This is an emergency. Act like it.

Combatting the climate crisis from the ground up: how it works, and why it’s not enough. 

Standing on the corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street, I shouted over the hisses of New York City traffic as rain sprinkled down from a blank grey sky. Why, you may ask, was I stationed on the curb of a busy street, getting soaked to the bone as I yelled at people who couldn’t hear me?  

I asked myself the same question at first, doubtful that my soft-spoken self could make even a dent in the titanium shield of political power poised against climate action. This feeling of helplessness is one that many young people face when it comes to the future of our planet; I often hear, “I’m really worried about the climate crisis, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” To some extent, this is true: no one human being can alter the heating and cooling patterns of the earth or single-handedly vacuum all the plastic out of the oceans. There are small things that can be done at the individual level, like conserving water and refusing single-use plastics. This is a good start, but realistically, these actions are not going to address the climate crisis at a scale commensurate to the issue. We need economic and social reform, impactful changes that are system-wide and incorporated into the lives of all people, not just the compassionate and educated few.  

How do we get from individual lifestyle changes to drastic social and political change? It’s a daunting task, and quite honestly, one that is impossible to take on by yourself. One of the most powerful ways to take action is to join (or form!) a movement. Eager to make a difference and impelled by a strong sense of “environmental angst”? That’s exactly how I felt. And that’s why I joined the Sunrise Movement.  

The Sunrise Movement is an environmental justice organization composed of thousands of youth across the United States who are fighting for a just transition and a Green New Deal. Their primary means of action is putting pressure or political figures through office visits, sit-ins, and protests. Their goal? To push those in power to take leadership and work to solve what is the greatest existential threat of our lives. 

That sounds kind of overwhelming and intense—in actuality, working with Sunrise was tons of fun and a deeply gratifying experience. Joining a group of like-minded people not only provided structure and guidance as to how I could take action, but affirmed that I was not the only one feeling the pressing sense of urgency and fear for our planet. Being a part of Sunrise gave me a concrete sense of community. Our group met every week in a cozy basement to exchange ideas and insights. We watched the democratic debates together, researched together, collaborated together, painted posters together, and rallied together. Multiply this 15-person group by thousands of other Sunrise groups around the country doing exactly the same thing, and it truly feels like a part of something big. 

To some extent, this kind of grassroots-organizing does work, especially when it occurs in significant numbers. For example, the work that Sunrise has done (as a national movement) has grabbed the attention of several prominent politicians and led to features in The New York Times and The Washington Post. We harnessed the power of thousands of voices, and collectively, we were heard.  

Kind of. 

Let me back up and give some context. In the States, there have been three rounds of democratic debates for the 2020 presidential candidates. During these debates, hours have been spent quibbling over health insurance policies, immigration reform, police brutality, and, naturally, censuring Donald Trump for his abhorrent words and actions. These are all topics of great importance. However, an embarrassingly short amount of time was spent discussing the climate crisis. Out of four hours in the first round of debates, only seven minutes were spent discussing climate change. That’s about three percent.  

Environmentalists around the country were outraged, and the Sunrise movement mobilized to push politicians on a new front: a democratic debate focused specifically on the climate crisis. This way, there could be no hiding behind unrelated questions or stringent time limits; everything would be laid out on the table, and it would become clear which candidates had adequate plans to address the crisis.  

Originally, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) said no to a climate debate, claiming that focusing on a “single issue” had too narrow of a scope. Being that our survival is at stake, I would argue that the climate crisis encompasses every issue (but we’ll save that conversation for another time.) 

Through unrelenting political pressure and activism, the Sunrise Movement and other environmental justice groups convinced the DNC to hold a vote on a climate debate. This was a big success; it was proof that the DNC was listening and that the pressure was working. In the weeks leading up to the vote, Sunrisers spent hours calling and writing letters to DNC representatives, gathering petition signatures, and planning rallies in front of local DNC offices—which brings us back to that rainy day on the corner of Lexington and 42nd.  

I screamed until my voice had evaporated from my lungs. I held my sign high above my head, angling it up towards the windows of the glassy office building towering over us. Here I was, just a few stories below the people who are meant to represent me in government, and the closest I could get to being heard was to yell at the side of a skyscraper. One of our members even went upstairs and asked if we could speak with a DNC representative on the issue; they acknowledged the protest but declined to come down and talk with us. 

Two weeks later, the vote was held. The resolution to hold a climate debate was defeated by 17-8.  

I was despondent. If the United States cannot get democratic politicians to simply talk about the climate crisis, how can we expect to combat the issue at a federal level? How can voters make informed decisions regarding the 2020 election if we don’t know where the candidates stand on this crisis? Was this vote just a “feel good” gesture to placate our anger?  

Despite hours spent organizing, dissenting, rallying, and insisting, we hadn’t really changed anything. At least, that’s one way to look at it. Another way is to recognize that social change doesn’t happen overnight. It doesn’t always present itself in the form of concrete laws or drastic declarations; it is a gradual process of shifting mindsets and restructuring deeply entrenched habits and beliefs. In recent years, climate change has moved to the forefront of many conversations: there is increasing recognition and awareness surrounding the issue, and truths that have been ignored for decades are finally being brought to light.  

All it takes is starting that conversation. For the time being, educate those around you, talk about the tough realities we’re facing, and listen to others with open ears. Words alone can’t solve the climate crisis, but, as evidenced by the DNC’s decision, if we don’t talk openly about the issue at hand, we can’t take action towards solving it.