{"id":82755,"date":"2019-09-16T11:39:44","date_gmt":"2019-09-16T18:39:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=82755"},"modified":"2019-10-23T09:56:05","modified_gmt":"2019-10-23T16:56:05","slug":"new-youth-leaders-of-climate-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/news\/new-youth-leaders-of-climate-movement","title":{"rendered":"These Six Youth Leaders Are the Future of the Climate Movement"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"cb-itemprop\" itemprop=\"reviewBody\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Climate change is imminent and action is needed, reports <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/climatechange\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The United Nations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This month\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/site\/assets\/uploads\/2019\/08\/4.-SPM_Approved_Microsite_FINAL.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found that the Earth\u2019s land surface air temperature has risen nearly twice as much as the global average temperature since the preindustrial period.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the past six decades, the report also found, our global population has put a rising number of demands on the Earth\u2019s land and water supply while continuing to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To take action,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on September 20 and 27, hundreds of youth-led climate strikes are being organized worldwide, many of which are aligned with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fridaysforfuture.org\/\">Fridays for Future<\/a> movement. And on September 23, the United Nations<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will convene at the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/climatechange\/un-climate-summit-2019.shtml\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2019 Climate Action Summit<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in New York. As global leaders strategize how to curb carbon emissions and adopt sustainable development, youth are playing a fundamental role.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Across the United States, teenage and young adult activists from diverse backgrounds are collectively pushing forward solutions for climate change. Here are six leaders steering the climate movement, inspired by their love of recreation and wild spaces.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Michael Charles, 25<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Homebase:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Columbus, Ohio<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Identifiers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Citizen of Navajo Nation (Din\u00e9), Ph.D. student in chemical and bimolecular engineering at Ohio State University<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_82830\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82830\" class=\"size-article_body wp-image-82830\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Youth-Leaders_Michael-Charles.-Photo-used-by-permission-from-the-American-Indian-Science-and-Engineering-Society-2017.gif?resize=1024%2C702\" alt=\"Michael Charles presents at a conference \" width=\"1024\" height=\"702\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-82830\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Courtesy: The American Indian Science and Engineering Society<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good narrative has the power to change minds. At policy forums, 25-year-old <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/278844605\">Michael Charles<\/a> tells human stories that illustrate how climate change is specifically affecting Native people across North America; he also brings an Indigenous, spiritual lens to his graduate studies in environmental design.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How he got his start: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While completing his bachelor\u2019s degree in chemical engineering at Cornell University in 2013, Charles learned about the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca\/en\/article\/idle-no-more\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Idle No More campaign<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, founded by four Saskatchewan women, to support the First Nations of Canada, where tribes face ongoing threats from extractive development and a loss of their Indigenous rights to the land.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charles joined the campaign to help educate students about the industrialization of the land of Native people. But he didn\u2019t stop there. In 2017,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cbe.osu.edu\/news\/2017\/11\/engineering-doctoral-student-attends-un-climate-negotiations\">Charles applied to work with<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/cbe.osu.edu\/news\/2017\/11\/engineering-doctoral-student-attends-un-climate-negotiations\">SustainUs<\/a> at <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany. There, at the U.S. People\u2019s Delegation Speak Out, he shared how climate change was specifically impacting Native people in North America. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In December, he\u2019ll attend his third consecutive U.N. Climate Change Conference\u2014this time, he\u2019ll lead the first-ever Indigenous delegation for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sustainus.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SustainUs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a youth-led organization that focuses on sustainability and justice. And this Friday, to kick-off the upcoming climate strikes, Charles will be speaking at a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightest.io\/cause\/350org\/activity\/columbus-ohio-climate-strike\/\">protest<\/a> in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to inspire his fellow youth organizers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Mission: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMy goal is to bring real human stories to political spaces,\u201d Charles says. \u201cThe SustainUs network keeps us in tune with youth networks that are fighting climate change in the U.S. Whether it\u2019s ballots, pipelines, protests or debates for the Democratic National Convention, we can bring the power of Indigenous youth together.