Events

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They unveiled

17 Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs that outlined the most pressing matters developed and developing countries need to address to move into a peaceful, prosperous future. 

Goal 5 is to '"Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls." At the current -- as of 2022 -- rate, it will take 300 years to end child marriage, 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and overturn discriminatory laws, and 140 years to achieve equal representation in politics, the workplace, and leadership positions. 

How can abortion rights segue to climate change?

Only 13 countries have a 50% or more of Cabinet Minister positions in leading policy areas. Due to gaps in representation and equality, women, especially those in rural communities; low-income households; and developing countries, will be disproportionately affected by climate change. In regions where women are primarily the caretakers and gatherers of their family's food and water, climate change will continue to alter their ability to provide for their families. 

The extreme swings in crop production due to prolonged droughts and other severe weather events will cause access to food (whether due to cost or availability) to drop. Additionally, access to water will become more difficult. Climate change will extend the lengths necessary for women to provide fresh water for their families as conservation orders and the increased distance to travel for water will make life even more arduous. All these factors make it essential that women have access to reproductive healthcare, contraception, and abortion as the decision to have children in our changing world becomes increasingly difficult. 

What is the connection between abortion, a Texas gubernatorial race, and climate change?

The overturning of Roe v. Wade and the nearly half a century of women’s rights progress caused a major push for women to get out and vote. Women of color are disproportionately impacted by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Black women are four times more likely to have abortions than white women, due to disparities in healthcare and coverage. O’Rourke held this rally just two days after the landmark Supreme Court decision in Jackson v. Dobbs to overturn Roe v. Wade. He affirmed his commitment to repeal bans limiting access to abortion care. In exit polls for the later 2022 Midterm elections, O’Rourke, despite losing the Texas gubernatorial race, had record-high support from women and young voters. Among voters, 48% were women; 90% of black women and 62% of Latina women voted for O’Rourke in 2022. Also, 67% of voters aged 18-24, 61% of voters aged 25-29, and 50% of voters aged 30-39, voted for O’Rourke, adding to the upward trend in youth-voter turnout since 2014. In Texas, 50-60% of abortions performed in the state from 2008-2021 were on patients between the ages of 20-29 years old and were highest among black and Latina Texans. Whereas for the U.S. as a whole, 29% of all abortions are performed on patients between the ages of 25-29 years old and were highest among black and white patients.

O’Rourke stated that he planned to create 1.1 million high-paying jobs in clean energy to help facilitate Texas’ transition away from fossil fuels. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s latest report (2021), Texas leads the nation in producing carbon emissions. The 2021 report states that Texas alone produced 623 million metric tons of Carbon Dioxide, making up 13.5% of the United States’ total emissions for that year. In 2022, Texas also produced 42.5% of the United States crude oil, roughly 1.8 billion barrels. The U.S. also leads the world in production of crude oil at 14.7%, meaning Texas produces an estimated 6.3% of the world’s crude oil. 

There is a direct correlation between the increased number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and the climate crisis. The effects of climate change are felt firsthand in Texas through its southern border. Every year, millions of migrants flee their native countries in Central America. In 2022, 2.2 million migrants crossed the United States' southern border illegally. Increasingly, climate change is to blame. Devastating droughts in Mexico, increasing frequency of hurricanes in Honduras, and crippling food insecurity in Guatemala are examples of the impacts of climate change. In the past, climate-related migration would take place almost exclusively within countries. However, due to the increasing intensity of climate-related phenomena, stability within countries has been decreasing, forcing people to migrate from their home countries and to nations, such as the United States. The problem will only get worse. If the climate crisis remains unattended, the White House estimates that 216 million people will migrate within their countries due to Climate Change by 2050, further exacerbating the number of climate refugees at the southern border. 

While this event was poorly organized and, as a result, reached a smaller audience than intended, it serves as an example of the power of local activists coming together to support an issue, as well as the sway of youth voices. Some of the speaker topics included: land acknowledgement, indigenous knowledge, the intersectionality between colonialism and climate change, and youth activism and engagement.  

This event showcased the collaborative efforts of youth organizations in conjunction with local environmental groups to educate participants in the ways people can generate change in their communities. This is relevant at a time when people feel their voices are unheard. The ability to come together to fight for progress is a vital skill.

What can I gain from this experience?

Attending this event sparked a sense of leadership, seeing how poorly organized. I recognized what could have been done differently and how I could make a difference with my contribution. 

How did the 2022 Midterm Elections prove important for the progress of combatting climate change in America?

