Climate Crisis!

How Can the Young People of Today Make a Better Tomorrow?

The young voters of today have the ability to make the world of tomorrow a better place. However, young people have the lowest rates of voter turnout. Youth political disengagement could be occurring due to factors such as lack of education, the idea that their vote won’t matter, and a feeling of distrust towards politicians. However, young voices have power, and need to be heard in order to tackle global problems such as climate change. 

The figure above shows the voter turnout of different age groups during the 2015, 2017 and 2019 British elections. As the age group increases, the voter turnout does as well. Turnout among the youngest group did increase slightly, but still less than sixty percent of youth are voting. But why aren’t young people voting? The Derby City Council published a list of reasons why young people aren’t politically engaged. The list contains views from the youth. Examples from the list include young people thinking the government doesn’t care, not trusting the government, feeling that language politicians use can be confusing, and voting taking too much time. (Derby City Council). 

Younger voting groups tend to care about different political issues than older generations. An example of an issue is the environment. But why should we care about saving the planet? Today’s youth are going to be the ones that feel the effects of climate change. If the climate issue is not adequately mitigated, 250,000 deaths per year will happen between the years of 2030 and 2050 from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress. (Curzon, 2020)  Climate change is already having an impact on the earth and it’s inhabitants. Pollution, loss of biodiversity, and deforestation are all consequences of climate change. If work is not done to mitigate this problem, sea level rise, severe storms, and an increase of drought are all in our future. 

In 2021, a survey was completed asking different age groups in the UK about their thoughts on climate change. The older age groups were less likely to report they were worried about climate change. Only twenty-four percent of people aged seventy and older reported they were worried about the climate. As the age groups got younger, more people seemed to care. 34%of people aged 35 to 49 were worried, and 37% of people aged 25 to 34. (Office for National Statistics, 2021) The youngest age group, 16 to 24, had the largest amount of people worried. Results are shown in the figure below. 

The figure above shows how different age groups and genders feel about climate change. Women seem to worry more about the climate than men, with 79% of women either reporting very or somewhat worried. 72% of all men reported being very or somewhat worried. In total, about 75% of people reported to be very or somewhat worried about climate change. Being worried about climate change is important for starting conversation and implementing effective action. 

What are Some Solutions that Would Get Young People to Engage Politically?

Since the younger age group has the largest percentage of people who seem to care about the environment, there’s no doubt that the youth can be given the credit for advancing the movement towards a greener world. Throughout the world, youth hold decision makers accountable for unjust climate policy. One way that young people have made their voices heard and politically engaged is through protest. On March 15, 2019, the first Global “Youth Strike 4 Climate” occurred. In the UK alone, 50,000 people protested against climate change, encouraging politicians to enforce strong climate policy. Since this day, young people in the UK have been striking every month in order to motivate politicians to take action. (UK Youth Climate Coalition) So, protesting has been effective in getting young people to politically engage. 

Another solution to get young people politically engaged for the climate is through social media. It provides an accessible platform for everyone to amplify their voice and advocate for the climate. Social media has the potential to enable interactions between young people about political topics, increase opinions on climate issues, spread information about the whereabouts of protests, and connect young people to political actors. (Matthes, 2022) Greta Thunberg has successfully used digital activism to gain a large following of climate activists. She reaches people all over the world through platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. Through social media, she educates people about climate change, calls for action from politicians, and organizes protests. She is an example of a young person using social media to politically engage. She acts a role model to other young people to care for the environment. Being as young as she is, it is very inspiring and motivating for young people to see her success.

Take Action!

So, what can you do to make a difference for the climate? VOTE, PROTEST, EDUCATE. Young people have the power to change the fate of our climate by voting. Politicians tend to care about the same things that the people who vote for them do. Therefore, make your voice heard by voting for a politician or party that plans to implement effective climate action, and hold them accountable! If there is a climate protest near you, attend it! Put pressure on politicians to act now! Spread your concern about climate change through social media and conversations.

ME!

Personally, I have participated in voting, climate protests and social media engagement as a way to get my voice heard. As many young people do, I once felt that even if I were to vote, it would not matter. However, I have realized through my university education that my thoughts, opinions, and vote do in fact matter. After attending protests, I realized that even I can make a difference. I have met people with similar interests as me, and have created a sense of community. I feel empowered when exercising my democratic right to protest.  I want to be on the right side of history, and being politically engaged gives me the ability to do that. I have brought attention to climate issues using my social media as well. Instagram has been a great platform for me to learn about different perspectives and views on today’s climate issues, and I can conveniently do this from anywhere, since the app is on my phone! So, with all this information provided here, go out at make a difference! The future of our planet and people depend on you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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