In June, a group of young people in Montana won a landmark lawsuit related to climate change when, for the first time in the United States, a judge ruled that the state’s failure to consider climate change when approving fossil fuel projects was unconstitutional. Youth-led climate litigation is moving forward in other states too — and elsewhere around the world. With these lawsuits, along with social media activism and protests, Gen Z is making its voice heard.
How concerned are you about the planet? What role do you think young people should play in the fight against climate change? To what extent do you think your generation has any power to make a difference?
In “With TikTok and Lawsuits, Gen Z Takes on Climate Change,” David Gelles writes:
As Kaliko Teruya was coming home from her hula lesson on Aug. 8, her father called. The apartment in Lahaina was gone, he said, and he was running for his life.
He was trying to escape the deadliest American wildfire in more than a century, an inferno in Hawaii fueled by powerful winds from a faraway hurricane and barely hindered by the state’s weak defenses against natural disasters.
Her father survived. But for Kaliko, 13, the destruction of the past week has reinforced her commitment to a cause that is coming to define her generation.
“The fire was made so much worse due to climate change,” she said. “How many more natural disasters have to happen before grown-ups realize the urgency?”
Like a growing number of young people, Kaliko is engaged in efforts to raise awareness about global warming and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, last year she and 13 other young people, age 9 to 18, sued their home state, Hawaii, over its use of fossil fuels.
With active lawsuits in five states, TikTok videos that mix humor and outrage, and marches in the streets, it’s a movement that is seeking to shape policy, sway elections and shift a narrative that its proponents say too often emphasizes climate catastrophes instead of the need to make the planet healthier and cleaner.
Young climate activists in the United States have not yet had the same impact of their counterparts in Europe, where Greta Thunberg has galvanized a generation. But during a summer of record heat, choking wildfire smoke and now a hurricane bearing down on Los Angeles, American teenagers and 20-somethings concerned about the planet are increasingly being taken seriously.
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
A 2021 survey of people ages 16 to 25 in 10 countries found that three-quarters of the participants were frightened of the future. More than half said that humanity was doomed. Do you agree with those sentiments? How concerned are you about climate change? Why?
Are you or your friends trying to create a healthier planet? In what ways?
Have you heard about the lawsuits that young people are filing, like the one in Montana, to help shape climate policy? Do these actions inspire confidence in you that young people can make a difference? Why, or why not?
Badge Busse, 15, a plaintiff in the Montana case, said, “The fact that kids are taking this action is incredible. But it’s sad that it had to come to us. We’re the last resort.” What is your response to that?
What role do you think young people should play in the fight against climate change?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
