going to be too late by the time I got a PhD and could study the climate solutions I was interested in, I looked to activism. I found the Green New Deal at UCSD group which had formed a year earlier, and they welcomed me as a friend and comrade. The community of people who all cared about making a difference at our institution, and their local theory of change to make change where our voices matter the most, really made me feel like I was in the right place. I felt like I was supported, I was growing and gaining new skills, and my volunteer work was making a difference. That was three years ago! I am now fairly well versed with the climate movement in our region and some of the groups that connect us to coalition work all over the country and all over the world.

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

I think that once I notice people have an interest in climate organizing, the first thing I express to them is that they can make a real, tangible difference by getting involved in a local collective action group. I emphasize the mental health benefits of climate action to reduce climate anxiety and feel fulfilled, and the friends and community feeling that comes along with it. Once they’re in, I’ve found the most effective way to mobilize people is through face-to-face onboarding meetings to place them within our organization and give them a specific job to do, so they feel some agency and some identity as climate activist.

Do you see any differences in your approaches based on age? 

I don’t have much experience organizing with anyone who’s not a college student, but I think I emphasize the community and friend-making more to those who are newer to UCSD, and emphasize the change-making and fulfillment more to those who are better established at UCSD, or who may have already dipped their toes into some other change-making organizations.

Thinking back to before the pandemic, pre-March 2020 – what did you consider the most effective way to engage and mobilize young people on climate? 

I was not involved in organizing before the pandemic. I think in-person meetings are always preferable to online meetings to help foster community strength and identity with a group, but online meetings are often preferable for convenience. Therefore, I think a mix of the two with some fully in person meetings, some hybrid, and some fully online is a great way to maximize all of the benefits.

During the pandemic, what were the primary ways that your organizing and your job changed? 

I was not involved, but I know that the UCSD GND went entirely online with zoom meetings and all communication over Slack.

And do you feel that positively or negatively impacted your ability to achieve your goals? 

It sounds like they felt much less effective during the campaign when they weren’t able to organize in person.

How has the transition to online organizing impacted your confidence in the movement’s effectiveness?

I don’t think that online organizing, at this point, has impacted my confidence in the movement’s effectiveness. I think that online organizing tools like slack and the google suite which we use extensively are very powerful tools, and when combined with effective in-person leadership training and team building, can make for some very effective teams. This gives me great confidence in our movement’s adaptability and strength.

Do you think it’s important to build a sense of collective efficacy or confidence among peers? How does that change with online organizing and activism? 

In most cases, yes! I think most people will engage much more, and be more productive, happy, and connected when they feel they have collective efficacy. I certainly do. I also recognize some people will never feel collective or personal efficacy because of the scale of the climate crisis, but can still be remarkably productive and engaged, just because it matters to them to do the right thing, even if they don’t believe that they’re making a difference.

I think that building this collective efficacy is much harder without in-person organizing. Online meetings make it much harder to build friendships and connections, and harder to generate feelings of belonging and identity as an activist, especially for newer members. I think this is one of the main reasons why getting together in person is so important, to foster collective efficacy, celebrate our wins, and collectively dream about how we want to change the world.

Do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. govt has handled Covid and the way that it could address climate change?

It would be great if the Federal Government would devote a similar amount of resources and attention to tackling climate change as it did for stimulus packages, R&D for a vaccine, and rolling out vaccines once they were available. Even though there was partisan debate about how drastically the government needed to respond to COVID, they still spent a lot more energy on it than climate change. Their response to COVID, while sometimes muddled, still felt like it was an emergency. The response to the climate crisis thus far has not felt like they are responding to an emergency. There’s a reason we’re called the Green New Deal at UCSD! I think large-scale government spending to create green jobs and infrastructure is necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change. On a scale even greater than what we saw for COVID, more akin to how the economy changed for the World Wars, even.

Similarly, do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. public has handled COVID-19 and the way that it could address climate change?

I think that people were much more worried about COVID because there was a much lower psychological distance, COVID felt like something that threatened them and their families, while climate change remained a far-off, uncertain risk affecting people in other parts of the world. Therefore many people were supportive of COVID regulations that would safeguard their personal safety at the expense of certain personal or economic freedoms, while they might not all agree to the same expenses in return for climate policy. The partisan divisions seen with climate deniers and covid response skeptics were very similar as well, owing largely to a distrust in science and the government.

