Recapping Sunrise Ithaca’s Climate Justice Circle at the First Unitarian

On September 8, Sunrise Ithaca, a local youth climate justice organization, hosted a discussion circle on climate justice and intergenerational solidarity at the First Unitarian Society of Ithaca. The Church prides itself on its Environmental Interest Group, recent heat pump installation, and other sustainability efforts. Inviting guest speakers like Sunrise Ithaca is one of the ways it seeks to get its congregation involved in the community.
 Sunrisers Mateo Gonzalez ’25 and Joe Levine ’26 opened the event with a presentation on Sunrise Ithaca. They described the importance and history of climate justice, recognizing how the impacts of climate change most deeply affect the poorest and most vulnerable communities. Both emphasized the role of Sunrise Ithaca in ensuring climate justice in Ithaca, with Levine describing the group’s involvement in legislation such as the Ithaca Green New Deal (IGND) and Justice50.
 Members of Sunrise Ithaca wrote the IGND to ensure that the City of Ithaca would reach carbon neutrality by 2030 through electrification, renewable energy, and more. The IGND was followed by Justice50, which sought to share the benefits of the IGND across the community by allocating fifty percent of overall climate and energy investments under the IGND and fifty percent of the City’s capital budget to so-called climate justice communities. Climate justice communities are households the City has identified as particularly vulnerable to climate change’s effects based on income, education level, immigration status, and more.
 After the presentation, members of Sunrise Ithaca facilitated discussion in small groups with attendees. The discussion questions related to climate change’s impacts and the importance of solidarity between generations.
 One person described how, when they were growing up in the 1950s, Ithaca typically experienced great snow levels throughout the entire winter. They noted the recent dramatic decrease in snowfall during the winter and how summers have become hotter and drier. Other attendees noted that increased temperatures and extreme weather events heightened the risk and severity of flooding. Residents of Ithaca’s flood zone expressed concern for their safety and how increasing flood insurance costs have become a financial burden.
 Another attendee highlighted the impact of climate change on agriculture. They noticed that their plants were growing faster due to increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, which accelerate the rate of photosynthesis. They also recognized how volatile weather, unpredictable temperatures, and drought have led to decreased crop yields; locally, entire apple harvests have been destroyed by late frost.
 The conversation then turned to how change could be created. Some attendees expressed hopelessness, believing climate change too late to reverse. Some felt unsure of what to do moving forward or felt a burden to change their daily habits.
 Others described the importance of organizing to create change. Attendees agreed that polarization and climate change denial were major factors impeding progress toward a more sustainable future. They acknowledged the intergenerational aspect of the discussion circle by calling for younger generations to look towards older generations for examples of organizing to create change, referencing various historical social justice movements.
 When discussing what older generations can learn from younger generations, a recurring theme was hope. Many attendees described how hearing from younger generations improved their attitude toward the future and inspired them to advocate for change. They discussed how the most important reason for reducing climate change’s impact is to ensure the well-being of future generations.
 Sunrise Ithaca’s Climate Justice Circle highlighted the importance of collaboration when addressing climate change and how discussion can be the first step to creating a more sustainable future for all.