Young Voters Consider Climate Change Among the Nation’s Most Pressing Issues

Climate change is certainly one of the most hotly debated partisan issues of the year, and quite possibly the decade. People all over the political spectrum hold different opinions on the legitimacy of climate change, its effects on the environment and how it should be addressed, ranging from outright deniers that claim it’s an elaborate Chinese hoax to young women like Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old environmental activist from Sweden who visited the United States in September to deliver a simple yet direct message to Congress: “Wake up.”

Gina McCarthy, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Obama Administration, has recently taken up a new yet familiar role as the chief executive of the Natural Resources Defense Council to fight for stronger environmental protections and to address the issue of climate change. McCarthy’s call to action for American voters has been more than just a generalized statement— she has urged younger generations to make their voices be heard, and for elders to pause and listen to what is being said by the people who inherited a planet that is in dire need of saving.

“To me, climate change is one of the most important world issues of our time,” said Jenn Foster, a 23-year-old graduate of Bryant University. “If one day we don’t have an earth to live on, then no other issues could even exist, after all. If the President, or potential president of the world’s most powerful nation does not prioritize, or even believe in climate change, to me s/he is in no way fit to run this country, or any country at all.”

Foster isn’t alone in her beliefs— a 2018 Gallup poll showed that 70% of Americans ages 18-34 worry about global warming, with 51% of the same demographic holding the belief that global warming will pose a direct and serious threat during their lifetime. In contrast, only 29% of Americans aged 55 years and older believe that climate change will directly impact their lives.

“When I was a kid, we were always driving our parents crazy to get them to pay attention,” McCarthy said in a September 2019 interview with two young climate change activists on WBUR. “And I expect that you have the same journey. You’re trying to drive me and others of my age crazy — and you should, because we have to change our thinking.”

One part of McCarthy’s sentiments seems to be a common yet striking belief among young voters: that humans are running out of time to fix what has already been done, and the time for change is now.

“I think that we need to take somewhat drastic measures going forward in the movement to combat climate change, and the only way that will happen is if the President and more people in our government recognize that it is happening,” said 19-year-old Sofia Botti. Despite not considering herself a far-left voter, Botti says that for her, the ideal candidate will have a clear set of goals for combating climate change and remedying the damage that has already been done.

“In all honesty, climate change did not truly set in until I realized the increase and prevalence of the California fires and the fact that these fires have been happening for the past few years with barely any media attention,” explained Sade Adewunmi, a college student from California. Adewunmi feels that generations of Americans, specifically Gen Z, were put at a disadvantage by the lack of climate education in schools. “I realized that the climate crisis has been so incredibly underdiscussed, and that it was not just my high school science teachers that failed me, but also government officials, legislative bodies, and big business. Climate change is no longer an issue to be discussed based on fact or evidence, but rather a point for politicians to brush on in order to sway more voters or get a larger donation… We need more action.”

The challenge that McCarthy has proposed to young voters has quickly mobilized into a vast movement. Young voters are far more engaged with climate change activism than their Baby Boomer counterparts and consider eco-friendly platforms a priority in deciding who to vote for.

“The issue of climate change is pretty important seeing as we’re reaching a point of no return. While literally the rest of the world is working towards reversing what humans did, the U.S.— a leading world power— is just sitting on the sidelines,” said Julian Yeboah, a 22-year-old student at Northeastern. “But that’s not my main thought about a candidate. It’s more how they’ll address the wage gap, racial disparities in health care, continued social injustice towards people of color, and debt.”

Environmental activists have been mobilizing for years, but the Trump Administration’s adamant denial of science-based facts of climate change has heated up the debate across the nation. College students specifically seem to prioritize the issue of climate change higher than other demographics.

“For me, I think climate change is important to how we vote because it’s an issue that bleeds over into national issues, economical issues, international issues and so on,” said 21-year-old Northeastern student Eliana Tallarida. “When I go to vote for a candidate I think it’s equally important to consider their stance on climate change as it is important to consider their stance on any other issue. Without a stable climate, we don’t have a stable economy or society in general.”

The current political climate is so frazzled that, though a strong stance on combating climate change is something that young voters universally want, the issue itself has spawned a whole new debate about what to do next.

“Honestly, I think that it’s awful how contentious an issue this is – however, we’re getting to a point where at least the Democratic candidates all agree that something needs to be done about climate change, the only debate is as to what needs to be done,” said Casey Buttke, an active member of Northeastern’s Student Government Association. “Personally, I’m more focused on economic and social policy proposals because that’s what’s currently differentiating a lot of the democrats, but it would certainly turn me off of a candidate if they didn’t support strong legislation addressing the climate crisis.”

For Tammy Fay, a science teacher at Masconomet Regional High School, climate change is the most pressing issues our nation is facing, and even the slightest of missteps could be detrimental to our planet.

“One year of damage created by climate change will require many, many more to have any reversion,” Fay said. “Why is it other countries understand the need to take care of the earth and we continue to pillage? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want reversal of health care and inhumane immigration policies to occur either. I am angered by the reversal of policies that allow us to be good stewards of our home. What will our future kids inherit?”