Good afternoon,
Happy Earth Day everyone! My name is Loreley Godfrey from Portsmouth and I use she/her pronouns. Thank you to everyone for being here today to participate in this rally.
Everyone here today is here because they care about our planet. I know at 17 years old I am overwhelmed with how much there is to do and how little it seems I can change, especially since the climate crisis is a time-sensitive issue. It cannot be another item on a to-do list, carelessly put off until another day. But that is how it is being treated.
The time we have left to mitigate the impacts of our climate crisis is ticking down – so I want to descend down four, three, two, and one things you can do to turn your passion into action.
FOUR: Starting with FOUR, our organization Seacoast Students for Sustainability is sometimes abbreviated with the number “4.” It stands for the following four tenets: local, active, peaceful, and powerful.
Youth action doesn’t always have to be a public debacle – sometimes it’s the smallest actions that make the biggest difference. It can be just as small or just as big as you make it. If you’re local, active, peaceful, and powerful, you will always make a difference for the better.
If you’re looking to make a difference, those four words can guide you. This could be joining an eco club or picking up trash while walking your dog. Start composting at home or grow some of your own vegetables. These are easy, everyday actions that have a net positive impact on our planet.
Youth action doesn’t always have to be a public debacle – sometimes it’s the smallest actions that make the biggest difference. It can be just as small or just as big as you make it. If you’re local, active, peaceful, and powerful, you will always make a difference for the better.
THREE: Descending down to THREE, you can apply those four values by (1) writing a letter to your newspaper’s editor with your thoughts, (2) calling or emailing your state legislators to tell them what they should be writing laws about, or (3) taking charge yourself by volunteering at a local food pantry, garden, or eco club.
All of these opportunities can be found with a Google search if you take the initiative.
TWO: Moving from FOUR and THREE down to TWO – Next, TWO: stay educated and stay involved.
Many of us here are students. We are constantly learning about all the daunting responsibilities to be left on our shoulders, but we’re also learning about their potential solutions. By staying educated, you are participating in a civic duty that will better shape our future because you can transform that knowledge into action.
Read the news, keep up to date with your friends, and you will know how and when to help. You’ll learn about those ways you can stay involved, like signing petitions or speaking at a public hearing. If you stay educated, you will stay involved and if you stay involved, you will stay educated.
ONE: And finally, four three two ONE – you are here today.
There are many different types of activists – sometimes they actually hinder a movement and others are just passive. But by showing up today, you are advocating for yourself and future generations.
You are letting others know what the world you want to see in fifty years looks like and that you’re willing to fight for it. Especially as youth, our collective action can inspire the change we want to see.
Today, you are making an impact and I am grateful to everyone here today for that drive. As the climate crisis progresses, please consider 4-3-2-1 to make small changes in your life for the better.
Thank you!