‘IN This Together’ Gathering Highlights Youth Concerns
This story was assigned by YEPT Directors.
Empowerment and the importance of elevating young voices were the two main concepts that shaped Confront the Climate Crisis’s “IN This Together” event, held Jan. 16, 2024. At the Indiana Statehouse, politicians, students, and citizens gathered in unity to advocate for climate justice legislation. They walked away with common goals and increased incentive to advance the Hoosier state’s environmental affairs over the next several months.
“Seeing everyone in this climate community in Indiana coming together, fighting for the same thing, is just so inspiring and amazing. I feel really empowered being surrounded by so many youth that are all here for the same issue,” said Ashlyn Walker, who helped lead the effort.
For the past three years, student-run organization Confront the Climate Crisis, or CtCC, has facilitated statehouse events to garner support from the community and apply direct pressure to the Indiana government. (For more on what they’ve done, see YEPT’s past article Indiana Youth And Environmental Policy.) This year’s session was momentous because it displayed the effects of the team’s hard work since their inception.
CtCC co-directors Rahul Durai and Ashlyn Walker give an introduction speech to kick off the IN This Together event.
Last fall, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) joined the EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Program and announced plans to develop both a Priority Climate Action Plan (P-CAP) and Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (C-CAP). These plans will take legislative initiative on addressing and acting on the state’s climate conditions.
“The past two years when we’ve had a statehouse event, we’ve been pushing for our own legislation that would establish a statewide climate task force,” Ashlyn Walker, a senior at Carmel High School, said. “This year because of [IDEM] developing a statewide climate action plan, that’s replaced our need for the Task Force…Now we can really put all of our effort, time, and energy into these other bills that we’re deeming really important.”
On a snowy morning, Jan. 16, CtCC members headed to the 4th floor South Atrium of the Statehouse. The lineup of speakers that filled the next two hours represented a variety of careers and interests, from legislators to students and activists, even elementary, middle school, and high school teachers. Those in attendance made up a diverse crowd of all ages, starting with elementary school students.
Chris Chyung of Indiana Conservation Voters addresses those gathered at the rally. Chyung formerly served on the Indiana General Assembly as their youngest legislator.
Numerous legislators, for example Representative Carey Hamilton and Senator Fady Qaddoura, spoke about key bills in the works this session, including favorable ones to support and the harmful ones to oppose. Additionally, they stressed the urgency of environmental action and assured the validity of youth voices. Interest groups also contributed their time, including the Hoosier Environmental Council, Citizens Climate Lobby, and Indiana Conservation Voters. They spoke to the importance of citizen involvement in the fates of the bills presented by lawmakers.
Representative Chris Campbell’s words included striking statistics: of all fifty states, Indiana ranks second worst in pollution, according to the U.S. News & World Report. “It’s time to stop putting the wants and needs of manufacturers over the well-being of Hoosiers. We must put green over greed,” said Campbell.
But it was not just the climate experts that spoke. Sophia Longest, a teacher at Purdue Polytechnic High School, identified the people skills at the heart of this issue: Unclench your fists so you can open yourself to opposing viewpoints, she told her students, who had encouraged her to give a speech at the event. The closed-fist metaphor emphasizes how a defensive mentality inhibits the development of an open mind and the likeliness for compromise. Longest even referenced how she herself was enlightened by students like Raina Maiga and Rahul Durai, who helped her widen her perspective and realize how much more she can do to preserve the planet. [Disclosure: Maiga is a Director of Youth Environmental Press Team.]
And Lucy Ansell, an eighth grader at the School for Community Learning, provided a testament to how the arts intersect with climate activism. The original play Dreamland, presented by the REACT Theatre group, tells a story of youth concern and hope when it comes to the climate crisis. Unencumbered by her age, Ansell left everyone buzzing about her strong voice and passion for the issue. See more on Dreamland, below.
“I was nervous, but I also sort of had the feeling that this is what I was meant to do, merging theater and talking about social justice. You feel nervous but you feel alive at the same time,” Ansell said after.
Eighth grader Lucy Ansell drives home a poignant message about the burdens placed on young shoulders and what has given her hope.
The words of Lucy and all the other speakers encapsulate a universal reason to join the fight against the climate crisis. Regardless of age or background, everyone will be faced with a call to advocacy—the only hard part is taking the next step towards involvement.
Climate change is not a singular issue, but impacts multiple layers of society within the state and across the globe. This is evident through the amount of attention and legislative action it has garnered the past decade. Although the issue may appear daunting, activists like Lucy are released from the negative consequences of remaining still and impartial. Having a sense and a place in the community is important, because the impact is not just for yourself, but for the future. As Carmel High School student Ella Lipnik said, “There are no consequences when speaking for a good cause such as climate advocacy.”
When the speeches ended, many attendees stuck around to greet one another and discuss their viewpoints, joined together by a common goal. The current legislative session will be a critical one, both for developing a more climate-conscious state and fighting back against actions with potential devastating outcomes.
So what can you do?
“IN This Together” publicized the most recent and significant activity happening with Indiana’s environmental affairs. As Citizens Climate Lobby representative Jim Grimes said at the event, “Members of the General Assembly are ultimately accountable to us, the citizens of Indiana, because we have the power of the vote. Businesses do not.”
Authored by Rep. Alan Morrison. This bill will further loosen restrictions on protections for wetland ecosystems, including further changing the guidelines for what qualifies as a Class III (most valuable and strictly protected type) of wetland.
For more information on wetlands and all the important points that have led up to this session, see YEPT’s past article Deregulating Indiana's Wetlands.
HB1383 has passed through both the Indiana House and the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee by a 7-2 vote. Despite its passing, during the over 3 hour-long hearing crucial oppositional standpoints were fortified through the testimonies of CtCC members and many others HB 1383 Hearing Wednesday, Jan. 31. It is set to be read once again by the entire Indiana Senate, and potentially voted into law, on Tuesday, February 6.
Contact your legislator by phone or email, and sign this petition to oppose HB1383.
Authored by Rep. Carey Hamilton and co-authored by Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn, both of whom spoke at “IN This Together.” This bill seeks to create a committee to analyze and report on the effects of climate change in Indiana.
HB1172 has been referred to the House Environmental Affairs Committee but no hearing date has been set.
Contact your legislator by phone or email to show support for HB1172.
Also authored by Rep. Carey Hamilton and co-authored by Rep. Sue Errington, both of whom spoke at “IN This Together.” This bill outlines fair standards for a community solar program.
HB1193 has been referred to the House Utilities, Energy and Telecommunications Committee but no hearing date has been set. Contact your legislator by phone or email to show support for HB1193.
Dreamland
See Lucy Ansell and her castmates perform in Dreamland, a play about young people facing the climate crisis. The show premieres on Friday, March 1. Click here for more information, and to find out how you can bring Dreamland to your local schools.
IDEM’s Climate Action Plans
Stay up to date on the Climate Pollution Reduction Program. IDEM’s website has all the details on this major project, including timelines, citizen resources, and information about both past and upcoming public meetings.
There is a public meeting taking place on Thursday, February 8 in Evansville. Anyone is welcome to attend.
Stay up to date on all relevant climate action and find out how you can help by visiting the Hoosier Environmental Council's website and the Indiana General Assembly 2024 Session.
