We are often told “your voice matters,” but many wonder just how much good one teenage voice can do. Well, despite only being 16, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has made her voice heard around the world. Thunberg shot to fame with her ‘Fridays for Future’ Movement, where students boycott school each Friday to draw attention to the Climate Crisis. It quickly spread far beyond her native Sweden, and students globally have joined their voices with hers. Many feel they must act before it is too late.

This past summer, the world watched in horror as the fires in the Amazon burned one of the world’s most beautiful ecosystems. Many were stunned as Hurricane Dorian raged through the Bahamas, taking countless lives and leveling communities. To many the effect of climate change appears to be one with no solution. Thunberg does not believe that to be true, and is determined to see that her generation both press the issue with those who have the ability to facilitate change and take action to make the world more sustainable.

There are many easy changes PMHS students can make to their lifestyle to do this. For example, simply cutting one’s shower time by five minutes can help conserve water. Another easy change is to eliminate or limit single-use plastics that often end up in the ocean, where they harm marine life. Even more alarming, microplastics have entered the human food chain, posing threats to our health. In addition, eating less red meat cuts up to 70% of one’s individual carbon footprint as cows output a large amount of methane. Simple and small changes can make a sizable difference if observed consistently.

Some PMHS students do not see this impending crisis as an emergency. Few students participated in Thunberg’s Global Climate Strike on September 20. Despite its importance, many chose to skip it, due to homecoming, scheduled for the same day.

While there are many simple fixes to an unsustainable lifestyle, they require sacrifice. Students must consider what they are willing to do in order to protect their future.