November 4, 2019
FISHERS, Indiana – Three young Indiana women are working to avert the upcoming environmental disaster that scientists warn could be their future.
One leads a program that teaches elementary school students about the impact of climate change. Another helps lead recycling efforts as president of her school environmental club. And a third is developing a city climate change resolution with her local council representative.
Indiana Youth Leading Local Climate Initiatives
“Environmental activism is important to me because, growing up in a generation where our Earth is being exploited, I feel more of a responsibility to do something about it because I’m going to be here,” she said.
The Impact of Climate Change on Future Generations
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that by the year 2050, a child born in 2000 is likely to experience “atmospheric concentrations of CO2 between 463 and 623 parts per million, 1.5 to 2.6 C warmer, and with sea levels higher by 5-32cm.”
Along with worries about global ecosystems and communities come concerns about these activists’ own loved ones and futures.
“I want our children to have a future like my childhood,” Riego said. “I want them to be able to play outside without worrying about what’s in the air and what’s going on around their planet, because it’s being destroyed right now.”
For Abaddi, Summers and Riego, an essential part of protecting the global environment starts at the local level, with awareness and policy changes. At their respective high schools, the girls have launched a variety of initiatives to make local change.
Eco-Scout Programs and School Recycling Initiatives
“They are going to be our future leaders — we are our future leaders — so we’re trying to implement that in the community,” she said.
Summers, who serves as president of the environmental club at Fishers High Schoo1l, said she and the other club members are in charge of the school’s plastic and aluminum can recycling.
Before her club took responsibility for the recycling a few years ago, the school was sending plastic to landfills.
Now, members of the environmental club take care of all the recyclables in and around the school each day.
“We have our slogan: ‘Sustain, protect, educate.’ We want to be able to make the information that we hold and are being exposed to more accessible to the public — not only the school, but to the community as well,” Summers said. “We’re working with ideas of how to get our concern out in a more acceptable sort of medium for people to understand.”
Developing Climate Resolutions
At HSHS, Riego is working to develop an environmental summit at the school this December. She is also writing a climate change resolution for the city of Fishers with the help of Public Administration Fellow Steven Chybowski.
“That way when I leave for college, I know Fishers will be taken care of,” she said.
This past summer, Riego and her mother attended the Climate Change Reality Project hosted by Al Gore in Minneapolis. Riego had been interested in mitigating climate change, but wasn’t sure where to begin.
At the conference, she attended a presentation on engaging young people in climate activism.
That’s where she met presenter Jim Poyser.
Poyser is executive director of Earth Charter Indiana, an organization that has been identifying grass roots leaders in sustainability and climate action in the state for almost 20 years.
Poyser and ECI are helping Riego and other young Indiana activists write resolutions for their cities. Poyser said seven cities have passed municipal policy, called Climate Recovery Resolution, led by young people: Carmel, Indianapolis, Lawrence, South Bend, Goshen, Bloomington, and West Lafayette.
He said seeing city officials listening to young people and voting accordingly were some of the happiest moments of his life.
Bipartisan Support for Climate Action
Poyser said these resolutions give young people something tangible and local to do.
Addressing Youth Anxiety Through Activism
Hundreds of families in an Indiana housing project need to evacuate due to soil contaminated with lead and arsenic. pic.twitter.com/rZL4WToa4p
— AJ+ (@ajplus) September 1, 2016
“In the age of Greta, young people are experiencing anxiety, even despair,” he said. “Our city resolutions are a great way to address this anxiety, while helping young people learn civics, while exploring potential career paths, from science to engineering to politics.”
Abaddi, Summers, and Riego share their passion for the environment with each other. On a recent afternoon, they met at a coffee shop in Fishers to discuss a speech they would deliver later that night at a Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light event.
They also share their frustrations when things might not work out. Summers has been ridiculed by her peers for recycling at her school, but she said that wouldn’t stop her.
“It makes me upset to see this level of ignorance amongst my peers,” she said. “I just try my best to have an optimistic view, however difficult it may prove to be sometimes given the circumstances.”
Summers adds that taking time to contact local, state, and federal representatives is also important. The young women plan on either studying environmental fields or continuing to participate in environmental activism in college. They are hopeful about some of the changes they are seeing.
Growing Environmental Consciousness Among Youth
“I think compared to previous generations, the kids now are more environmentally conscious and involved,” Abaddi said. “I think we are seeing different lifestyle choices. Whether it’s being vegan or using reusable cups and metal straws, it’s really important to see that change happening.”
Hope for the Future Through Collective Action
“No matter how many times this girl gets knocked down, she keeps going because she knows it’s not about her, it’s about something so much bigger,” Summers said of Thunberg. “To see people like that, it gives me a lot of hope to know we have the future on our shoulders.”
Riego said she is encouraged by awareness about environmental issues on social media.
“Raising awareness has served as a great medium for people to understand what’s going on with the news and also learn tips about being more sustainable. I wouldn’t have known about the climate conference I went to if I hadn’t seen it on social media,” she said.
Continuing the Fight for the Environment
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“All of these environmental issues are not just affecting the environment but also our heath and our lifestyle,” said Abaddi. “It’s really changing all of these different aspects in our lives, and it’s time that we actually recognize those and start doing something about it.”
