The 2024 presidential election was a slap in the face of our generation. Its outcomes are not only terrifying, but deadly: for Ukrainians, for Palestinians, and for everyone who will suffer the consequences of the United States’ greenhouse gas emissions. As a queer climate justice organizer with half a dozen good friends living under constant air raids in Ukraine, I know this. I share my generation’s despair, but I also know that we cannot let it paralyze us. We stand to lose so much under a second Trump presidency; let us not lose our hope, resistance, and power too.
For the past two years, I have led the local branch of the Sunrise Movement, a national, youth-led climate justice organization. The Sunrise Movement has helped pressure Democrats to take decisive climate action for years, most recently catalyzing the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The movement encourages Democrats to take this election as a harsh but necessary lesson. For too long, the Democratic Party has relied on young people and minorities to vote for them without ever truly earning our vote. They have reacted to Republicans with frustration but failed to deliver meaningful change addressing their needs. The 2024 election has shown that opposition to Trump alone is no longer a winning strategy. We need to build power locally—not just around election season—by deeply engaging with our communities, understanding their needs, and running on a solutions-based platform, such as one centered on the Green New Deal: creating good green jobs, decarbonizing our institutions, and democratizing our labor.
How do we get there? Nationally, the Sunrise Movement’s strategy is rooted in mobilizing mass participation and acts of civil disobedience to create an imperative for climate action so strong that whoever wins in 2028 will have no choice but to act swiftly and sweepingly on the climate. The ultimate act of civil disobedience will be a coordinated general strike with the UAW in 2028, but there will be many strikes, walk-outs, and sit-ins on the way there. We will build power in communities across the country, empowering young people to be the political leaders we deserve. Above all, we will not give up.
Ithaca has a unique and crucial role to play in all of this. After only six months of organizing by Sunrise Ithaca, the City unanimously passed the Ithaca Green New Deal, which is arguably the most radical local climate justice legislation in the country, in 2019. Meeting the ambitious goals of the Ithaca Green New Deal will be challenging, but we have a duty to show the rest of the country and the world that it is possible. We must show that we can not only decarbonize but that we can do so with broad community support and involvement, ensuring benefits for all. In times like these, building mass support for a swift, equitable, and collaborative implementation of the Ithaca Green New Deal is more important than ever.
Justice50, which Sunrise Ithaca was able to get passed in May, demonstrates how we can make progress toward our goals of furthering the Green New Deal, expanding democracy, and empowering youth. It establishes participatory budgeting in Ithaca to democratize the City’s budget process and ensure that residents’ needs are met. The participatory budgeting is open to non-citizen residents and youth aged sixteen and seventeen, strengthening our democratic systems and encouraging greater involvement. Justice50 also establishes specific goals to prioritize climate justice communities such as low-income households, disabled individuals, and those experiencing food insecurity, in budget processes and green job creation.
The election frenzy has calmed down, but Sunrise’s work continues. As of November, Sunrise Ithaca is working to create positions for youth on voluntary commissions of the City of Ithaca, such as the Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission. This would allow youth voices to influence decision-making, encourage community engagement with local government, and empower young people. In 2025, we plan to make climate a top issue for Common Council candidates and to campaign for those who will not only represent our interests but engage meaningfully with constituents once elected. We plan to continue to provide feedback on the Ithaca Green New Deal and push it along, but also to build a broader base of support in Ithaca as we do so. The movement of our generation has only just begun. I hope you will join us.
You can contact Sunrise Ithaca at any time at sunrise.ithaca.ny@gmail.com to get involved.
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