By Connie E
Recently, I’m increasingly feeling the proximity of doomsday due to the insane amount of disastrous news coverage every day, from Hurricane Harvey and Irma to the destruction in Houston and Puerto Rico as well as the Las Vegas shooting. It’s easy to feel angry, desperate and lost; it’s easy to share a post on Facebook, or donate once to a disaster relief charity. However, how many of us will still think about those places and tragic events once the cameras and journalists leave?
In Las Vegas, tourists have already made their return as casinos, hotels and nightlife are back in business, while street vigils of the dead and wounded are still scattered around the city. I found that ironic and unsettling. It seems that we have become so numb and callous to the tragedies that donations and social media posts are used to make ourselves feel less guilty and more grateful.
What society needs, now more than ever before, is real commitment to action, not simply social media activism. In order to spread a message far and wide, we need stories that people are relatable.
I started working with a youth climate advocacy organization called SustainUS two years ago. Before getting to know everyone within the organization, climate change to me was a cluster of facts and data showing how big of a threat it was to humankind. What changed me from an observer to an advocate and participant in the climate movement were everyone’s stories. SustainUS is run entirely by its members who are college aged and mostly volunteers. Some members got involved because they grew up close to animals, a lake or the ocean and don’t want to see them disappear. Others got involved because their hometowns are increasingly influenced by extreme weather as a result of global warming.
Although climate change seems like an extremely broad movement, I have a personal reason to be invested. Growing up in a small city outside Beijing, my hometown is known for producing more than 80 percent of China’s coal supply. Though there are many mining jobs and mine owners have made a fortune, the air quality has become some of the worst in China, especially with the invasion of smog every winter. I have a 4-year-old brother who coughs non-stop every winter due to the air being so toxic. My parents wish they could move to a coastal city with clean air but their jobs and various commitments simply won’t allow it. It breaks my heart to watch my little brother cough because there simply isn’t clean air to breathe.
Though reality can be harsh, I found hope and a sense of connection within the climate movement. People get involved for different reasons and come from totally different backgrounds, yet we are all brought together by a collective mission. Storytelling is at the heart of this movement, and millennials possess a unique advantage in doing that.
If you feel compelled to contribute in any way, the power is in your hands. I recently joined an organization called Sunrise Movement that aims to stop climate change by mobilizing young people, community power and elected officials. They have an actionable plan to get climate-active politicians elected for the midterm election in 2018. This movement has become a way for me to be grounded in this tumultuous time and steer away from social media activism. If you also happen to have a story about climate change or any issue that you’re passionate about, please start sharing it with people around you, and make a commitment to action. It’s never too late.
File photo courtesy of Connie E.