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

They’re better than the other guy? It’s not saying much. I don’t have much faith in the federal government to take impressive action on climate, no matter who is in office. It seems like Build Back Better was pretty good and certainly ambitious, but obviously, it doesn’t matter because half of our elected officials don’t support climate policy. The Inflation Reduction Act is a good start, and I’m glad they were able to pass something, but it falls far short of the type of Green New Deal this country needs. My activism doesn’t engage with federal politics at all, I have a pretty low sense of efficacy on these matters.

How about Congress?

Congress is pretty useless for the same reasons, partisan gridlock, endless arguing, etc. I hope our next election cycle will see a change in this, but I’m not holding my breath.

How do you generally feel about the state of the youth climate movement and our prospects for progress? Are we moving in the right direction?

Yes! Despite all the negative stuff I just said about the federal government, I do have faith in the youth climate movement. I think that focusing on making tangible change in our communities and watching that change radiate outwards, what we call a local theory of change, is the way that our movement will be able to have widespread success. It will take passionate people organizing in towns and cities all over the world. I think the movement is growing year by year, getting stronger, more organized, and more directed toward tangible, realistic goals on the way to progress.

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.

Interview with Agustin, a Climate Justice Organizer in his 30’s.

What brought you into climate work and the climate movement?

It’s hard to pinpoint one exact moment but I would say it began during my college years, where I immersed myself in initiatives like river cleanups and beach restoration while embracing the ethos of Leave No Trace. It was my passion for sports and outdoor activities, particularly climbing, that initially sparked my interest in conservation efforts. As I took on more leadership roles within various grassroots organizations, leading diverse projects and activities, I underwent a career shift. I committed all my time and energy to advocating and organizing for Climate Justice. A pivotal factor in this decision was witnessing how climate action can serve as a healing force for individuals dealing with trauma or mental health challenges. This made me realize the untapped potential that public engagement can have when you find effective ways for people to feel seen and feel part of a community.

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

I like to follow a more traditional approach towards organizing that it’s built on meeting people where they are. I put a very heavy emphasis on relationship and trust building and really focus on active listening and understanding where the community is coming from, their needs and where they find themselves. Strategies and plans should always be tailor-made to the needs of the communities you work with and they should play an active role in shaping what that vision looks like.

Building leadership and building capacity with our networks and communities is an essential part of my theory of change towards organizing, since we want to make sure that people feel empowered and equipped to take further ownership of the work and that self-sufficiency is being built in local groups.

Do you see any differences in your approaches based on age? 

I would say so yes. I think that younger organizers (and myself when I was younger) tend to lean a lot more on either a) organizing digitally or b) putting a heavier emphasis on mobilization as a way to reach audiences. As I’ve gotten older I have stopped relying as much on mobilization as a way to reach people since it can really limit who you reach and how they perceive you. Most mobilization work, without a strong backbone of traditional organizing, can largely lead to only talking to our echo chamber and those who already agree with us.

Thinking back to before the pandemic, pre-March 2020 – what did you consider the most effective way to engage and mobilize young people on climate? 

I’d say it was a healthy mix of digital mobilization such as social media takeovers during protests and marches as well as national gatherings with the goal of organizational building and national strategy. Young people were driven to engage in tactics and opportunities that would allow them to make their voices heard in a wide reaching platform as well as being a part of the development of platforms, movements and frameworks that could drive change at the national level.

During the pandemic, what were the primary ways that your organizing and your job changed? 

There was certainly a strong and swift swing of the pendulum. In my organizing work, we had started making a slow transition at the end of 2019 towards putting more emphasis on capacity building and less on mobilization and I think the pandemic sort of fastened that transition by quite a bit. Given that my work largely relies on in-person interactions, there was an adjustment period to shift all our trainings, workshops and capacity building opportunities to the online space.

And do you feel that positively or negatively impacted your ability to achieve your goals? 

I think in the immediate aftermath it did have a positive impact in that our trainings and workshops were able to reach a lot more people. Suddenly we were able to reach and engage hundreds of people in multi-week trainings which you can never quite achieve in-person without incurring massive costs. The drawback is that this was short-lived as most people developed a bit of zoom fatigue and from 2020 to 2021 you started seeing retention go down significantly in any and all online capacity building activities.

How has the transition to online organizing impacted your confidence in the movement’s effectiveness?

