by Lucy Diavolo
This enlightened generation recognizes that humanity’s behavior has built up to the cataclysmic human moment in which the activists find themselves. They’re eager to interrogate the past, present, and future, and they accept no less than the facts, holding themselves and others accountable. Engaging with the world necessitates confronting urgent problems with curiosity. Whether it’s from a concerned older friend or sibling, in headlines about the extinction of a beloved species, or through the bluster of a blowhard uncle repeating the president’s lies, hearing “climate change” again and again only sets the stage. The difference between passivity and activity starts with taking the time to get educated, and the work we’ve reproduced in this section of the book serves that mission.
The realities of the climate crisis are the reason people stand up to stop it. We can see this in the eagerness so many exhibit in understanding these truths. Reliable reporting that makes sense of nebulous forces like the oil industry, energy practices, and plastic pollution has proven essential to a well-rounded understanding of the hotly, wrongly contested complexities of climate disaster.
People in this movement take risks to accurately represent the world. More than one concerned-global-citizen-turned-journalist in this chapter traveled to the Arctic to report from the front line fact-forward accounts that offer teen perspectives and platform the experiences of disproportionately impacted peoples. Centering facts while shifting the lens to prioritize oft-neglected perspectives and redefine expertise is, therefore, a tenant of Teen Vogue’s climate coverage. When South Dakota’s Rosebud, Pine Ridge, and Cheyenne River Indian reservations were inundated by dire floods caused by unprecedented snowfall and powerful storms, a Dakota/Lakota Sioux writer bore witness and told young readers what she saw firsthand, shaping alarming statistics into a rousing call to action. Reporting on why recycling—a process purported to combat plastic waste—is a broken system, our writer called on a teen organizer from Utah to explain the nuance of its specific laws.
If parents, politicians, and education systems won’t (or can’t) acknowledge comprehensive realities, someone has to. The movement journalists we’ve worked with have traveled to frontline communities, interviewed experts and the impacted, dissected research to make nuanced data digestible, and—when all the pieces fall into place—gone back and forth with Teen Vogue’s rigorous fact-checkers to establish ironclad veracity for their reporting. In doing so, they are taking the reins of the discourse through tactical activism. To endeavor for climate justice, telling the truth is a crucial element of the practice, a necessary tenet of all-too-necessary work, a challenge accepted. Climate justice activists are leading a conversation that those of us drafting history are humbled to amplify and join.
What Is Climate Change?
EMILY HERNANDEZ
July 17, 2018
It’s getting hot in here—literally. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the global temperature has risen by 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, with most of the warming taking place during the last thirty-five years. These increases, known as global warming, have led to major changes to the earth’s climate. Unfortunately, these changes are not in the planet’s best interest, as with warmer temperatures come a variety of negative environmental consequences, including more frequent and stronger storms, loss of natural habitats, and increased instances of drought and flooding. Unfortunately, one of climate change’s main causes—the burning of fossil fuels—is tied to many nations’ economic structures, including that of the United States. In other words, what helps to make climate change such a uniquely menacing threat is how the issue is often politicized to the point of generating confusion where there should only be the general understanding associated with scientific facts.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump has denied climate change, moved to deregulate coal, and tapped climate change denier Myron Ebell to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) transition team, it is up to every individual in the country to educate themselves on the reality that is climate change: it’s been affected greatly by human activity and has the capacity to negatively impact future generations.
The climate can’t afford any more denial. Here, we unpack the basics of climate change, along with some of the most commonly heard phrases about the process, so you can arm yourself with the facts.
What is climate change?
The process known as climate change begins with the sun. The sun emits solar energy, which is in turn partly absorbed by the earth’s surface and atmosphere and partly reflected back into space. Climate change refers to the environmental phenomenon through which this solar energy, which is responsible for heating the planet, is prevented from being reflected back into space because of the presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The planet, therefore, grows hotter and hotter, which leads to a whole host of other environmental changes.
What evidence do we have that shows climate change occurring?
The evidence that shows the climate to be changing is abundant. From global temperature increases to warmer ocean waters to shrinking ice sheets to more-frequent severe weather events, the signs are everywhere: the earth’s climate is becoming increasingly destabilized. In fact, scientists have been measuring levels of carbon gas in the atmosphere—a key indicator of global warming, and, therefore, climate change—since at least the late 1950s.
What causes climate change?
Climate change is a result of a process known as the greenhouse effect. Since the late nineteenth century, we’ve known that greenhouse gases warm the earth by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Imagine the atmosphere as a greenhouse encircling the planet: the same way greenhouses are used to grow plants in the winter or in colder regions, the greenhouse effect allows us to live our lives on Earth in comfort. The sun radiates solar energy, which travels into Earth’s atmosphere, heating us up. Earth, in turn, emits some of the energy back into space, but some of it is blocked from getting that far by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases, namely carbon dioxide and methane, trap the heat that’s trying to escape back into space. Without these gases, Earth would be freezing and uninhabitable for us. Too much of anything is a bad thing, and an overabundance of greenhouse gases leads to an atmosphere that traps too much heat.
