My greatest hope is the youth. They see the issue for what it is. They see it through this racial lens. They understand all the ways it's set to impa… - Yessenia Funes

For me, seeing energy and organizing from young people is incredibly motivating. I grew up feeling ambivalent to the world. I knew things were wrong, but I saw no way to change it beyond writing and reporting. The next generation can't afford such feelings of defeat. They're tackling the climate crisis from all angles, and it's so inspiring.

My fear is that we won't act quickly enough to leave a habitable world for the youth working so hard to save it. After all, it can't be all on them. They inherited this mess. The adults in the room created it.

Vote! What we need is systemic change, and that'll only happen if the right people are in office. So vote! Or if you can't vote, contribute to get-out-the-vote campaigns. Phone bank. Post to social media. Call your local representatives. Make change happen on a bigger level than yourself. Definitely do your part, too, but know that's not enough. Not at this point. The situation is too far gone to rely on individuals to clean this up. It's up to world leaders to enact policy that'll end fossil fuels for good and create a just, sustainable world for us all.