I think you can certainly argue that the effectiveness in terms of mobilization and turnout has decreased but I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s just because of a pivot towards online organizing or as an aftermath of the pandemic. I think you can definitely say that those are factors, but I also believe that it is part of the natural cycle of movement ecology that you would reach a tipping point in your mobilization potential. There is definitely a heavier emphasis on policy engagement and electoral work and perhaps a de-prioritization of mobilization based tactics at the moment, but I would not call that less effective. Rather, I’d say it is a strategic pivot and a shift in the movement’s theory of change.

Do you think it’s important to build a sense of collective efficacy or confidence among peers? How does that change with online organizing and activism?

I think it’s a critical step in all organizational and movement building work. Collective efficacy, ownership and accountability is an essential part of a healthy movement ecosystem. I think a heavier reliance on online (over offline) spaces can sometimes make that a bit trickier. An essential part of organizing and movement work is framing and celebrating wins, and the online space can sometimes make that feel a bit less personal or easier to tune out. Same goes for factors that influence group retention, such as well-being and collective care. A strong strong culture of collective care and well-being is imperative in order to prevent or mitigate burnout in membership and this can be particularly tricky in online spaces where things feel a bit less personal.

Do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. govt has handled Covid and the way that it could address climate change?

Partially yes. I think what we saw is what a swift and comprehensive (albeit not sufficient or necessarily timely) response to an acute crisis can look like in the future. Rapid mobilization of resources and agencies, streamlining or bypassing unnecessarily burdensome bureaucracy and processes and clearly articulating to the public how they can play an active role in a moment of crisis are all indicators of what a response to the climate crisis could look like. My only concern is that the climate crisis is here and it’s chronic in nature and the government’s reaction to the pandemic was, in essence, a rapid response plan. The safeguards that will have to be put in place and maintained for the climate crisis will have to be far more structural and sustained.

Similarly, do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. public has handled Covid and the way that it could address climate change?

I think at the early stages of the pandemic we saw a window of hope in solidarity and how people came together but I think it was very short lived and it eventually succumbed to polarization and tribalism. This is particularly problematic since, as I mentioned before, the impacts of climate change will be chronic and sustained and the need for solidarity will be even bigger. I think the U.S. public is also particularly susceptible to misinformation and disinformation and I am particularly concerned about the role of the public in addressing the immediate impacts of climate change in years to come. This is why it’s particularly important for us as organizers to make inroads with a wider range of stakeholders and audiences.

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

If we are grading on a curve I’d say that the administration has exceeded expectations and proven to enact some of the most ambitious climate legislation as of yet. The main issue is that it falls way short of what the crisis calls for. The IRA has laid the foundation for U.S. government climate action but the administration has also taken steps to undermine it by continuing to approve new fossil fuel projects. Boosting renewable energy is not going to be nearly enough to meet our climate targets. The administration needs to stop approving fossil fuel projects and revoke permits for new projects.

How about Congress?

I am not very optimistic about the role of Congress. Without a supermajority in the Senate and given the republicans shift towards MAGA it’s hard to see a roadmap by which you can codify climate legislation. I think pursuing climate action through executive order remains the most likely path.

How do you generally feel about the state of the youth climate movement and our prospects for progress? Are we moving in the right direction?

There are plenty of reasons to feel optimistic. While some might interpret dwindling or scaled-back mobilizations as a sign of a movement losing steam, I don’t think that’s necessarily so. What truly counts is the evolution within these mobilizations and movements. I’ve noticed a notable pivot towards strategic campaigning and more nuanced advocacy. This shift makes me optimistic because it signifies a growing comprehension of the broader systemic dynamics at play.

One area where I believe we should pivot is our reliance on the online and digital space. Don’t get me wrong, digital outreach remains crucial, but there’s unparalleled value in in-person community engagement. It’s imperative to connect with our neighbors, understand their perspectives on pertinent issues, and create inroads to amplify our initiatives and campaigns. The digital realm risks confining us to echo chambers and relying solely on youth activism won’t suffice in reshaping the status quo. Intergenerational involvement and grassroots community efforts play pivotal roles in driving policy change. Remember, in order to win we don’t need everyone, but we do need enough people.

Interview with “Sire”, a youth climate organizer in his 30’s.

What brought you into climate work and the climate movement?

