We are living in the midst of a crisis, a mass extinction, and those who have the power to make the most meaningful and systemic changes are not listening. They don’t understand the urgency of climate change. They don’t understand that those who have done nothing to contribute to the crisis have already been enduring its effects. They don’t understand that the decisions they make today will influence the rest of our lives.
What scares me the most about climate change is the fact that such an intersectional and systemic issue is being tackled by simplistic and green-washed solutions. Climate change is being used as a ploy for profit, where companies make minor changes and market themselves as green. Our call for action is being mocked by companies who couldn’t care less about the dying planet we live on and the lifelong consequences we’ll face as a result of their inaction. Our protests, marches, and walk-outs are nothing more than an inconvenience to those who didn’t have to grow up worrying about their future, or lack thereof.
It is beyond terrifying to know that my life is in the hands of people who choose ignorance over action. People who choose fallacy over science. People who choose profit over persons. Though these people scare me the most, I hear the cries and feel the rage of today’s youth. You are doing the work that our politicians are not, and I stand in solidarity with you. In the words of Jane Goodall, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”
By: Sarah Costa
Comments