...community and care are central to [Vic’s] work — as an essential ingredient for radical change and solace when the weight of the problem grows too heavy.
As artist and youth activist Kaitlyn Quach once thought, “I’m just one person, I’m not rich, I’m not powerful. What could I possibly do against this? How much time do we even have left?” Channeling climate anxiety into action and finding community As the climate crisis reaches new heights, so has the climate movement. Young activists across the globe are bravely tapping into hope and turning their climate anxiety into climate action. And the commu- nity they have developed while fighting for their future has provided space for comfort when their worries become too much to bear alone.
Vic Barrett, a plaintiff in the landmark climate case Juliana v. The United States , has been a climate activ- ist for nearly half his life. He’s 24. For him, commu- nity and care are central to his work — as an essential
Above: Writer Mia DeFelice interviewed activist Vic Barrett earlier this year about how he combats climate anxiety. Read his interview at fwwat.ch/Vic . Right: Vic has a tattoo on his arm that says “370” — the parts per million of carbon in the atmosphere the year he was born. He says, “We were popped out onto an earth that was already unsustainable.” Photos by Ken Schles
ingredient for radical change and solace when the weight of the problem grows too heavy. He says, “The United States government is no joke, right? Feeling like one person looking at this massive institution can
Sharing stories as an act of community care Meanwhile, for Kaitlyn, activism has given their art a newfound purpose — to help people feel like there is hope, that amazing things are possible, even when you feel insignificant. They didn’t always feel this way. Thinking about the climate crisis used to paralyze them; then they read Greta Thun- berg’s No One is Too Small to Make a Difference . It inspired Kaitlyn to search for climate action opportunities, sign up for email alerts, go to rallies — and join Food & Water Watch. Their activism made them feel empowered — and they realized their own value in the process.
be hard sometimes. It taught me to lean into community — working with my neighbors, doing mutual aid, and paying attention to what feels close and tangible… I’ve met some of my closest friends doing this
“I’m just one person, I’m not rich, I’m not powerful. What could I possibly do against this? How much time do we even have left?”
Left: Activist and artist Kaitlyn Quach (flashing a thumbs up) at a picnic celebrating a climate victory with her fellow activists. Food & Water Watch writer Mia DeFelice recently sat down with them for a conversation about their activism journey. Read the interview at fwwat.ch/Kaitlyn .
work. And whether we were at a U.N. Climate Conference or an afterschool program, just having people to do it with is what keeps me doing the work, and spaces that hold a lot of love.”
Finding Community - continue on Page 3 >
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