\u201d For his Ph.D., Charles is designing systems to help clean up emissions, integrate nature into engineering and design, and find new ways to measure sustainability initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why hope exists: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYoung people in the climate movement are willing to understand the intersectionality of how climate change impacts you versus me, and different communities and groups, including Indigenous,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Vision:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cThe ideal climate that we\u2019re working toward is to have sensitivity to what\u2019s going on with the land and people around us. We can learn so much from Indigenous cultures and ancestors who knew how to live in harmony with nature before technology,\u201d Charles adds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Get involved:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In 2018, Charles founded <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/indianyouth.org\/news\/detail\/represent-an-update-from-year-4-dreamstarter-michael-charles\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Represent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an organization that\u2019s part of\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/indianyouth.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Running Strong for American Indian Youth<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and awards small grants to support Navajo students\u2019 college-prep resources. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/indianyouth.org\/get-involved\/other-ways-to-get-involved\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn more here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Emma Kavanaugh, 16<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Homebase: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hollywood Beach, Florida<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Identifiers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ocean conservationist,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">St. Thomas Aquinas (STA) High School Surfrider Foundation Club Founder and President\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_82831\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82831\" class=\"size-article_body wp-image-82831\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Youth-Leaders_Emma-Kavanaugh_PC-Samantha-Kavanaugh.gif?resize=1024%2C682\" alt=\"Emma Kavanaugh stands with a green field and green trees behind her\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-82831\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Samantha Kavanaugh<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI don\u2019t want my home town to be taken away from me with rising temperatures and rising sea levels,\u201d 16-year-old Kavanaugh says. As a self-proclaimed ocean conservationist she believes, \u201cClimate change is my future, my brother\u2019s future, and my friends\u2019 future. It\u2019s a personal issue for me. It\u2019s impactful when we make the issue about ourselves. We\u2019re more likely to act and for there to be change.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How she got her start: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kavanaugh wants to make the public aware of the impending threat of sea-level rise. She\u2019s also passionate about cutting down on single-use plastics. That\u2019s why she founded her school\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.surfrider.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Surfrider Foundation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> chapter, becoming president in 2018 and co-guiding educational meetings with city officials and business owners to make a case for cutting down on disposable culture and keeping waste off local beaches. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That same year, she joined the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.delta.com\/beyond-straw-delta-removes-single-use-plastics-onboard-clubs\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Delta Airlines Youth Advisory Council<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help guide the airline\u2019s efforts to eliminate single-use plastics, among other sustainability initiatives. And in July 2019, she attended the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgbc.org\/event\/zero-hour-youth-climate-summit\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Zero Hour: Youth Climate Summit<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, in Miami, where she helped host the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> table for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oceana<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an organization that seeks to restore biodiversity to the world\u2019s oceans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Mission: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI wanted to get involved with the climate change movement because I was really motivated to help with ocean conservation,\u201d Kavanaugh says. \u201cI also try to do little changes in my life like avoid meat or animal products, and to carpool.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why hope exists: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cClimate change will affect my generation the most, and we\u2019ll be the witnesses to climate impacts. When you\u2019re youthful, you have a passion to act against something that feels wrong for you,\u201d Kavanaugh says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Vision: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the future, \u201cthe whole world will need to be more aware, conscious and live in harmony with the environment. A healthy, stable climate, that\u2019s not heavily impacted by humans and ignorance, is made possible through growing peoples\u2019 awareness,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Get involved:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Encourage your favorite local restaurant to join Surfrider\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.surfrider.org\/programs\/ocean-friendly-restaurants\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ocean Friendly Restaurants<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Kai Jones, 13<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Homebase: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Victor, Idaho<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Identifiers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Middle school student, skier, surfer<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_82833\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82833\" class=\"size-article_body wp-image-82833\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Youth-Leaders_Kai-Jones-PC-Nic-Alegre.gif?resize=1024%2C577\" alt=\"Kai Jones ski mountaineering\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-82833\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Todd Jones<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Young outdoor endurance athletes can be an inspiration <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0zNr-cKquCc\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to watch<\/span><\/a> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> listen to. Thirteen-year-old Kai Jones uses his growing big-mountain skills on skis as a conduit to spark conversation about climate change.