Science@Work

by Diana Lynn

CARL SMITH
YOUTH CLIMATE ACTIVIST
Carl Smith, 17, cares about climate change because it’s happening right in front of his eyes—and it’s serious.
Super serious! The dire situation at home has turned him into a climate activist.
In September 2019, he flew from his small village of Akiak, Alaska, all the way to New York City. He joined
forces with 15 other young people who came from all around the world. Their group included well-known
climate activist Greta Thunberg. They submitted a legal complaint with the United Nations (UN). It accused five
countries of not cutting back enough on pollution. They claimed that broke an international treaty protecting
children’s rights.
The 16 also marched through the city streets. Tens of thousands of protestors were striking for climate
action! And they went to the United Nations headquarters to tell their own climate crisis stories.

14
 Like Carl Smith’s village, Newtok,
Alaska, has experienced serious
erosion as a result of climate change.
Carl told everyone global
warming was threatening
his community’s existence.
He is Yupik, and his people
have lived off the land for
thousands of years. They
survive by hunting animals
such as moose, geese, caribou,
and seals. They fish, and
they gather cloudberries,
salmonberries, and other
wild plants. This is called
subsistence living. But, Carl
said, this way of life was in
danger of disappearing.
He is still speaking out loud
and clear about the climate
crisis. In December 2019, he
flew back to UN Headquarters.
He took part in a Human
Rights Day panel discussion on
youth activism.
Carl sees Alaska is in
real trouble, and he’s telling
everyone about it.
________________
WHAT MADE YOU SAY TO
YOURSELF, “I’VE GOT TO
DO SOMETHING ABOUT
CLIMATE CHANGE!”?
I saw how the climate was
changing. It was starting to get
too warm. In winter, we drive
on top of the river ice to travel
back and forth from village
to village and get groceries. But the ice wasn’t getting thick enough
to travel on. The summer water temperatures were rising too. There
were dead fish floating down the river. We fish during the summer
to dry and smoke the fish. But now sometimes fishing regulations
prevent us from doing that.
________________
CAN PEOPLE STILL TRAVEL ON THE RIVER “ICE
HIGHWAY” IN THE WINTER?
Yes, everybody is still driving on the river ice, but it’s a shorter driving
season and more scary now. Snowmobiles can go when trucks can’t,
but you have to be skilled or be with a skilled driver to make it to
your destination.
________________
DO HUNTING AND FISHING SUPPORT YOUR VILLAGE?
Yes, because we need the animals to help us survive. It’s hard to get
fresh fruits and vegetables here in the village. For veggies we use
canned vegetables. The animals we catch—we try to use every part of
them we can.
________________
WHY AREN’T YOU ALLOWED TO FISH AS MUCH
AS YOU USED TO?
The Fish and Game Department says the fish population is
decreasing. Right now we are waiting until they can count ten
red salmon or chum salmon for every one king salmon. Then we
text © 2020 by Diana Lynn
will get another opening to go net more fish.
________________
ARE YOU STILL ABLE TO CATCH ENOUGH FISH TO
LAST THE WHOLE YEAR?
Last year we got enough, but I don’t know about this year. I think we
can get enough if we fish a good spot or fish right. We still catch fish,
but not as big of fish like we used to. Fish like colder water, and they
go deeper down.
15
Science@Work
I never
thought I
would be
a climate
activist.
I’m just a
kid from
a small
village in
Alaska.”
THE RIVER IS RISING AND ERODING ITS BANKS. DOES
YOUR VILLAGE EVER TALK ABOUT HAVING TO MOVE
TO HIGHER GROUND?
Our village right now is moving six houses more inland so that
they don’t fall in the river. I’m scared that if it erodes more, we will
have to move the whole village to a different spot and restart. That’s
what the village named Newtok is doing. But if we make sea walls, I
think we will be good.
________________

HOW IS IT TO WATCH ALL THE CHANGES?

I feel sad because it’s harder to do what we love like fishing,
hunting, and gathering.
________________

WHY DO YOU THINK SOME COUNTRIES DON’T

CUT FOSSIL FUEL EMISSIONS TO SLOW DOWN
CLIMATE CHANGE? THE HIGH COST
They don’t want to lose money. They want to make more money.
OF FOOD
________________ The Yupik subsistence
lifestyle is part of a spiritual
HOW DID IT GO AT THE UN? tradition in which hunting
I felt like everyone cared about our stories. and fishing are sacred. These
________________ activities are also how Carl and
his fellow villagers get enough
WHAT DOES YOUR FAMILY THINK ABOUT to eat! There are no roads
YOUR ACTIVISM? going to this part of Alaska,
My family is proud of me because most Indigenous kids won’t so groceries come in by boat
speak out like that. They never had experience with media. I or plane. This drives up prices.
For example, a gallon of milk
never thought I would be a climate activist. I’m just a kid from
costs about $3 in the “Lower
a small village in Alaska and nobody really pays attention to 48” states, but it’s $8 at Carl’s
small communities. store. Yikes!

16
DO YOU FEEL HOPEFUL?
Yes, I feel hopeful because I
know there are a lot of people
that will believe in us to change
the world.
________________
DO YOU HAVE ANY
ADVICE FOR OTHER KIDS
OR TEENS WHO MIGHT
END UP TALKING TO A
REPORTER OR WRITER?
Speak from your heart and
just be you.
________________
WHAT DO YOU DO
FOR FUN?
I like to go hunting, fishing,
play basketball, and help my
family with what they need
me to do.
Diana Lynn’s home state of
California has been suffering from
climate–change related wildfires,
but she has great faith in youth
activists like Carl to help save
our planet.
FIGHTING FOR
OUR PLANET
In 2017, Zanagee Artis and a few
other teenagers co-founded the
organization Zero Hour. The group
promotes climate and environmental
justice. Along with founder Jamie
Margolin and a group of young
activists, Zanagee organized a day
of action, rallying, making art, and
community building in July 2018
in Washington, DC. As the march’s
logistics director, Zanagee designed
the route, handled permitting, and
helped organize volunteers.
Inspired by the plans for the
Washington, DC, rally, young people
held sister marches in Melbourne,
Australia, and London, England.
Zanagee’s hometown is in Connecticut.
He hopes to continue to spread the
Zero Hour network of inspired youth
elsewhere in the world.
Since the event, the Zero Hour
founders continued to speak
about their cause while amplifying
diverse voices. “People of color and
Indigenous peoples are often the
most impacted by climate-related
injustices,” says Zanagee, “but
they are almost never included in
discussions about solutions.”
—Rebecca Pitts
17