Listen to Our Youth
Like most people here in the San Francisco Bay Area, I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the air began to clear about a week-and-a-half ago. I’m not sure I’ve ever appreciated so much the small pleasures of opening my windows, or taking a walk, without having to weigh the cost to my lungs.
Of course, my delight has been tempered by the fact that fires are still burning and have cost many lives, human and nonhuman; by the knowledge that the long-term health impacts of the smoke from these fires could be profound; and by my apprehension about the upcoming election when so much is at stake for the environment and our democracy.
Still, for the moment, I’m trying to appreciate the blue skies and the wins we’ve recently enjoyed in the climate fight — from China’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, to the European Union’s pledge to up its climate ambitions. And I’m taking particular heart in the energy of youth, who have refused to take their eye off the ball despite all the chaos unfolding around them. Take this year’s six Brower Youth Award winners, who will be honored in a virtual ceremony next month for their environmental leadership on everything from climate change, to urban agriculture, to science education. (If you haven’t signed up for the celebration already, do so now!) Or take the reemergence of the Fridays for the Future movement. Just today, youth organized 3,500-plus climate strikes around the world — many adapted to the constraints of the pandemic — demanding swift action by elected leaders.
The unrelenting determination and energy of these young people in the face of what often feels like steep odds is inspiring. They know that the time for action is now. We would do well to listen to them.
Zoe Loftus-Farren
Managing Editor, Earth Island Journal
Banner image: Jörg Farys / WWF
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