On March 15th of 2019 myself and 70 youth left schools across Western New York to congregate in the chilly cement grey circle that sits in front of city hall and demand our governments acknowledge Climate Change as the threat it really is. In that bizarre, cold and quiet space we made noise that would be heard across the state, and reignited a local movement. Yet one man cried foul, and accused us of being complicit in some wider conspiracy to brainwash the people of Western New York into fearing an oncoming climate apocalypse.

     As an activist I hear this rhetoric every day, from every political angle and every age group. You are fighting a hopeless battle. It’s already too late. It’s hard to argue with pessimism, because when you lose hope you also lose the will to listen. But that is exactly why we must act, as students, for climate justice. 

     We all know the saying “Actions speak louder than words.” It probably rings in the ears of everyone whose grades have ever slipped below what parents expect of them. But we must take this phrase seriously, and apply it to our communities. Because in action can we find hope, and create change.

     That doesn’t mean we shut up and start marching, it means we need to reframe the conversation. No more promises and proposals, no more placing our hope in people removed from us by age and distance to save us. We need to find hope in each other, in our combined will for a brighter, livable future, and spread it to every student and parent and teacher. We have to be the ones talking about how we, as a community, will make changes- will fight for climate justice. Our voices are young, they are loud, and they inspire people of every generation to action and change. So we must use them now, while the iron is hot. 

     There is no one way to do this, and I don’t encourage others to play “Follow the Leader” and do what everyone else is doing, or what I do for that matter. The beauty of our voices as students is their diversity, the diversity of solutions and opinions and experience that makes each of us unique. In that diversity of voices is the strength needed to ignite passion in our peers, to persuade world leaders, and to bring an end to our extractive and harmful world order. But this is only possible if we use them, and use them hopefully, with strength and perseverance enough to win us our futures back and inspire people of all ages to join us in that fight. 

     I encourage you to join the conversation, talk about it in our school’s clubs and student unions, like the Climate Changers, and to take part in the Pittsburgh Climate Strike, which will be happening from Noon to 3pm starting at Schenley Plaza and ending at the City County Building. 

     The climate strike will be the seedbed for this (apologies) new hope. A place for youth to make their voices heard alongside their parents, teachers, and millions of others that will be protesting across the globe. If action is needed and now is the time, then there is no better place to raise the banner and demand change than a Climate Strike. So join me, and countless others, in showing the true importance of youth climate action on September 24th.

     If you have any questions, you know where to find me.