It’s hard to say specifically – I think everyone has some sense of the general urgency of this problem. Sunrise Movement presented itself to the world with a kind of boldness, a kind of courage, that really did remind me of the energy of the Civil Rights movement — something quite apart from the elitism/chauvinism of technology-class driven utopianism, which, like many other things, struck me as the Climate Change equivalent of “Waiting for Godot.”

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

I am moreso the mentor, having arrived at being early 30’s. But you’d find that everyone in the world stays up late thinking about what needs to be done. In a lot of ways, sober conversations about how dramatically the world needs to change has become a counterculture in itself. Here, too, we find every kind of person – troubled, inspired, broken, or emboldened – but made honest. The lucidity of night discussions serves to give a kind of follow-up to other run-of-the-mill conversations that happen during the day — the endless round of meetings about meetings, the coming-from-or-going-to of new demonstrations, the rounding of corners in regards to travel plans, and etc. etc..

Do you see any differences in your approaches based on age? 

I’ve learned that the difference in how effective I can be depends moreso on individual willingness and openness. There are friends I currently mentor who are just 21 years old, but we talk everything from the nuances of the Black Panther movement and the limits of racial tribalism to the relationship between the sciences, the social sciences, and the concerns of the climate justice movement (all connected by intersections of both intellectual interest and moral imperative). And there are friends, finishing up Grad School, 26 years old, ready to “hand it over to the next generation,” which is striking to me, because no one that young really has a place to say anything like that at 26. Just goes to show how quickly peoples’ willingness to keep the fight up closes up and the rationale for more “practical” compromises with the world is baked into people.

Thinking back to before the pandemic, pre-March 2020 – what did you consider the most effective way to engage and mobilize young people on climate? 

Well, I think that the approach to direct action — classic things like bodies blocking pipeline construction and pressuring public officials in person — those things had the highest utility because they’re the most honest commentary on where we are, and the urgency of the situation.

During the pandemic, what were the primary ways that your organizing and your job changed? 

I didn’t really think too much of the notion that online organizing posed too much of an obstacle, to tell you the honest truth. Think back to the “I am the 99%” campaigns during Occupy. A lot of that was part of the populist/online space political landscape, and still was very effective as a means of public demonstration — got coverage, got interviews, pressured the discussion in the election campaigns for president, the whole works.

I sort’ve thought that if Julian Assange could run his podcast from house arrest at the Ecuadorian Embassy, none of us should have much trouble maintaining politically-sharpened instincts during a hyper-political year, filled with its own uprisings, evidence of a government capable of mass-scale financial relief during an emergency, and so on.

And do you feel that positively or negatively impacted your ability to achieve your goals? 

PERSONALLY, I was okay. I am conducive to more introverted tendencies, and the people I got to talk with — including Noam Chomsky and Vivek Chibber — I could do so from the comfort of my own home.

Do you think it’s important to build a sense of collective confidence or efficacy among peers? And is that more difficult to do with online organizing and activism? 

Yeah, it’s more important to focus on the maintenance of morale and outlining a program of action than a current tendency in a lot of movements to degrade to a sort’ve personalization of politics (eg a meeting about a meeting, where everyone calls everyone a sexist, racist, and on and on). I think the collective efficacy has more to do with mobilizing around what everyone instinctually can sense is worth their attention, than a culture of endless ZOOM meetings where everyone wants to make everyone happy.

Do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. govt has handled Covid and the way that it could address climate change?

Yeah, absolutely. As stated in the above, programs which were de-facto test-runs of things like a federal-scale Universal Basic Income showed that large-scale social changes could be implemented with RELATIVE ease during COVID and with little kickback. Similar large-scale policy reorientation in addressing climate change could happen too, if we needed treated the necessity of a Green Transition like the emergency it was.

Similarly, do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. public has handled Covid and the way that it could address climate change?

Sure. There’s the attitude of some denialists, while the bulk of people are willing to play their part if they can.

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

I think even the Civilian Climate Corps is essentially piecemeal, to tell you the honest truth. Clara E. Mattei at the New School is a very important economist who even challenges the far limits of what we regard as politically possible. When she challenges the full of our economic system, showing the linkage between supposedly opposing schools of economic thought, like Keynesianism and austerity economics, she also is showing that our thinking necessarily involves going beyond nostalgia for the Golden Age of Capitalism, the New Deal, and therefore The Green New Deal, if we’re concerned about creating a sustainable world.

