California’s young voters must participate if we want a livable climate future

Lea esta nota de opinión en Español

As a young Californian, I’ve already witnessed firsthand the rapid and dreadful environmental changes unfolding around us.

From wildfires and floods to rising sea levels and scorching temperatures, it’s clear the home we love is in danger. I’m deeply concerned about the future of our planet, and I plan to cast my first vote in support of candidates and policies that support a livable earth. 

This election year it is more crucial than ever for voters to actively support candidates committed to using their leadership positions to protect our imperiled planet. This is a central reason that I am a registered voter: I believe in doing the most in my power as a citizen to make change happen. 

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, only 18% of people ages 18-34 are registered and likely voters. As a part of this younger generation, I hope to encourage the people around me to use this opportunity for their voices to be heard and acknowledge that their votes are essential to our future. 

My generation must unite and use our collective voices to spotlight the fundamental need for decisive action to prevent further irreversible harm to our planet from human-caused climate change. 

I fear for my future and the future of our children and grandchildren. What will this world look like for them? What will it look like during my own life? If my vote can make a difference in that outcome, then I will use it to make the most of my power, as every young voter should.

Supporting a candidate running for office, whether for the country, your state or your local area, means supporting what they support, including solutions they propose to safeguard our home against the perils of climate change. 

Protecting ecosystems that serve as carbon sinks — while simultaneously curbing emissions of additional carbon into our atmosphere to sustain a livable future environment — is a priority concern of mine. Restoring and preserving natural ecosystems with a focus on wetlands is paramount, and deserves robust support from policymakers and candidates alike.

“Wetland protections are now more important than ever at the state level after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Sackett v. EPA, which effectively shrunk the jurisdiction of federal wetlands protected by the Clean Water Act at least in half,” said Jennifer Marlow, an assistant professor of environmental law at Cal Poly Humboldt. 

Without federal protections, it is our responsibility as voters to elect public officials in California who understand the importance of wetlands as carbon sinks, as well as their role in protecting our communities from flooding events. 

This must be done in both local and state elections where our voices matter the most. 

Lowering carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere is another important factor in reducing climate impacts to the state. Young voters should support candidates running for office who prioritize funding for research and development of non-fossil fuel and carbon neutral renewable energy infrastructure that can supply all of California’s energy needs. 

Voters should also support candidates that have a clear goal of phasing out fossil fuel extraction and usage within the decade. Our state needs to achieve carbon neutrality — and currently, carbon is released at dangerously high rates. 

“California sued Big Oil recently, but our state must also stop approving new oil and gas permits,” Marlow told me. “Candidates should support renewed rule-making for regulations that require setbacks — no oil drilling within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, hospitals and other sensitive sites should be permitted.”

However we address climate change because the rest of the world is watching. Young voters, especially in California, must serve as role models by voting on how we handle climate policies. If enough young voters make their voices heard, we will collectively set nationwide trends and California will take a leadership role in how we handle the climate crisis.  

This starts with supporting candidates who will address climate change without hesitation. Bold and decisive action from our political leaders will ensure California becomes a safe and sustainable home for me and other generations whose future relies on it.

It starts with the vote of young Californians like me.