How to Overcome Climate Anxiety

Maine's youth co-authored legislation and got it passed!

By Kaelin Ferland

As environmental protections are rolled back, clean air regulations are repealed, and clean energy projects are canceled, youth are feeling increasingly anxious about our future. Climate anxiety can be paralyzing, especially for young people who believe their voices can’t make a difference. At Maine Youth for Climate Justice (MYCJ), we provide an outlet for youth to feel supported and heard, and opportunities to turn fear into action.

“Before I found MYCJ, I was passionate about addressing climate change, but I didn’t know where to channel my energy and felt very alone,” said MYCJ member Anna. “MYCJ became the perfect space to channel that energy, and enabled me to take collective action on issues that matter to young Mainers and our environment.”

Founded in 2019, MYCJ is a coalition of over 400 youth who fight for bold climate action, a just and clean energy transition, and a livable future in the state of Maine. MYCJ serves youth ages 14-30 who are interested in engaging at the local or state level on climate justice issues through legislative advocacy, community organizing, and educational programming.

Getting Involved

At MYCJ, we believe in youth voices, that young people have the power to create a more just and equitable world. Not only are youth growing up in a changing climate, but we’re also inheriting it and the decisions made about it. Because of this, youth have valuable perspectives that need to be amplified in decision-making spaces. We train youth to engage in the legislative process through youth Lobby Days at the State House, testimony writing workshops, educational webinars, and connecting with other youth activists. We strive to make legislative advocacy accessible for all youth and guide them through the legislative process.

“I’ve always been passionate about nature and protecting our planet,” MYCJ member Maya said, “but found it really intimidating to get involved in climate work. The State House seemed like a really intense place, but MYCJ helped it all feel less daunting. MYCJ has given me support and space to grow, and introduced me to a strong network of like-minded individuals.”

Working with State Legislators

Through our advocacy, we won seats for youth on the Maine Climate Council and worked to declare climate emergency declarations in five Maine towns. We wrote and successfully passed L.D. 99, a divestment bill requiring the Maine Public Employees Retirement System to divest from fossil fuels by 2026. L.D. 99 was the first bill of its kind in the country. In writing it, we worked with Representative Maggie O’Neil and a professor from College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor. We now lead the Divest Maine coalition, working towards full implementation of the law.

Other bills we’ve helped write include the Green Schools Network bill and Climate Superfund bill. We work on writing legislation with other nonprofits, community members, and activists with a range of expertise from both lived experience and technical knowledge. We also track similar legislation in other states and meet with those who helped pass or create other bills. From there, we take what we’ve learned and adapt it to Maine’s unique landscape.

Advocating and Educating

Once a proposed bill is finalized and awaiting a vote, that’s when we start advocating and educating. We distribute petitions, create social media posts and action alerts, and host testimony workshops. We encourage youth to testify at public hearings or call or email their legislators in support of our priority bills. We create talking points and phone and email scripts to make contacting their legislators as easy and stress-free as possible.

Every year, over 100 youth from across the state join us for Youth Day of Action at the State House, giving activists the opportunity to speak with their representatives about legislation they’re passionate about. We minimize barriers to attend by providing permission slips and covering transportation costs. Before lobbying, we give a brief lobbying lesson and distribute fact sheets and talking points. Legislators often express their excitement when seeing youth involved in the legislative process.

Building Relationships

In addition to bringing a youth voice to the State House, we also represent youth in several advocacy spaces, including the Nature Based Education Consortium, New England for Offshore Wind, Transportation for Maine, Wabanaki Alliance, Environmental Priorities Coalition, Mainers for Tax Fairness, and the Coalition on Racial Equity. With these partners we’ve worked to successfully advance several other pieces of bold climate legislation in Maine.

In Maine, the best way to create change is by building relationships and ensuring that people feel supported and that their voices matter. As organizers, it’s our job to make engagement as easy as possible—we aim to provide activists with all the tools they need. Developing and maintaining relationships with youth, educators, and other community leaders is the most important part of organizing. Maine is geographically a large state, but relationally it’s a small state.

It is critical that youth have a voice in climate policy and spaces where decisions are being made about our future. We need to break the stigma that youth voices are less important than adult voices. MYCJ will continue to stand up for young Mainers and ensure that our perspectives are centered in conversations about climate justice policy.

To learn more about our work or get involved, visit www.mycj.org or our Instagram, @maineyouthforclimate.