By Greta Ahlefeld

Share:

In this piece, I tried to incorporate memories from my childhood with some of today’s environmental issues by comparing two alternate storylines– one of my memories growing up, and another displaying climate crises– over time.

I am nine years old, skipping along a pebbly beach, the ocean’s waves gently lapping against my feet. There is a breeze, cool enough to wipe away the heat of the summer day, and the beach seems almost alive with birds diving in and out of the water, crabs scuttling from rock to rock, and seaweed being carried in and out with each wave. I hop around the waves, making a game of seeing if they can catch me as I weave in between them. As I make my way along the shore, I notice something that seems foreign among the grays of the rocks and green-brown of the seaweed. Bending down to pick up the glint of material, I see that it is a small piece of glass that has been worn by the ocean until its edges have dulled. I hold it up to the sun, observing how it seems to glow when lit up from behind, then run off to go show it to my nearest family member before moving on to explore a tidepool.

• 2014: This January saw a major heat wave in Alaska, hosting record-breaking temperatures that reached up to 62°F (16.7°C). This has caused statewide cancellations of sled dog races due to lack of ice and melted snow; some have stated that it would be better to run marathons instead. Heatwaves and wildfires have also been prevalent throughout Australia, with players at the Australian Open being impacted by 109°F(43°C) temperatures in Melbourne. In the North American winter, temperatures dove significantly below average during what was dubbed the “Polar Vortex”, and California’s drought continues to worsen. All of these add up to yet another year of climate crisis, which scientists say we can’t afford many more of before irreparable damage is caused.

Now seventeen, I find myself walking along the same beach, marveling at how my life has changed since I stood here eight years ago. I look at the beach’s pebbles in the hopes of finding a new piece of sea glass, and a new color quickly catches my eye. Mirroring my actions from years before, I stoop over and unearth the fragment. Instead of glass, though, I notice that this is part of an old plastic container. Looking closer, I realize that this is not the only plastic I see on the beach, and in what used to be a pristine environment I cannot stop noticing pieces of washed-up garbage. Haunted by the thought of all of my favorite places in nature being swamped with waste, I collect all the plastic that my hands can hold and throw it in the nearest trash bin before returning home.

• 2022: With wildfires and drought raging throughout the western US and climate catastrophes touching every region of the world, the past few years have been among the worst recorded for climate change. Hurricane Ida, the Texas freeze, and heat waves across North America and Australia have only been a few of these costly, and often deadly, problems. The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) demonstrates that climate change’s effects will continue worsening without drastic changes in emissions. It is already clear that climate change-related problems will increase in the short-term, but unless immediate action is taken, it will continue escalating, disproportionately impacting the areas of the world that have fewer resources to deal with it.

Filled with a desire to rid the world of its plastic-covered beaches and resolve the problems caused by climate change, I decide to search for ways to make a difference. But after spending hours combing Google for articles about “Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint” and “How to Produce Less Waste”, looking at organizations to support, and finding activists to follow, I realize that my efforts seem futile compared to what is needed to achieve my goal. After all, I am just one person, and what can I do to stop a global crisis?

• Today: A large study, covering 10 countries around the world, has found strong evidence to suggest that climate change and its impacts often cause negative mental and emotional impacts on young people worldwide. Termed ‘eco-anxiety’, this phenomenon has been shown to reduce the quality of life of teens worldwide, with those in countries that have been hardest hit by climate catastrophes reporting the most anxiety, anger, and fear over the issue. Combined with a general feeling of powerlessness, climate change is causing a new source for worldwide mental health issues.

Over time, I learn I am not the only one who feels such a tangled web of emotions about this issue. I realize that, though substantial change needs to be made, if I work with others we can slowly start to solve an issue that has been around since before we were born. By moving quickly and demanding changes from our leaders, we can try to mitigate climate change’s effects. But unless immediate action is taken to solve these issues, the consequences of human impact are approaching quickly, and will undoubtedly cause problems for us all.