As it happens we’re not even at the level of having presidential support for The Green New Deal, and the idea that Biden is the most progressive president since FDR is laughable.

How do you generally feel about the state of the youth climate movement and our prospects for progress? Are we moving in the right direction? 

I put a lot of hope in the youth because they’ve rejected so much of the failed world they’ve inherited. That’s a good thing indeed and in many ways people in my position — not young, not old — are at a stage of deciding what kind of person they want to — an ally to the future, or an apologist for the past.

I hope there is more of the former among my peers.

Anything else you would like to share?

Not so much. I think that Climate Defiance is the rightful heir to Sunrise Movement. Hopefully, they will not get caught in the non-profit trappings the way that so many things that begin with great promise do.

Interview with Bev, a climate justice organizer in her 20’s.

What brought you into climate work and the climate movement?

I was mobilized after Hurricane Irene hit my hometown of Denville, New Jersey when I was 16, in 2011. A classmate saw my Facebook post about how unsustainable and precarious our lives here (I was never not a little dramatic back in those days), and invited me to join in on the Greenpeace Youth work she was doing.

Since that time, SustainUS has been my longest youth climate organizing home with about a year spent also organizing with Sunrise.

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

One of my strengths as an organizer has always been welcoming new people, building relationships, making them feel comfortable, supported, and in community. When I was with Sunrise D.C. in 2019, I started up the “welcome to sunrise” meetings that were a routine time for people to meet each other and plug into the work.

I think this approach to organizing is especially important for young people, who are still really looking for community and new, sustaining, relationships.

Do you see any differences in your approaches based on age? 

I think that’s hard to assess because I’ve always organized people my age, so the ages I have organized have only ever changed as I’ve grown up as an organizer.  I think there’s maybe something where the younger you are, the more community and relationships you need before you’re ready to thrown down and show up at a mobilization.

Thinking back to before the pandemic, pre-March 2020 – what did you consider the most effective way to engage and mobilize young people on climate? 

The year and a half leading up to the pandemic saw the big Sunrise sit-ins and protests. Those mobilizations were times that I felt the youth climate movement was so powerful and it was so clear that this show of power inspired a lot of other young people to join Sunrise because they wanted to feel that power.

At the same time, in 2019 I was leading and facilitating a delegation of young people to attend the World Bank Annual Meetings with SustainUS. This approach to organizing was much slower and more intentional, with an application process and a series of meetings and trainings, all in-person. It didn’t lead to the groundswell actions that Sunrise did, but it lead to the biggest action the World Bank had seen in years, and I (hope) was part of what sparked other young people to get more involved in World Bank issues in recent years.

Would you say you relied more on online organizing or in-person mobilization?

I totally had a preference for in-person mobilization / decided to make the delegation the World Bank just D.C. area people because of that.

During the pandemic, what were the primary ways that your organizing and your job changed? 

As a climate organization that primarily sent delegations of young people to in-person international climate meetings, SustainUS really struggled. We were going through some internal strife, as were many climate organizations.

And do you feel that positively or negatively impacted your ability to achieve your goals? 

I think it definitely negatively impacted our ability to do our work as an organization.

How has the transition to online organizing impacted your confidence in the movement’s effectiveness?

Decreased my confidence.

Do you think it’s important to build a sense of collective efficacy or confidence among peers? And is that more difficult to do with online organizing and activism? 

Yes and yes – but not impossible.

Do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. govt has handled Covid and the way that it could address climate change?

The government abdicating responsibility and leaving it up to individuals to navigate feels like a clear through line. Doing so despite public support for intervention also seems like a through line.

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

I don’t think they’ve been proud or loud enough about it, and they haven’t been anti-corporation in the way we know the public responds to and resonates with. It’s been a lot of pro-business climate action rhetoric, rather than directly addressing and targeting the source – fossil fuels. They have dropped the ball on using their authority to stop fossil fuels.

How about Congress?

Feel pretty similarly – but can’t discount the progress that was made in at least passing IRA and IIJA.

How do you generally feel about the state of the youth climate movement and our prospects for progress? Are we moving in the right direction?

I think we need another groundswell moment like in 2018, and you can’t really manufacture that. I think Sunrise’s recent pivot to more locally focused organizing in the meantime was probably right. I do hope and believe that the reckoning the orgs have done around racial justice and self-care / sustainability in organizing will serve us well in the long run.

