Climate science and policy are contentious topics that seem to constantly appear at the forefront of public consciousness. Being tucked away on an urban campus, Georgetown University students may feel far away from the reality of climate politics. However, the constant influx of demoralizing news headlines that detail climate protection rollbacks and new barriers to clean energy poses a stark reminder that climate science and the way politicians choose to address it will impact everyone.
This month, the World Meteorological Organization reported the concentration of gas in the Earth’s atmosphere to be 423.9 parts per million (ppm). This is a 3.5 ppm increase compared to last year, marking the highest annual jump on record. Similarly, an October United Nations report revealed that spending must increase threefold to meet international climate and biodiversity pledges by 2030.
These staggering figures are a call to action to protect us from the worst of climate effects. This year, the federal government has lessened regulations on reporting requirements from polluting facilities and has missed deadlines for reporting national emissions, decreasing the amount of data available about these climate effects.
Beyond this, a January 2025 executive order paused wind energy projects, and the Nevada solar project Esmeralda 7, expected to power almost two million homes, was canceled. Funding for the planned Grainbelt Express Line was revoked, dashing hopes for an 800-mile transmission line that would have connected the country’s East and Midwest regions to solar and wind electricity had the project been successful.
Amid the negative headlines, it can be hard to seek out sources of hope, but Georgetown’s neighboring states are playing a role in protecting their natural environments from the destruction that comes with the decreasing aid for clean energy.
In Maryland, an impressive conservation goal of 30% of the state’s land has been reached six years ahead of schedule after just joining the effort in 2023, faster than the other eight states that made this pledge. The protected land, from forests to fish hatcheries, will be available for farming or management, but protected from development, no matter what person or company takes over the land. Despite budget setbacks, the state has set a goal to get this value to 40% by 2040.
On the other side of Washington, D.C., Virginian farmers are cultivating sustainable and accessible growing practices for their Appalachian forest and herb botanicals market. Efforts by organizations like Herb Hub have created educational systems on sustainable herb farming and economic rewards for farmers who engage in this cultural industry in ecologically friendly ways.
These local efforts are uplifting to read about and raise questions about what else there is to be done. On a college campus, these projects by government officials or organizations that have a broad scope and financial reach raise another question about the role of young people in a crisis that will directly affect them.
While there are countless ways to approach this idea, from advocacy to volunteering, a recent court decision, Lighthiser v. Trump, offers a potentially new judicial view on the responsibility of government to its youngest generations who are threatened by climate change.
In the case, 22 young plaintiffs sued the federal government, claiming that three executive orders signed by President Trump threatened their life and liberty because of how they would exacerbate climate issues. The plaintiffs lost the case, but legal experts are hopeful that the decision’s phrasing opens doors for future legal battles.
The ruling asserts that the U.S. government does have a responsibility to protect young generations from threats posed by climate change. While it does not change the outcome of the case, a precedent is set to protect the world that future generations will inherit. The precedent may help direct approaches of legal teams representing young people who may otherwise feel their voice is drowned out by those in established seats of power.
As science headlines continue to feel like devastating setbacks and executive action defunds environmental projects, young people should consider what a future not fundamentally threatened by climate change will look like.