The national climate change walkout received little attention in the PV community on Sept. 20. The problem with small turnout and lack of protesting is not due to an absence of knowledge, but rather a lack of passion among teenagers.
A certain fact about Gen Z and millenials is that they are usually the ones who care the most about certain aspects such as taxes, civil liberties and the environment. While usually vocal about their opinions on various social media platforms, they tend to not show the same energy in the voting polls.
For many students, the idea of perfect transcripts and clean records is far more important than the one detention they would receive if they participated in the walkout. It’s not that they don’t care about climate change or feel indifferent towards the topic. The problem is that many do not care enough. If one cares strongly enough about a topic, a measly detention should not deter them from acting upon it.
A topic that is reliant on civilian protest, advocacy and education, climate change needs supporters or it will not be represented by the government. This support starts in individual communities and in high schools.
The environmental club, led by teacher Lynne Lundberg and Junior Quique Riojas-Berzaluce hopes to incite change within this community and eventually create a bigger impact. “Our purpose is to inform. Without the proper knowledge, people will not create change,” said Riojas-Berzaluce. Their biggest obstacle is getting more members so they can continue to spread their message.
Due to the fact that climate change has no immediate solutions and will be an ongoing battle, teens are less motivated to create changes in their lives. “Because climate change is such an everyday part of our lives, it can be hard to see how we can create change as individuals,” said Lundberg. “While change won’t be as immediate, it is still important to advocate for it.”
Fellow students agree that there needs to be a larger following of people that care about protecting the environment, but the way society promotes change should be different than it is now. Senior Preksha Kedilaya thinks that this topic cannot be treated the same way as other popular movements such as Never Again and Times Up.
“I believe that the topic of climate change needs to be talked about more in our community so we can become more environmentally focused, but there are better ways to incite this change,” said Kedilaya. “I don’t think walking out or protesting in the streets is going to create any substantial change in our society.”
Kedilaya also revealed that she ultimately decided not to participate in the walkout because she knew that she would receive a detention. Many felt the same way and feared that participating in the walkout would damage their transcripts.
With this mindset, it is certain that society will never incite change. It is essential that upcoming generations create a different attitude toward social change and advocate strongly for the things that they believe in.
The dangers of climate change are not going to stop on their own. Without passion and drive to create positive change in the world, the planet will be past the point of reversal. It is society’s job to stand up, to care and start changing their ways for a more sustainable living.
