In this op-ed, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, a Colorado-based 17-year-old youth director of Earth Guardians, explains why protecting the earth is the responsibility of young people. Xiuhtezcatl is of indigenous descent and has sued the government, including a recent lawsuit in Colorado arguing that the state should require state oil and gas regulators to consider public health and the environment, and is one of many young people involved in an ongoing lawsuit against the government for failing to protect people from the effects of climate change. In addition, Xiuhtezcatl is a hip-hop artist and has toured the nation and other countries around the world to perform his music.
My dad taught me that protecting the earth is a responsibility, the same way our ancestors had the responsibility to do so. Those were the teachings I grew up with. My mom was very involved in environmental activism, and I’ve been working my whole life with the Earth Guardians. It gave me an outlet to use my passion and use my voice, and it was very empowering.
I started when I was six years old, speaking at a local environmental rally in my area, where I told parents how important it is to educate your kids on climate change. I’ve been involved in local rallies and protests ever since. Now, I work on climate change, fracking, and indigenous issues because I have a personal investment in them, and because I recognize that this issue going to effect all people, but especially people of color, indigenous people, and youth.
Drive about 10 minutes from my town and you’ll see fracking wells. There was once a ban on fracking, but now that it’s lifted, we see a massive rise in fracking in our community. The rate of infant mortality increases in places with high fracking; it’s skyrocketing in so many places. So my fight is not just about the environment, it’s about our lives — I think about this all the time when I consider its impacts on my little brother and sister, who run around and play outside. In our community, when you look to the mountains today, there’s a gray haze from the fracking. We fought it off for a minute, but now it’s continuing to grow. But young people like me are pushing back.
I think categorizing young people as environmental activists is detrimental to getting people involved because, in my opinion, it’s not about being an activist. It’s about recognizing the power you have to make a difference. It’s important to capture that spark and fire within young people, and I think our generation is very versatile. With our access to technology, we can communicate more easily than past generations, which gives us an opportunity turn every issue into a public showing or celebration, like marches and protests. On the streets, as young people, we ask, what do we want to build? What do we want to leave behind?
Earth Guardians is a global movement of young people. We have people involved in using theater to educate youth in India. We have young people planting trees. We collaborate with people all the time, so if you want to get involved, tap into our organization or start one of your own.
Rosalie Chan contributed reporting to this piece.
Related: Lesotho Is An Example of How Climate Change Disproportionately Affects Developing Countries
