FIRST PERSON —How embracing empathy helped me in my fight for the climate.
By Teegan Walshe—CBC Kids News Contributor | December 8th, 2023
Teegan Walshe, left, started to strike weekly at the Qualicum Beach Town Hall with her friend in September 2021. Their strikes continue every other week this year. (Image submitted by Teegan Walshe)
The angry people I talk to are far from unreachable.
People ask me all the time what made the reality of climate change click for me, but I honestly don’t know.
It was probably a combination of factors, such as the increase in extreme weather events, scientists issuing dire reports, and the record-breaking heat dome that engulfed my hometown in British Columbia in the summer of 2021.
That year I decided I needed to do something to help improve the state of the planet.
In September, my friend and I started striking in front of our town hall in Qualicum Beach.
Over the next two years, we learned a specific lesson about climate communication that has permanently changed the way I approach conversations about the issue.
2023 YCAA Winner
Watch Teegan’s award winning video entry.