The major player consistently talked about is carbon dioxide, CO2. When we burn fossil fuels, we’re emitting carbon dioxide up into the atmosphere where it will stay and trap heat for decades. We use oil to fuel our transportation needs and coal and natural gas to supply our electricity. The more fossil fuels we use, the more carbon dioxide goes into the atmosphere, making the greenhouse effect stronger, warming up the planet more and more.
What are the effects of climate change?
Since 1880, we’ve experienced an increase of about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit in the global temperature. This change has resulted in melting sea ice, rising sea levels, and more extreme weather events. The hotter it gets, the worse it will be.
What’s the difference between global warming and climate change?
“Global warming” and “climate change” are often used interchangeably as synonymous terms. However, there are specific differences in their definitions. According to NASA, global warming refers to an increase in average surface temperature. Climate change is defined by NASA as “a long-term change in the earth’s climate, or of a region on Earth” and refers to all the climate-related changes that occur due to greenhouse gas emissions. This not only includes increasing temperature, but also extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and melting glaciers, for example.
What if we stopped using fossil fuels right now?
If humans were to stop using fossil fuels, climate change would still continue, and the earth’s temperature would keep rising. It all has to do with the thermal inertia manifested by the retaining of heat in Earth’s oceans. According to NASA, “Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist a change in its current state.” Keeping that definition in mind,
imagine you’re trying to boil a pot of water on a stove. You put the pot on the burner, turn on the stove, and wait. The water takes a bit of time to heat up and eventually start boiling, but once it’s hot, it stays hot for a while—even if you take it off the heat. In that same way, our oceans take time to heat up, but once they’re hot, they stay hot. At this point, we are committed to a level of climate change that is largely irreversible. Despite the disheartening effect of that last sentence, the more carbon dioxide we continue to emit, the worse those effects will become.
What does President Trump think about climate change?
Trump has famously called climate change a “hoax” invented by China. (Liu Zhenmin, China’s vice foreign minister, denied this.) Since taking office, Trump has translated his climate change denial into American policy—most notably, pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement and moving to dismantle the Clean Power Plan.
For all of Trump’s verbal and realized antagonism toward the reality of climate change, here’s the truth: there is no scientific debate about climate change. A 2016 analysis supported the often-cited statistic that 97 percent of scientists, experts in their fields, agree that climate change is being sped up by human actions. In politics and big business, the reality of climate change means new regulations, policies that restrict actions, and adaptation. The fossil fuel industry seemingly has a vested interest in making sure none of that comes to pass.
Are there any potential solutions for climate change?
Though it may seem hopeless, we still have options. In your everyday life, try to minimize your own carbon footprint. The Nature Conservancy offers a free online calculator to show you how much carbon dioxide your everyday activities emit. Quick changes? Ride your bike or walk when you can. Carpool if a car is the only option, or use public transportation. Consider limiting consumption of red meat, or at least commit to meatless Mondays: about half of the greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture come from livestock, and the worst offender is beef production.
Most importantly, keep educating yourself on the subject, and get loud about it. NASA has a great website that compiles the evidence, causes, and effects with scientific evidence. If you want the government to know you’re serious about the climate, go and make your voice heard. If taking on the government seems like a lot to handle, start with your local or state representatives. Write to or call your congressperson, letting them know your opinion on the issue.
The Climate Disaster We Fear Is Already Happening
RUTH HOPKINS
April 22, 2019
A few weeks ago, I traveled through the Rosebud, Pine Ridge, and Cheyenne River Indian reservations in South Dakota, home to Tetonwan Lakota of the Oceti Sakowin, or Great Sioux Nation. It’s difficult to describe the widespread devastation I witnessed.
As I write this, I am snowed in on the Lake Traverse Reservation. This winter has been one for the record books, with unprecedented snowfall and powerful storms the Weather Channel calls “bomb cyclones” or “snow hurricanes.” This season the area has received the most snowfall on record. I’ve lived in the Northern Plains most of my life, so I’m not one to balk at a few snow drifts, or even a few days of 40 degrees below, with the wind-chill factor.
But this year is something else entirely—and the devastation on the abovementioned reservations was a result of snow, storm intensity, and frequency.
These storms, and the subsequent infrastructure disasters, have been hard on Native communities that are already impoverished and lacking infrastructure. Schools and roads have been closed for a week or more at a time. Snow drifts have been higher than the plow blades. After the snow starts to melt, areas already prone to flooding have nowhere for the water to go. I saw a number of roads that were under water and impassable; animals stranded on high ground; people stuck in their homes for weeks. Roadways, where flooding subsided, have been severely and permanently damaged. Some in need of medical care haven’t been able to get to the doctor. Several people have died; others were made homeless by the extreme weather events that have rocked this region.
