An aerial view of gas being burned off near overturned tank cars amid flood damage wrought by Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on Oct. 4, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. The authors say Helene is yet another powerful wake-up call about the need for action to combat climate change. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
When we said “climate change is real,” this is what we meant.
When we said that inaction would cost us, this is what we were afraid of.
When we were told to calm down, to compromise, to be patient, we grew frustrated. We were afraid for ourselves and our communities because we knew what the future held.
But guess what, y’all? This year we get to vote.
We are college students in western North Carolina who have had the start of our adult lives thrown into chaos by Hurricane Helene. We are lucky. We did not lose loved ones. We were not injured. Our property was not damaged. But we did see— right in front of our eyes—the latest episode of a crisis that will define our whole lives.
There is no debate that our planet is warming. And there is no debate that hotter oceans are making storms more intense. Scientists say the high rainfall from Hurricane Helene was made around twenty times more likely because of climate change. The result: a flood that should only happen once in a thousand years crashed into our world.
With classes canceled after the storm, we did what we could to help our schools and communities. We distributed drinking water. We cleaned up debris. We went dorm by dorm clearing fridges of rotting food.
And we watched. We watched as businesses were destroyed – Wayside bar, Uncommon Market, and 12 Bones Smokehouse are gone, perhaps for good. We watched as elderly grandparents, cheery retirees one day, became evacuees the next. We watched as family homes were flooded and ruined, body bags piled up, and the hospital descended into chaos.
And we wondered what our future holds. What businesses can we build or rebuild? Where are the “climate havens” we can settle and raise families now that this one is gone? When it comes time for us to retire, what will be left for us? Will evacuation and relocation simply be the norm?
The devastation that surrounds us in Western North Carolina is bleak. Recovery will take years, even decades. But we still believe in our power to shape the world. As our classes restart at last, we stand resolute. We know what needs to be done.
First, we need our leaders to take climate change seriously. Climate has to be a top priority. Jobs and economic development are all crucial – but we need to elect leaders who recognize that they are all tied to climate change. The River Arts district is devastated, the streets of Canton are flooded once again, scores of mountain roads are still impassable. And as the costs of recovery mount, the lost days of work drag on, and tourism remains at a standstill, it has become clear that the idea we should compromise on climate in the name of “progress” simply won’t work.
To avoid the worst of the crisis we need a fast transition to clean energy. We need to embrace new technologies and industries: solar panels on rooftops, wind energy in our mountains and along our coasts. We need efficiency in everything from our appliances to our commutes to school and work. We need battery storage. We need modern transmission lines. We need to be honest about what helps, and we need to stop excusing what hurts.
We are young. We are excited about the jobs these new industries can bring us. Industries former generations overlooked but give us the chance to save ourselves. Schools across North Carolina stand ready to train the next generation of climate engineers, installers, operators, and thinkers.
We are young. But we are not naïve. We know that doing what is needed will mean some sacrifice and trade-off in the near term. But we have our whole lives ahead of us. Lives that will be full of Helenes, Miltons, Michaels and Florences. Lives that will be hit by wildfires, crop failures, and mudslides. One way or another, sacrifice is inevitable.
This year we experienced what awaits us if we don’t move fast on climate action. But we are also excited to see leaders finally stepping up to meet the challenge. Unfortunately, others continue to deny there is a problem and actively try to roll back progress. Addressing this crisis will take our whole lives, but we are not afraid to meet the challenge. This Election Day our loud and urgent voices will be heard.