Dear John,

Mental health matters – yet, in Oregon and across the globe, younger generations stare head-on into an uncertain, seemingly hopeless future wracked with inhospitable changes to the climate and increasingly threatening natural disasters. According to the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) recent study on the impacts of climate change on youth mental health, {[link removed]} today’s kids, teens, and young adults in Oregon feel:

-Angry
-Doomed
-Powerless
-Overwhelmed
-Afraid
-Isolated
-Uncared for

Our elected leaders need to know that youth mental health is suffering and climate change is a driving factor. Take action now by urging Gov. Brown, Sen. Wyden, Sen. Merkley, your U.S. representative and state lawmakers to read the report, and continue taking significant action on climate change to alleviate this crisis. { [link removed]}

The sad and crucial reality is that our younger generations view climate change as a burden placed primarily on them. Ignored too often by those in power who refuse to take significant action on climate change, today’s kids feel kicked to the curb by politicians standing idly by as ecological catastrophes get worse and worse. This is why we need to make our voices heard to ensure our elected officials are aware of the relationship between climate change and youth mental health, and urge them to never stop working on climate solutions that protect our future. Can you send a message to your elected leaders in Oregon about this study and the action they must take? { [link removed]}

OHA’s study also makes it clear that today’s youth know that in tackling the climate crisis, we must also address the crises of racism and environmental injustice interwoven with it. “Climate change cannot be talked about without talking about settler colonialism, white supremacy, and… genocide,” especially considering that youth in Oregon’s Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and low-income communities will sustain the worst impacts to their lives, resources, and traditions.

However, there is hope: with increased awareness of environmental issues, today’s younger generations are working tirelessly to organize, form coalitions, and implement creative and equitable solutions to tackle climate change. We cannot let them fight this fight alone. It is vital that we speak up in solidarity with these courageous young leaders of our future to empower them. We need to let politicians know how the state’s youth are feeling, and that it is their responsibility to take persistent action on climate change to build a better future in Oregon for us all. It takes less than a minute to send an email to those who represent you encouraging them to read OHA’s study and to keep pursuing meaningful climate action. { [link removed]}

Thank you,
Will Bertellotti, Communications Coordinator, OLCV
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Oregon League of Conservation Voters
321 SW 4th Ave Ste 600
Portland, OR 97204
United States

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