This past Saturday, I attended a Social Justice Convention held at Boston College High School. I went with other students from the environmental youth group I participate in, the Catholic Climate Covenant. Three other students and I were able to be panelists at the event discussing advocacy work we do and the impact the Catholic Climate Covenant has had on our lives.

            In the morning, we had mass, and various speakers came including our mayor, Michelle Wu! It was so interesting and inspirational to hear her take on climate change and how our city should go about dealing and tackling the issue. Later that day, three other high schoolers in the program and I discussed our advocacy work whether that pertained to speaking up against plastic pollution, starting environmental clubs at school, or talking with foreign exchange students about the crisis. I found this experience very impactful and enlightening as it was so refreshing and encouraging to see such a large gathering of people opting to correct the mistakes we’ve made against the climate.

            It can be very depressing, seeing all the news about the terrible crisis surrounding us. While the horrifying statistics online and in books are undoubtedly reality, gatherings such as this and the movements I know are occurring across the country and globe give me hope. While our despair and worry can lead us to feel hopeless and prevent us from moving to action, this only defeats progress. Even though it can feel impossible at times, our anxiousness over the climate is exactly what leads us to action and success in keeping our planet safe.

Image: Bravo, Luca. “Body of water surrounded by pine trees during daytime photo.” Unsplash, 9 September 2016, https://unsplash.com/photos/body-of-water-surrounded-by-pine-trees-during-daytime-ESkw2ayO2As