Breaking the Climate Silence
This blog post was written by Josie and Purva, two High School students who participated and performed in Climate Speaks 2020.
My name is Josie. I wrote this to tell you, the audience, about what it really means to be a climate communicator.
I remember my first workshop for Climate Speaks in March 2020. It was before COVID had become a reality. I was a few minutes early, and it was awkward enough standing there waiting for everyone to arrive. But once they did and everyone got settled, I remember how excited I was. Excited because Speaks was a blend of poetry and climate activism, two of my favorite things. My excitement grew as the workshop went on. It was focused mainly on climate change, one of the few subjects I could discuss for hours. But I was still completely unsure of myself at the time. I knew no one there, and I am not the sort of person who can walk into a room and start a conversation on a whim. So, I stayed quiet for a while, just absorbing everything. Then we were asked to stand up and talk to each other—have conversations. It was then that I realized what a special evening it was. Twenty or so high school students brought together by one gigantic common interest: climate change. All of us walked in wanting to make some sort of change, needing to have our voices heard. I’m sixteen, I have learned very little about the real world, and yet, I know a valuable secret: hearing other people’s experiences, and sharing your own experiences is communication at its core. I heard so many different stories during Climate Speaks. Stories from teenagers who live in different New York City boroughs, have different lifestyles, come from different places, and have different families and traditions. Each story broadened my mind. It’s so easy to think that you’re alone in the world because so rarely is there an opportunity to really get to know someone else’s perspective. Climate Speaks gave me so many different perspectives, ergo, so much to think about.
Josie’s performance begins at 42:26.
Opening night of Climate Speaks in July 2020, I felt like a new person. I found a creative outlet, with people who shared my passions and desire for change, and I was proclaiming my story to the world. Not to mention, I was helping to encourage others to proclaim their stories. It was terrifying and exhilarating to sit and perform, even on Zoom. But I would do it again in a second, and I encourage everyone to share their stories. In the end, we the youth are the future, and we know from history that a lack of storytelling and respect, sharing and listening, only ends in chaos. Individually, we choose to listen and share with respect. If we can do that, our future is brighter than ever.
My name is Purva. I wrote this to share my experience with the hope that readers can join me as climate communicators.
Reflecting on the experiences I had through Climate Speaks, it feels odd that I participated in the program entirely virtually. I formed a bond with climate writing, my peers, and the incredible Climate Museum mentors. It felt so real that it’s hard to believe I was looking at my computer screen throughout all the thought-provoking discussions, performance workshops, and writing sessions. My gratitude for this opportunity has no bound. As the only participant from New Jersey, the commute would have made me an unlikely participant. Climate Speaks merged my passions, helped me discover the intersection between writing and climate. As a youth climate activist, I organized climate ribbons and a walkout for the March 2019 climate strikes. I founded a chapter of Bye Bye Plastic Bags in New Jersey and now lead a team of over 25 environmental advocates. Though I was organizing and hosting events, planning state-wide policy actions, and communicating environmental issues and solutions to educate youth, there was a piece missing from my activism. Speaks helped me find that element by supporting me on a journey to connect my love of writing to climate action.
The experience helped me gain confidence in writing and performing, but it also showed me that my interests had the potential to coexist. Poetry provides an outlet for me to express my thoughts. Through my performance, I was able to channel climate anxiety into tangible action. From the pure relief and joy that climate writing gave me, I also learned how much concern was building up within me. I was able to voice my thoughts, share my experiences, and urge others to take action while showing grief for the state of our planet. Stress that I was never even aware of became transformed into a call for action. It relieved so much pressure to be in a space welcoming open dialogue on climate. As a student, these conversations are rare and often non-existent in our schools, even though so many young people are concerned about the climate crisis. This program taught me what is possible when everyone is enthusiastic about speaking up and sharing climate stories. These conversations bring people together to fight for a just future.
Purva’s performance begins at 52:48.
I never before could have imagined that performing on Zoom, staring into the circle at the top of my laptop, could be such a pivotal experience. Though I wasn’t able to see my audience, I knew there were encouraging people on the other end that were listening to my story and energized by my message. As I watched my peers perform their works, I was stunned by their words. I recognized how deep and personal their stories were, yet I could resonate with their frustration, hope, fear, and anger. I was moved by the performances of my peers because it was a reminder of what we were all there for: to build connections with one another and inspire action on the climate crisis. It made me believe anything is possible in a community that isopen to express themselves and eager to listen. Real change was unfolding before my eyes. I realized how far our stories and artistic expression go to mobilize people for change.
Let’s Talk Climate: Why Climate Communication is Key to Action
The hardest part about communicating is finding a starting place. After all, there are about 7.8 billion people on earth, each with our own perspectives and opinions. That is why we cannot just spout facts when trying to communicate about climate change. We learned from years of living with siblings that not everyone will appreciate being preached to. We learned from years of living in a society that claims protecting the planet will hinder the progress that we need to go beyond statistical analysis to spark dialogue. We have to rethink the role of the earth in our lives. Storytelling makes this change in perception possible by helping people feel the connections between themselves and the natural world. The climate crisis necessitates an emotional response because our feelings are a part of who we are. It is time we listen to them.
Climate Speaks 2020 workshop. Photo: Sari Goodfriend
Most importantly, we must only speak for ourselves, and never make assumptions about anyone else’s story. Personal experiences are what inspire individuals to rise up. That was the power of Climate Speaks. Anyone can find information with a Google search, but not everyone can make the connection between the facts and their own lives. For those of us who participated in Speaks, our goal was to help others see themselves in us so that they would feel inspired to act. But this power of storytelling didn’t only work externally. Within Climate Speaks, in the words of our peers, we found so many anecdotes and experiences that we could relate to. That association gave us a better sense of what was being said, and what we needed to say.
The goal of climate communications, to us at least, is to help others empathize with the climate crisis by sharing a story that they connect with. Most Gen-zers empathize with each other because we all have such similar experiences. These experiences could be as basic as trading silly bands in elementary school to growing up with constant school shootings. That could apply to any age group. There are some things—traits, childhoods, popular culture—that people of a certain age all share, and one of those could be the bond that ends up creating change. All communities have something in common, whether it be a common interest, a common lifestyle, or a common threat. Your story may just be the ground upon which we create intergenerational cooperation. Your voice may just be the motivation needed for someone hesitant to finally take action.
Climate Speaks 2020 workshop. Photo: Samantha Ramsahai
To engage in dialogue on climate though, we surprisingly don’t have to go out of our way. As we begin to unpack the complex web of climate injustice, we see how vastly intersectional the climate crisis is. It affects nearly every aspect of our lives: public health, the economy, food, and water systems, and so much more. Communities across the world are facing exacerbated pollution, extreme weather, and displacement from their homes by the climate crisis. That is why storytelling is needed, and why our real-life experiences hold a profound power. Stories bring us to listen and empathize with one another. They open us to ask questions and rethink our choices. They provide us with moral clarity and hold the weight of urgency by showing us what is at stake. Because we are human, we can’t leave our hearts out of the movement. Speak up, and share your story too. It is a beautiful surprise to realize that many people want to listen to you.
Together, let’s break the climate silence.
Resources and Organizations
Become a climate ambassador! You can carry the Climate Museum’s Climate Ambassador Card with you anywhere as a tool to begin and sustain climate conversations!
Want your voice to be heard but aren’t of voting age yet? You can now with Climate Art For Congress!
Students—interested in spreading sustainability in DOE Schools? Here is an application for the Office of Sustainability’s Youth Leadership Council: YLC 2020-21 Application
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please send us an email! Our emails are: josie@spainbenton.com and purva.reddy@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!