Our students must be prepared to take on climate change

In September, as part of the youth-led international climate strike, millions of young people around the world took to the streets demanding action on climate change. In multiple languages and from every continent, they sent a clear message: If environmental damage continues to go unchecked, then our future will be bleak.  

In a vivid example of youthful solidarity triumphing over indifference, these demonstrations showed just how quickly a global movement can come together in the digital age, especially when led by young people who sense the urgency of their cause. “We must dramatically accelerate independence from fossil fuels — it’s really important that we start transitioning to renewable energy as soon as we can,” said student organizer Claire Morrison in Edmonton, Canada (Bartko & Mertz, 2019). 

High school students, perhaps more than any other demographic, understand the pressing need to bend the steep climb of the warming curve. As temperatures continue to rise, youth see their hopes for a prosperous future dwindling. As of 2015, the planet had warmed by 1o Celsius compared to pre-20th century temperatures, and if current trends continue, global warming is projected to increase by an additional 50% (or .5o Celsius) in the next 10 years alone. As temperatures rise, climate disruptions in the form of extreme weather will get worse (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2018). Today’s young people know full well that environmental catastrophes — including forest fires, intense hurricanes, floods, and the melting of glaciers, with a concurrent rise in sea levels — will affect them directly, and they recognize that the fight against climate change cannot be put off. For them, facing unchecked climate change, the future isn’t what it used to be.