On the Pine Ridge Reservation, people went without drinking water for weeks. They were only able to receive it, and food and supplies, via helicopter or horseback.
Farmers and ranchers from Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota have also been hit hard by this disaster and its effects. Millions of acres have gone under water, killing livestock.
This winter and spring, I’ve witnessed firsthand that climate change is real. Higher global surface temperatures raise the possibility of more droughts and more intense storms.
You don’t have to take my word for it—this deduction was drawn by the U.S. Geological Survey. But elders of Indigenous nations have been warning us about this for years.
In fact, a few years ago, Indigenous elders in Canada gathered to discuss climate change, its dire effects, and the desperate need to address it. As one who practices Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation) spirituality and observes my ancestral rites, rituals, and ceremonies, I’ve been present many times as medicine men have warned us of the destruction of Western civilization and life on this planet if we do not unite and address environmental ruin and climate change. As the planet warms, even ceremonies like the Sundance, one of the seven sacred rites of the Lakota wherein participants dance, offer flesh from our bodies, and pray from sunrise to sunset for four days without food or water, become more dangerous for us to complete. Yet we know we must because it is who we are, and it’s our way of maintaining universal harmony.
Our understanding—firsthand or otherwise—is backed by world-renowned climate scientists, who now persistently remind us what’s at stake. A report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was released last fall, warned that we must act to stop the planet from warming more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in the next twelve years or humanity will face historic heat waves, droughts, and floods, and hundreds of millions of people will be plunged into poverty.
Some point to evidence that shows it’s already too late to stop global devastation, and that if we act immediately and aggressively, the best we can do is prepare ourselves to survive.
We appear to be headed for a 3-degree-Celsius increase. A study released in October concluded that the world’s oceans had absorbed 93 percent of warming caused by humans since the 1970s, and global warming is far more advanced than previously thought. To make it clearer: A 2-degree-Celsius rise in temperature would flood out dozens of the world’s coastal cities, cause massive heat waves, and leave half a billion people in a state ofwater scarcity; at a 3-degree increase, southern Europe would become overwhelmed by drought, and wildfires in the United States would increase sixfold; an increase of 4 degrees would see grain yields drop by half, quite likely leading to worldwide famine, war, and migration. A 5-or 6-degree rise in global temps might cause the extinction of most life on the Earth. According to the International Energy Agency, our remaining reliance on fossil fuels will guarantee a 6-degree increase in global temperature. Life could not survive it. There are already 150 to 200 plant, insect, bird, and mammal species going extinct every day.
Sounds apocalyptic, right? A little hard to digest? Look around you. We are already experiencing global disasters that are caused, or exacerbated by, climate change. And the recent disasters I described do not come as one isolated period of extreme examples. While our reservations were flooding, Mozambique was slammed by Cyclone Idai. Tens of thousands were displaced and more than 847 people were killed. Idai laid bare cities and created an eighty-mile-long inland sea.
Last week alone, wildfires sprang up on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. It’s not even fire season. And over the past few years, Montana has struggled with extensive wildfires. So has California; fifteen of its twenty largest fires have happened since 2000. Some scientists have said the increase is likely attributable to higher temperatures and drought; Southern California has seen a rise in temperature of about 3 degr
ees Fahrenheit over the past century. And an additional ten million acres of western forests have burned as a result of climate change.
This week, more than 118 million Americans are at risk from another wave of intense storms expected to produce powerful tornadoes and wreak havoc.
And since Hurricane Maria’s landfall, in September 2017, about three thousand people in Puerto Rico have lost their lives as a result of the damage it caused. Many experts point to the 2017 hurricane season to show that climate change is creating more powerful, deadly storms. Young people all over Mother Earth realize the urgency of this crisis. In March alone, millions have demanded action on climate change in more than two thousand protests in 125 countries. These global climate protests are ongoing and support the urgency Indigenous cultures have pressed upon this issue.
Here in the U.S., we face great opposition to action on climate change from our own government. President Donald Trump just signed an executive order that seeks to take away states’ rights to say no to fossil fuel projects, and he has routinely denied climate change while showing allegiance to oil and gas companies, removing our nation from the Paris Climate Agreement in August 2018.
Congressional leadership is attempting to address climate change through the Green New Deal, a largely youth-driven policy solution that would transfer the U.S. to 100 percent clean and renewable energy, and break the fossil fuel addiction that’s putting all life on the planet in peril. The reality we face is daunting, but surrender is not an option. Supporting these new initiatives in the street and at the ballot booth is crucial to salvaging any livable future we want for ourselves and generations to follow. We cannot build upon old, outdated policies that serve only the 1 percent while ignoring the reality of global disaster and mass extinction.