On October 12th, dozens of high school students gathered in downtown San Diego’s Ruocco Park to demand that adults cast their ballot with the climate in mind. The event featured a one-hour rally consisting of youth speakers calling for action, followed by a march around the waterfront at Seaport Village. High schoolers came from “as far south as San Ysidro and as far north as Escondido,” explained SanDiego350 Youth Program Coordinator McGarrah Wilson.
Four students from La Jolla High’s Environmental Action club attended: Junior Kobi Schneider and Seniors Emma Weibel, Cristy Sierra, and Elena Grilli. Kobi and Elena each gave a speech, while Emma led chants during the march and talked to news organizations covering the event. In his speech, Kobi spoke about the environmental benefits of the county-wide transit initiative Measure G, while Elena gave a speech about the importance of local elections in enacting climate policy, explaining why voting for the climate remains important even in a solidly blue state.
The event was planned by Youth4Climate and its parent organization SanDiego350, a nonprofit founded in 2014 to combat climate change through civic engagement, protest, and community outreach. Abby Costello, the Youth4Climate team lead and a senior at Hilltop High, explained that a key objective of the march was to amplify youth voices, “The climate crisis poses the biggest threat to youth and our future, but we can’t vote in this election. We need adults to vote for candidates and policies that prioritize climate action and protect our futures.”
Emma Weibel, Senior
What were your thoughts on the event?: The event was such an empowering gathering of young people fighting for their rights.
Why did you participate?: We were working on a Vote for Climate campaign calling on adults to use their votes at every level to protect our future. This rally was really a culmination of this work and for me it was really important for us to come together to make our voices heard in a political climate that continues to overlook youth.
What’s 1 thing you want people to know about this/other comments: Even though this election did not go the way we hoped, we had a lot of wins for the climate, including the passing of Prop 4 in California which authorizes $10 billion in bonds for climate purposes.
Kobi Schneider, Junior
What were your thoughts on the event?: I felt empowered seeing dozens of youth from all over the city come together to demand climate justice from our government. It brought chills down my spine.
Why did you participate?: I participated in the event because climate change is the most important event in human history- if we don’t have our Earth, we have nothing. I wanted to use my privilege of free speech to raise my voice for good- specifically for pro-climate legislation such as measure G.
What’s 1 thing you want people to know about this/other comments: If passed, Measure G will raise money for public transportation, reducing emissions for private vehicles. I encourage every youth to take advantage of our incredible democracy to make their voices heard.
