What was your “wake-up moment” when climate issues started to feel real for you?
My first wake up moments were on September 9, 2020. I had just woken up and was ready to start my zoom school day when I looked outside and it was bright orange. This was the day that San Francisco’s sky turned orange, apocalyptic, and Mars-like. The direct effect of climate change hit me in the face, right outside my bedroom window. This was coming from the Northern California wildfires but the weirdest part was that the air quality was fine. This was when I truly realized that this is not how earth should be and ever since then have been involved in youth climate activism.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed, sad, or anxious about climate change? What brought on those feelings?
Yes to all 3 emotions and so many more emotions too. I have felt overwhelmed throughout my climate organizing, I was working almost 20 hours a week doing climate organizing but also was just trying to be a high schooler. I felt overwhelmed when I see doom story after doom story on the news but rarely see impactful climate wins. I have felt sad and anxious when our nation or globe keeps breaking records for the hottest month or for record fires in an area. These feelings are brought on because I feel like we are not making the progress what we need to see for our future to survive. The feelings come when I step back and look how much destruction there was been to the earth already and feeling hopeless. After hopelessness then comes my sadness and anxiety around the climate and our future.
Is there a place (a park, neighborhood, coastline) that makes you feel connected to the Earth?
The place I feel most connected to the Earth is when I am snorkeling or scuba diving. It’s so serene, just you and the biodiversity around you. You not only have to focus on your breath but also get to see what life is like dozens of feet under water. It’s so cool to see how many species of different corals there are and which creatures live in them. Coral reefs have always been one of the most fascinating ecosystems to me, so when I am lucky enough to be surrounded by them I feel at home, just me and the ocean around me.