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How he got his start: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI was born into climate activism, with Jeremy Jones [professional snowboarder and founder of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/protectourwinters.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protect Our Winters<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">] as my uncle, but I really started learning more and getting involved [in the climate movement] three seasons ago, when I was 11 years old,\u201d Kai says. During his sixth-grade study hall at Teton Middle School, Kai began researching everything he could about climate change. \u201cI learned about greenhouse gases that are destroying the environment and about oil companies that are impacting the planet. I learned about solutions like electric cars, solar panels, wind energy and dam energy. These are really simple things but helped me get interested in global warming,\u201d he recalls.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In April 2018, Kai was being interviewed by Teton Gravity Research (TGR) for his breakout segment: He was the youngest skier to be featured in a TGR film, ever. The filmers\u2014including his dad, Todd Jones, who is also a cofounder of TGR\u2014asked, \u201cWhat scares you the most?\u201d Rather than talking about steep terrain, Kai surprised the film crew with his introspective response: \u201cI started talking about the long-term state of snow, global warming and the environment,\u201d he says. After the interview, Todd encouraged his son to become more involved with Protect Our Winters (POW) to work toward their shared goals, and Kai decided to begin using his platform and voice for change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fall 2018, Kai shared a video clip on his instagram (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kaijonesski\/?hl=en\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">@kaijonesski<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), encouraging his followers to vote in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections for candidates supporting climate change policies. The response was overwhelming, with close to 12,800 views on Kai\u2019s Instagram account alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Mission: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kai is now a POW ambassador and he uses his social media presence\u2014he currently has about 27,000 Instagram followers\u2014to help educate outdoor recreationists about climate change. \u201cI research events related to global warming, earth or climate change, and I share a big social media post,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why hope exists: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSome of this generation doesn\u2019t care to get involved with politics at all, but those who are involved are more educated [than previous generations] and are basing their knowledge off of research. That\u2019s good, because it helps us become a stronger [collective] mind in the big picture,\u201d Kai says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Vision: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI envision a future climate completely based on renewable energy, with long winters with bigger waves and lots of outdoor enthusiasts,\u201d Kai says. \u201cWe can get there by standing up as one and working toward killing all nonrenewable greenhouse gasses and switching to renewable energy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Get involved:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To learn more about POW, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/protectourwinters.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">go to their website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You can also <\/span><a href=\"\/blog\/snowsports\/kai-jones-the-12-year-old-son-of-teton-gravity-research-founder-todd-jones-to-star-in-2018-film-far-out\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">read more about Kai here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Maka Monture P\u00e4ki,<\/b> <b>25<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Homebase: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anchorage, Alaska<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Identifiers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tlingit, Mohawk, Program Coordinator of the United States Arctic Youth Ambassador Program<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_82841\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82841\" class=\"size-article_body wp-image-82841\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Youth-Leaders_Maka-Monture_PC-Amy-Bell.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024\" alt=\"A portrait of Mama Monture \" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-82841\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Amy Bell<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">United voices can accelerate climate solutions. Peer-to-peer education is 25-year-old Maka Monture\u2019s primary tool for helping to shape a sustainable future for the rapidly changing Arctic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How she got her start: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growing up in Yakutat, Alaska, Monture\u00a0P\u00e4ki cut her teeth as a high-school environmental activist with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/akcenter.org\/ayea\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alaska Youth for Environmental Action<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which trains youth leaders to tackle big environmental issues. But it wasn\u2019t until after she graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2015 that she began co-developing the leadership development organization she now leads, the U.S. Arctic Youth Ambassadors Program (AYAP), which provides a platform for Alaskan youth to build awareness of climate change at home and abroad. Through AYAP, \u201cThe youth ambassadors share their local perspective, priorities, and solutions regarding how to sustain communities, cultures, and the environment in a changing Arctic,\u201d Monture\u00a0P\u00e4ki says.