Interview with a youth climate organizer in her 20’s in Nevada.

What brought you into climate work and the climate movement?

My kid and I began our journey in climate activism in the summer of 2021. She watched the news over my shoulder hearing awful stories about the east coast flooding that summer. People stuck in their garden level apartments and whole areas being swallowed up. She was 7 then. She asked me if the flooding was caused by covid-19. She saw covid as this huge thing creating such an impact on everyone and saw this flooding event also creating havoc so thought they were related. I have always been passionate about the environment since I can remember. I watched An Inconvenient Truth by Algor as a kid and it devastated me. I used cloth diapers with my youngest (second) kid and stressed the importance of avoiding over-consumption to my family. I have been filled with crippling climate anxiety since I could remember. My dad would even say it was in my school report in kindergarten worrying so much about environmental disasters. I didn’t want my 7 year old to develop this fear too. My parents taught me about the issue but did nothing to try to live a better lifestyle or how to engage in activism to make our leaders do better. So I sat my 7 year old down and we watched the documentary I Am Greta. I thought it would be good for her to hear about this from another kid. After the movie ended she cried. I asked her what she’s feeling and she said, “I’m disappointed in the adults”. I knew exactly how she felt and I wanted to do better than my parents. So I thought let’s turn our climate anxiety into climate action and why not start with Fridays for Future. We had our first protest during the Global Climate Strike in September 2021. 

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

Honestly, it’s been so difficult. We go to so many events around town, have protests, park cleanups and so on trying to get other youth involved. We really are aiming for other young families but open to anyone. Everyone is so busy with their day to day lives. Alina and I and some other members of FFF US started Fridays for Future US Kids to make climate activism more accessible to younger kids but it isn’t doing as well as we’d hoped. But we’ll keep on trying to encourage others to get involved. 

Do you see any differences in your approaches based on age? 

Considering I am 28 and my kid is 10 in a week, yes we approach it differently than say other FFF local groups. 

Thinking back to before the pandemic, pre-March 2020 – what did you consider the most effective way to engage and mobilize young people on climate? 

As I said before we began in 2021 so in the height of the pandemic. I did speak to so many people about what it was like before the pandemic and I’ve heard it was HARD. For example, the Las Vegas Climate Reality group grew from something like 20 people to 200 after the pandemic. People had time and they wanted to take action. 

During the pandemic, what were the primary ways that your organizing and your job changed? 

And do you feel that positively or negatively impacted your ability to achieve your goals? 

I find it much harder to organize people in person so online works best for us.

How has the transition to online organizing impacted your confidence in the movement’s effectiveness?  

I think it’s allowed us to connect more with people around the globe but mainly within the US. I can hear about their challenges and accomplishments and do zoom calls with all sorts of people at convenient times for all of us.

Do you think it’s important to build a sense of collective confidence or efficacy among peers? And is that more difficult to do with online organizing and activism? 

I find it much harder to organize people in person so online works best for us.

Do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. govt has handled covid and the way that it could address climate change?

I believe they delayed taking action on covid and many more people died. The biggest issue I see was/is the spreading of misinformation. Covid and the climate crisis shouldn’t be a party thing but everyone thing. Politicians have weaponized these crises.

Similarly, do you see any parallels between the ways in which the U.S. public has handled covid and the way that it could address climate change?

Absolutely, people have eaten up this disinformation. It makes sense though. Thinking about the climate crisis is depressing and makes you feel hopeless, if you let it. Similar thing with covid. It feels better if you downplay the severity of these issues because it makes you feel safer and more in control. 

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

I think they haven’t done nearly enough. They talk about the climate then sell lands to big polluters. Their achievements are a great start, besides what i just said, but it doesn’t go far enough. Our leaders are letting us down ultimately, not just the Biden-Harris Administration though. All of our representatives are too worried about their public image and not worried enough about the state of our planet. Lots of empty words. They should be ashamed and concerned, I don’t know how they sleep at night.

How do you generally feel about the state of the youth climate movement and our prospects for progress? Are we moving in the right direction? 

I feel conflicted. I see we are building but we need more. We are moving in the right direction but it needs to be moving faster. We need more people to get involved instead of getting swallowed up in their lives and despair. It feels uncomfortable to lead a march or give a speech or even do these interviews but its short lived discomfort. The discomfort of our dying ecosystem will be much more painful if we let it. We don’t have time to wait. You don’t need to do everything but just something. Have conversations about it with as many people as you can, join an environmental movement in your area, go to a protest, give an interview, write to your representatives often, just do SOMETHING. 

