Young people are increasingly at the forefront of climate change activism.
According to a study in The Lancet, around 70% of people ages 16-25 are extremely worried or very worried about the climate.
And in Maine, that commitment to acting on climate change was on display at two events this month.
In Augusta, at least 100 high school students from across the state spilled out on a plaza behind the statehouse for a rally last week. The students waved signs and chanted slogans like "no more coal, no more oil, leave our carbon in the soil."
The Day of Action organized by Maine Youth for Climate Justice was a chance to mobilize some of the state's youngest activists. And bring their priorities to the lawmakers that represent them.
Twelve year old Charlotte Griset from Brunswick was pushing for Maine Green Schools, a bill aimed at increasing sustainability and environmental education in classrooms.
"I think that it's really important, especially to get more climate education in our schools, so that we can learn more, because to make change and to be educated is the first step," Griset said.
It's events like the day of action that keep Maya Kelly, a high school senior from Farmington, linked to a diverse activist community.
"I saw quite a few familiar faces, which was great to reconnect. And it鈥檚 just really energizing to be in a crowd with other people who feel very strongly about the same issue," Kelly said.
New political challenges, including the Trump administration's hostility to some clean energy and climate policy only make it more important to work on an issue that touches every aspect of Mainers' lives, Kelly added.
"I think for me, what's helped me the past few months, especially as our political climate has gotten more intense, is trying to think of the climate crisis as an opportunity to really push for societal and structural change," Kelly said.
Bills pushed by students during lobbying forays in the State House include measures to remove toxic PFAS from the environment, expand mass transit and force fossil fuel companies to pay for storm damage.
There was an even bigger turnout in early April when 300 high schoolers joined their teachers, students from the University of Maine and members of the Maine Climate Council for a day of speakers and workshops. At one panel, students compared notes on how to recruit new members into their clubs.
"I think that it can be really tempting to start from a place of fear, and be like, 鈥極h, everything's really bad, like, we need to fix things, there's so many problems.鈥� And I don't think that that draws people in,鈥� said Raya Leuhman, a junior at Camden Hills High School.
Leuhman is a member of an environmental club called The WindPlanners. The club recently started a compost program in the school cafeteria. She said starting small can be an effective way to attract interest.
鈥淵ou just kind of say, 鈥楬ey, you want to come to this event with me?鈥� And then you get your friends to come, and they tell their friends and spread the word-of-mouth that way,'鈥� Leuhman added.
Still, she and many of the other youth leaders routinely fight off feeling discouraged, and even hopeless.
鈥淚 think it's easy, especially under this new administration, with protesters being arrested and funding being cut for environmental projects, I think it's really easy to get frustrated and get overwhelmed, and it's easy to withdraw,鈥� said Quin Robinson a senior at Central High School in Corinth.
Robinson runs an aquaponic garden at this school, which he uses to educate the younger students about plant life and nutrient cycling. It's another example of a seemingly small project that can have a big impact if you stick with it, he said.
鈥淚 think it's really important to be persistent, and be stubborn, and not get discouraged.鈥�
Bay Nadeau, a senior from Searsport, said events like the climate summit help keep him inspired.
"There's so much passion in this area around trying to help make our planet a better place for all, and trying to preserve a greener, cleaner future."
And that, combined with the number of students who keep showing up, gives him hope, Nadeau said.