\u00a0 She, like Kai, uses social media (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/makamonture\/?hl=en\">@makamonture<\/a>)\u00a0to raise awareness about the issues she cares about.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Mission: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn Alaska, and for many Indigenous tribes across the world, the trail of broken land treaties is a legacy of the injustice of colonization. My grandparents instilled within me a responsibility to my people and a protection for Indigenous land,\u201d Monture\u00a0P\u00e4ki says. \u201cMy love for my tribe and\u00a0for the future generations to come motivates me to be an advocate for the land\u2014it deserves\u00a0us to speak as stewards for it. As indigenous\u00a0youth, the land doesn&#8217;t\u00a0belong to us, we belong to the land,\u201d\u00a0she adds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why hope exists: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monture says the rising generation is motivated to be proactive, because of the firsthand experiences they\u2019re having with environmental change: \u201cYouth in coastal rural Alaska have experienced more accelerated coastal erosion and strong winter storms as a result of climate change in their young lives than the generation before them,\u201d Monture\u00a0P\u00e4ki says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Vision: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI envision a climate where we give back to the earth as much as what is taken. Some of the M\u0101ori Tribes in Aotearoa\/New Zealand have successfully fought for human rights status for one of the forests and one of the rivers. Imagine a world where there was the reality everywhere,\u201d she adds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Get involved: <\/b>To learn more about the Arctic Youth Ambassadors Program, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.akgeo.org\/youth-programs\/arctic-youth-ambassadors\/\">visit their website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h4><b>Tabatha Knudson, 18<br \/>\n<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Homebase: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Honolulu, Oahu<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Identifiers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Co-President of Surfrider Manoa Club at <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">University of Hawai\u02bbi<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">M\u0101noa\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_82805\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82805\" class=\"size-article_body wp-image-82805\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Youth-Leaders_Tabatha-Knudson_PC-Andrew-Alvarado.gif?resize=1024%2C682\" alt=\"Tabatha Knudson paints on the beach\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-82805\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Andrew Alvarado<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growing up in Oahu, Hawaii, Tabatha Knudson spent nearly everyday in the water. \u201cAs I grew older, I started to see the devastating impacts of climate change: ocean acidification, development, and plastic pollution,\u201d she says. Now, 18-year-old Knudson leverages policy creation to remove single-use plastic across her local university and city.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How she got her start: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn high school, I had an amazing, empowering teacher who was an advisor for an environmental club I was in. He inspired me to get involved, and taught me that I have the power to create change\u2014and that we\u2019re the future,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From there, she joined the \u201cWipeout Crew,\u201d her local high school Surfrider Foundation chapter, where she learned to advocate for state and local climate initiatives, and how to plan advocacy events. During her first year of college, in 2018, Knudson served as an events coordinator for Surfrider\u2019s student chapter at the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">University of Hawai\u02bbi at M\u0101noa <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where she hosted gatherings for community leaders and professors to educate about issues ranging\u00a0 from single-use plastic to climate change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, as the club&#8217;s co-president, Knudson is leading a campaign to ban plastic straws on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus. Also through Surfrider, she\u2019s advocating for legislation known as <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www4.honolulu.gov\/docushare\/dsweb\/Get\/Document-238901\/BILL040(19).pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bill 40<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which supports the phasing out of single-use plastics in the city of Honolulu. When she\u2019s not organizing events or championing public policy, Knudson presents to her local high school on topics like sustainability and activism, to inspire the next group of youth change-makers. Knudson plans to attend a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightest.io\/cause\/350org\/activity\/hawaii-climate-strike-september-20\/\">Honolulu Global Climate Strike<\/a> on September 20, and hopes to join on September 27, too<\/span><b>.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Mission: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOne of the obvious reasons that climate change will be detrimental to our lives and nature is that everyone and everything is at the threat of extinction. The biggest drive for me is to fight for sustainability, which is not only environmental, but also related to our spiritual, emotional and mental well-being,\u201d Knudson says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why hope exists: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cClimate change is a great opportunity for us to come together as a community to fight it, which is in itself a great motivator. This fight can strengthen community for years to come,\u201d Knudson says.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe world is in this political turmoil with people standing up to political, social, environmental injustices, and broken power systems. Youth are empowered by these movements to be activists.