Anything else you would like to share?

I would like to speak about kids and the environment. Ultimately, It was my 7 year old that inspired me to be a climate activist. She enjoys going to our state capital and speaking to our representatives. She enjoys going to boring events and listening to people speak. She’s met the Vice President and was jumping with joy after speaking with her. She’s given speeches at rally’s she has helped organize and enjoys the feeling of accomplishment afterwards.  Adults don’t give kids enough credit and limit what they are capable of. Discuss difficult topics with your kids. Read books about tough things with your kids. My kids favorite book is, Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ Rights. It was a scary but inspirational book that my kid admires. She’s upset that her school has a mural of her on their library walls but her teachers wont discuss her story because its too violent. She’s expressed how she feels their are tokenizing inspirational people like her but wont tell their stories. So at recess she tells her story and the kids love to hear about it. She discusses the climate crisis and things they can do on her own time at recess with kids that will listen, and many do. Don’t limit your kids to what you think they should think or be. They will surprise you.

In solidarity, Winona Freed

Interview with Diana, a youth climate organizer in her 20’s in Virginia.

What brought you into climate work and the climate movement?

I came to college during the pandemic and was looking for ways to get involved on campus and meet new people. I joined a reading group focused on climate change because I like reading and the social aspect, and did think that the environment was important (although I hadn’t been in any environmental groups before that). From there, the social network and friends I made pulled me further into environmental activism.

What do you think is the best reason to support taking action to combat climate change? (e.g. clean air, future generations?)

Without combatting climate change, we’ll see mass death and suffering on a scale beyond anything that’s happened in human history. I believe that if I care about anything, I need to care about the climate as well, because climate change will heavily impact every aspect of human existence.

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

I’m not really sure. I just like to make sure that students are thinking about these things, but also, I don’t really think that I have the energy or passion to put together large-scale movements. Mostly I want to help facilitate students do the environmental things they already want to do, because students are more likely to get involved in there’s an existing social network and club that’s willing to help them. Mostly I focus on education about different things and then people do what they want with that information.

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

I didn’t really organize before the pandemic, so I don’t know.

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

I think that the government showed that it could do things about climate change, but also, compared to the backlash, I don’t know if it could make the large-scale, long-term changes needed.

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

            I was a bit pessimistic, and I think I still am. Most people got tired to changing their daily schedule and reverted back to what they had been doing, despite knowing the science. There was also some strong backlash, like I mentioned above, which makes me thing that long-term changes will be incredibly difficult. Some people did band together to help, but I don’t know if it was substantially more than normal response sizes; Mutual aid organizations popped up, but either they were short-term, or had existed beforehand.

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

I was really surprised by their climate bill and thing that it’s probably the singular most impactful climate legislation in recent history. Of course, they might be able to do more, but I’m not President for a reason, and I’m pretty happy with what they’ve done so far (which I didn’t think any president could do).

How about Congress?

I think it depends on the congressperson. Some are good, some are bad. They may be able to get stuff through, but not like the President (similar to why the Green New Deal will never pass but Biden’s bill did).

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

I do think that I can make change, just not on a large scale. I’ve already seen the changes that have come about, and I know that [student org] wouldn’t have survived if I hadn’t become President. However, I’m not going to get a bill passed or something strong like that, either due to lack of ability or lack of motivation (but I’m not sure there’s a difference). I think that I can make the kind of individual, small-scale, community changes, through clubs and my job and just my general social life, that can grow into something larger, but not without lots of outside help.

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

I don’t think my confidence level has changed.

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 need to focus more on taking the action that they can, through voting, direct action, and potentially less peaceful protests. However, based on my experiences with the League of Women Voters and general politically minded organizations, I don’t think that young people are willing to vote on a large scale (for the time being) or to take action that may have more consequences. From what I’ve seen, most young activists focus on the modern peaceful protest model (which I don’t think works very well).

Anything else you would like to share?

I think this all makes me seem very pessimistic, but I do believe in the good that people have done, are doing, and will do. However, I think that there’s a big disconnect between the individual good on a community scale that I see, and the needed large scale, institutional change and the necessary things to inspire that change.