The following is the transcript of a speech delivered by Earth Charter Indiana intern, Paige Hein, at the annual Renewable Energy Day at the Indiana Statehouse. In attendance were advocates and legislators. We re-print this speech with the permission of its author, Hein, a Senior at Washington Township High School in Valparaiso. Earth Charter Indiana is the parent organization for Youth Environmental Press Team.

My future is threatened by the impending climate crisis. No, not impending. The climate crisis is here, and how we approach our energy needs directly affects not only my future but every single person in this room. I am one of the many teens who are worried about the future of our planet and are fighting for justice. And even younger kids are a part of the fight too! At 17 years old, I’m actually the oldest director at the nonprofit I co-founded, called 4SEE.

I know, 17 is so old.

Because we teens foresee more deaths and disasters from climate change that largely rest on the decisions made by legislators and corporations. We at 4SEE empower fellow students to work in their communities to promote sustainability and equity, whether through hosting a workshop at the local library educating about DEI, or meeting with their school corporation to work on adding more plant-based meals in the school cafeteria.

But climate anxiety is real, and we, the kids fighting for our future, get burnt out. We’re also more isolated than ever, with a lack of third spaces and the rise of social media.

My generation requires more community-based activities, as we’ve developed into thinking that scrolling Instagram feeds is a proper way to get human interaction. And speaking of Instagram, our explore pages constantly bombard us with articles detailing the devastation worldwide, such as the death toll of the raging California wildfires. These wildfires are the perfect example of how if we don’t lower our greenhouse gas emissions, the earth’s weather patterns will become more extreme, and more deadly. We are in dire need of energy that doesn’t emit greenhouse gases and also brings people together. 

Our current systems of harnessing energy are a problem. According to the US Energy Information Administration, in 2023, renewable resources generated 14% of Indiana’s total in-state electricity. But what about the other 86%? Well when you look at how in 2023, Indiana was the nation’s second-largest coal consumer, the answer becomes clear. According to Climate Council.org, along with adding to greenhouse gas pollution, burning coal emits toxic and carcinogenic substances into our air, water, and land, severely affecting our health. Perhaps you already knew that, and you remember the ugly truth every day. Perhaps you knew it, but you’ve tried to forget for some peace of mind. And if you didn’t know it, like many of my classmates, I regret being the bearer of bad news.

I recently surveyed my high school classmates for a research assignment and 6% of respondents had never heard of climate change — strange — and 18% didn’t think that human actions have contributed to our warming planet. However, 77% still believed that humans should change their actions to curb climate change, including by governmental regulation. To reiterate, over three-quarters of students, even at a small, rural high school, demand action against climate catastrophe. 

So how can we both educate the population who is ignorant of these issues while also meeting the demands for societal change from the other side of the population that’s in the know? Community-based solutions. Community solar is a tangible project that kids can see out the car window as their parents drive past the development. While kids like me grow up with uncertainty about how many more millions of people are going to die from climate disasters and whether or not the Earth’s entire system will collapse, future kids could see a source of community strength on a regular basis. Through community solar, they can have a source of hope for a clean energy future that doesn’t threaten the health of our people and our planet.

This is the future we need.