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Vision: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe need to push for social and political changes away from individualistic and anthropocentric mindsets to have more Indigenous knowledge systems, where we recognize that all living things and nonliving things inherently need respect and to be treated equal. We need to build our community, strengthen our relationships with each other, and come together as one force that can help create a sustainable future through empowerment, education, and celebration,\u201d Knudson says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Get involved:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Local to Honolulu? Discuss and vote for <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www4.honolulu.gov\/docushare\/dsweb\/Get\/Document-238901\/BILL040(19).pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bill 40<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and join the student-and-community beach cleanups.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Levi Draheim, 12<br \/>\n<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Homebase: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian Harbor Beach, Florida<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Identifiers:\u00a0<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.surfrider.org\/coastal-blog\/entry\/juliana-v.-united-states-young-activists-fight-for-the-right-to-a-safe-and\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Juliana v. United States<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> plaintiff, Youth Climate activist, homeschooler, swimmer<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_82844\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-82844\" class=\"size-article_body wp-image-82844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/09\/Youth-Leaders_levi_PC-Kilby-Photo.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024\" alt=\"A photo of Levi Draheim at the beach\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-82844\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Kilby Photo<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Levi Draheim\u2019s story reveals that even the youngest recreationists can hold the federal government accountable for climate protection. Five years ago, now 12-year-old Levi Draheim became the youngest plaintiff in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.surfrider.org\/coastal-blog\/entry\/juliana-v.-united-states-young-activists-fight-for-the-right-to-a-safe-and\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Juliana v. United State<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.surfrider.org\/coastal-blog\/entry\/juliana-v.-united-states-young-activists-fight-for-the-right-to-a-safe-and\">s<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How he got his start: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019ve always been involved with the environment and protecting it, since I was 4 years old. But I was about 7 years old when I got involved with the lawsuit,\u201d Draheim told the Co-op Journal. \u201cWe&#8217;re asking the U.S. government to protect our rights for a clean, sustainable, livable planet. We\u2019re asking for the government to put a science-based climate recovery plan in place to protect our future,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The suit was originally filed in\u00a02015 during the Obama administration, and states that by pursuing policies that contribute to climate change, the United States government violated young people\u2019s constitutional rights to life, liberty and property. In the past year, when Drahaim wasn\u2019t working on the case, he spoke publicly at Fridays for Future events in Oregon and Florida, which he says he plans to keep doing. This Friday, Draheim plans to attend the Global Climate Strike in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightest.io\/cause\/youth-climate-strike-us\/activity\/dc-climate-strike-march-september-20\/\">Washington, D.C.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Mission: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBeing a climate activist is literally one of the only things we can do to protect our future,\u201d Draheim says. \u201cIf there isn\u2019t action taken, then it\u2019s very possible I won\u2019t have a future or a home on this planet. This is to protect my future and future generations\u2019 futures,\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why hope exists: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf we all completely cut down and stop using fossil fuels, and instead use renewable energy sources, we could start moving in the right direction,\u201d Draheim says. On an individual level, he collects plastic water bottles at his swim team meet-ups and, in partnership with a local Surfrider Foundation chapter, plants beachgrass on sand to help prevent dune erosion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Vision: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn reality, if we continue at this rate, where I live will not be here. It\u2019s very possible that many islands will not be here, because of climate change and sea-level rise. I would like to have the barrier island where I\u2019ve lived my whole life to still be here. I would like all of the lakes and springs to be here, how they are now\u2014or perhaps even better\u2014so that I can show my children where I lived and grew up,\u201d Draheim says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Get involved:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/globalclimatestrike.net\">Global Climate Strike<\/a>\u00a0to learn about and participate in a protest near you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note:\u00a0<\/em>Protect Our Winters (POW), Surfrider Foundation and the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute are nonprofit partners of REI. Since 2015, REI has awarded POW with $75,000 in grants. REI contributions totaling more than $180,000 have helped advance the aims of the Center for Native American Youth since 2018. And Surfrider Foundation\u00a0has been the beneficiary of contributions totaling nearly $70,000 in grants from REI since 2010.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Climate change is imminent and action is needed, reports The United Nations. This month\u2019s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report found that the Earth\u2019s land surface air temperature has risen nearly twice as much as the global average temperature since the preindustrial period.\u00a0Over the past six decades, the report also found, our global population has 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