How youth can influence the (Up)state of climate change

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This op-ed, written by the 2022 Mightier than the Sword contest winner Chloe Sandifer-Stech, was originally ran on June 29, 2022 in the Greenville Journal.

 

Fifty-one billion tons. A mind-boggling, incomprehensible, absolutely unfathomable amount.

That’s how much carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere annually from human activity. From agriculture to transportation, nearly every facet of daily life uses fossil fuels. These fossil fuels trap heat in our atmosphere, and as the climate warms, we lose forest acreage, ice sheets and biodiversity, all of which mitigate climate change in the first place.

The 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report states the world needs policies to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 to avoid a climate disaster. Adaptation plans are also needed to combat the imminent consequences of climate change. Young people in the Upstate have as great a responsibility as anyone to act on climate change in the next five years — and we have the tools to do so. Young people should consider these actions:

1. Petition South Carolina legislators

While climate change is a polarizing issue, advancing state legislation that addresses it is possible. For example, South Carolina legislators passed the Energy Freedom Act in 2019 in an effort to expand access to solar energy in the state, demonstrating what’s possible when climate change is framed in terms of economics. Young people in the Upstate need to petition Gov. Henry McMaster and state legislators to fund clean-energy research and further create policies to introduce low-carbon technologies into the market, emphasizing that doing so accelerates innovation, reduces consumer costs and creates well-paying jobs.

2. Get involved with local climate adaptation efforts

Last year, I researched Greenville’s sustainability plans for Furman University’s Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities, and I was encouraged to learn about the city’s environmental-protection efforts. The GVL2040 comprehensive plan includes goals to preserve 35% of Greenville’s remaining vacant land and prioritize the city’s green space. The newly opened Unity Park is a strong example of habitat restoration, reducing city floodwaters and increasing natural biodiversity of the area. The city of Greenville’s Green Ribbon Advisory Committee is working on a sustainability and climate action plan to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and protect natural resources. The draft plan is available for public comment online.

3. Reducing personal carbon emissions

I often hear concern about whether personal efforts can reduce climate-change effects. While one person cannot change the world’s dependency on fossil fuels, personal actions send signals to the market, which will need to adapt to meet demand. Consider:

  • Plant-based eating: Meat accounts for 57 percent of the GHGs emitted as a result of food production. Eating less meat not only reduces the emissions but also supports companies like Beyond Meat as they create sustainable meat alternatives.
  • Buying an electric vehicle: Electric vehicles emit drastically fewer GHGs than their gasoline-fueled counterparts. While young people might not have the capital to purchase an EV now, the market will respond to rising consumer demand and cause EVs to be more affordable and accessible in the future.
  • Reduce household emissions: Last year I lived in one of Furman’s eco-friendly cabins and saw firsthand how LED lightbulbs as well as energy-efficient window insulation and appliances can reduce emissions and costs.

Climate change will continue to affect everyone and require thoughtful, cooperative action. Personal actions have the power to bring about change on the collective level, putting pressure on both government and industry to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation policies.

Let’s take action to meet the challenges of today, so we may all share in the joys of tomorrow.

 

The Riley Institute’s Mightier than the Sword annual student op-ed contest engages Furman students and the broader community alike around critical issues. This year’s prompt — “How can young people advance climate action in the Upstate over the next five years?” — touches on issues that will be explored at StraightTalk 2022, “A New Climate Movement: Acting on Solutions that Work,” a three-part event presented by The Riley Institute and Furman’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

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