It is difficult not to notice that the January 2020 issue of Natural Awakenings Charlotte has a number of articles about climate change. Even before receiving several national articles on the subject, we had already planned an Environment Spotlight featuring interviews with Charlotte-area activists pushing for environmental protection. The point is, the precarious future of the planet is on a lot of people’s minds, and it’s interesting to read the perspectives of those who have advocated for action for decades, as well as those who are so young that we might not expect them to be concerned about world issues at all, let alone climate change. Yet when we adults are experiencing an increasingly erratic climate compared to our youth, it makes sense that today’s young people are envisioning an adult life very different than the one we know now—and not a good different either.

In the Environment Spotlight, both 18-year-old Ollie and 61-year-old Jerome express some hope about the future, but also discouragement that all their advocacy efforts haven’t translated into meaningful policy. Their hope is evidenced by the fact that they are still pushing for action. In the interview, they offer suggestions for how anyone of any age can help them in their efforts, and I can’t help but think that if we collectively adopt even a couple of those suggestions, the tide truly will change. I guess I’m still hopeful too.

Wishing you the start of a new decade of meaningful action addressing climate change,

Shannon