The 2022 Midterm elections proved to be a pivotal race for the nation’s progress in combating the climate crisis. Several key races were decided that determined the course of climate policy in the United States. With Democrats managing to maintain their Senate majority and Republicans holding only a narrow lead in the House of Representatives, the projected “red wave” by the nation’s Republican party fizzled This ensured that President Biden’s landmark Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) would be fully implemented, despite Republican threats to halt its progress or overturn the law altogether.

The Inflation Reduction Act incentivizes the use of wind and solar power, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient home improvements with $370 billion in tax incentives. If implemented, the IRA would allow the U.S. to cut its carbon emissions 40% by 2030 and would be backed by law.

However, the narrow Republican majority in the House means that a key promise of the Biden administration on climate change will remain undelivered. Biden promised that the United States would provide $11.4 billion to poorer and developing nations affected by the consequences of Climate Change annually by 2024. 

In the midterms, the League of Conservation Voters spent $100 million to elect pro-climate candidates to local, state, and federal offices. Many Democratic candidates now openly discuss the possibilities of renewable energy in their home states, due to the increasing popularity of renewable energy and its associated job opportunities. 

However, the 2022 midterm election also presents a unique historical change in midterm results. The President’s party has traditionally lost an average of more than two dozen House and four Senate seats in midterm elections since World War II. This trend in history served as reinforcement for the Republican “red wave” prediction, but due to the record turnout of Gen Z voters in the 2022 midterms, the projected Republican gains fizzled with 31% of voters aged 30 or younger (the third highest youth turnout in the past 50 years). Conservative predictions were overturned, cementing Democratic control of the Senate and a narrow Republican hold on the House of Representatives. Despite these large gains and minor setbacks, the 2022 Midterm election shows the nuance of power and privilege that goes on behind the scenes of our nation’s politics and the growing importance of climate change in politics.

What are the benefits and disadvantages of collaborative events?

While the Climate Future Forum presented an opportunity for youth from across the island to gather and engage, the event ultimately displayed the privilege of those in attendance. Primarily private-school students attended. Students from private schools may have a disproportionate financial advantage, as well as a larger knowledge base than their public school peers. By having a majority of private school students in attendance, the forum heard only from one specific group of students.

The forum itself covered a wide array of topics, issues, and proposed solutions for food insecurity, sea level rise, and clean energy. While the collaboration at the forum was impressive and laid the groundwork for future participation, it is also evident that there is a lot of work to do to ensure Hawaii youth are active, engaged, and educated in our political systems in order to foster responsible civically-minded leaders of tomorrow.

In speaking with the Cooperation Ireland Delegation, I not only had the opportunity to make global connections that will last a lifetime, but explore the similarities and differences and the ties that bind us together as islands. 

In looking at ways Hawai’i may change in the future through the “Rediscovering Hawaii's Soul” we were able to see the changes that need to be made to create a more sustainable and innovative future. By talking with the Cooperation Ireland delegation, we looked at how Hawaii may create a common sense of identity among people in Hawaii through how we view a sense of home. 

We realized that it is more important to have a common love for a place and its culture than an exclusive focus on race and ethnic background, and that for Hawaii to transcend its current place in the world, it will take a common inclusiveness to achieve a better future and we, as a society, will need to let go of certain habits we cling to now. 

In addition to looking at the many problems that face Hawaii, we looked at the issues facing our world as well. In a lunch discussion hosted by our Director of Sustainability, Dr. Millikan, during the delegation’s campus visit, we discussed the ways in which climate change is rapidly affecting our islands.

How can learning from new perspectives change our own understanding?

By learning and hearing from a perspective that differs from our own, we can better understand our own. Listening to new perspectives helps to eliminate a feeling of superiority surrounding a specific set of ideas and helps us to see that there is no single right way to look at an issue but rather a multitude that provides a different way of thinking. 

What are the benefits and disadvantages of collaborative events?

While the Hawaii Children and Youth Summit presented another opportunity for youths, legislators, and community organizers to gather in a common space and discuss the pressing issues facing Hawaii, the event and its breakout topic groups had a lack of organization and leadership that ultimately led to a lack of progress and connection between participants. The breakout topic groups covered a number of issues including: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Safety & Crisis Management, Homelessness & Housing Issues, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, Education,  and Environment. 

The breakout topic groups presented an opportunity for a youth-led discussion that was squandered. The youth in charge of the groups were overwhelmed by the number of participants in each breakout topic group. The accomplishments fell short due to poor organization and leadership. There is still a lot of work to pursue to ensure that these events are fully utilized. 

What can I gain from this experience?

I glimpsed the creativity and dedication of our younger generations in generating solutions to our most pressing social-justice causes.