Civic Engagement and Climate Action Are Interconnected
By Olivia Zhang
Climate action introduced me to the expansive world of civic engagement. When I started high school, I was unaware of the term “civic engagement” and had not thought about voting or sharing my opinion on issues I cared about. I felt disconnected from decisions made at the local, state, and national government levels. In my sophomore year, I decided to take a leap and participate in a fellowship about climate education and advocacy. Alongside learning about climate justice, I sent postcards across my state encouraging young people to vote. This introduction to nonpartisan voter engagement inspired my current work in civic engagement.
So many young people are passionate about current issues and are taking action in their communities. Leading up to the 2020 election, a poll by Tufts University’s CIRCLE found that 31% of young people placed climate change in the top three issues impacting their vote for president (Suzuki et al., 2022). Racism and healthcare accessibility/affordability also hovered at the top (Suzuki et al., 2022). Young people are not apathetic; we are engaged and taking action.
However, we also face various barriers and may feel helpless about making a meaningful impact. In a 2021 study of 10,000 young people across ten countries, 84% responded that they were at least moderately worried about climate change and around 64% felt that the government was not taking their concerns seriously enough (Hickman et al., 2021). Additionally, young people from less affluent countries experiencing the effects of climate change more directly tended to indicate that their climate anxiety negatively influenced their daily lives (Hickman et al., 2021). Forming solutions to challenging global issues should be inclusive and intersectional. Young people - bringing their own complex stories, experiences, and expertise on issues like climate change - should be heard and lead in creating positive change.
My understanding of civic engagement substantially changed since my first voter engagement project. While I initially believed civic engagement was just about voting, I’ve since expanded my understanding. I now know civic engagement includes volunteering in my community, talking about current issues with friends and family, making art that reflects issues I care about, communicating with legislators, and so much more. Civic engagement is open-ended and expansive. We all have a voice. Similarly, my understanding of climate action has also shifted, expanded, and transformed as I’ve learned alongside incredible youth activists. We can address climate change by educating peers, posting on social media, advocating for climate justice policies, and shaping innovative solutions. Civic engagement and climate activism are part of an interconnected network of education, action, and social change, where young people should have opportunities to be heard and take leadership in creating solutions. After all, young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow—We are the leaders of today (Wathuti & Prowse, 2022).
