What’s more important: the past, the present or the future?
When people think of catastrophe, it’s often in the context of the present. Superstorms, raging wildfires or destructive tornadoes prompt people to act in urgency. It’s the “all hands on deck” situation as survivors in the immediate aftermath must figure out what they are going to do next. Then there’s the past. People can recall the damage of an extreme weather event years later — what they’ve lost, what they’ve gained and how it possibly changed their lives forever. And then the future awaits. It’s an ever-present anxiety lingering in the minds of many who wonder when the next storm is coming, how they can prepare for it — some doubting if they even can.
The truth is, climate change encompasses all these time sequences. Whether in the past, present or future, it’s inescapable. As each year passes, the earth’s temperature and sea levels rise — along with people’s worries. But there’s a group of climate activists who have witnessed the environmental catastrophes of the past, are dwelling on the future for their loved ones, and choose to use the present to spark a catalyst for change.
This summer, we spoke to women who took part in the months-long “Summer of Heat” protest in New York City. The movement aims to hold corporations, especially big banks that finance oil and gas projects, accountable for the damage caused by climate change. The women shared why they’re fighting so hard for the planet.
Katherine Keeney.
“I feel it's my job, and our job as elders, to protect our children.” – Katherine Keeney, 69, Sacramento, California
A California native, Keeney recalls living through the 1991 wildfires in Oakland and Berkeley Hills. What started as a small grass fire on private property grew into a firestorm spread by high winds and nearly-90-degree temperatures. Keeney and her then-3-year-old child had to evacuate their home. Keeney says since then, California continues to experience “horrible fires,” and that many who lived through the 1991 firestorm have post-traumatic stress disorder. Many have seemingly erased the fires from their memory. Some “3,000 homes were burned, and to me, this is like a bellwether, and people don’t even talk about it. Like it was no big deal.” After becoming inspired by words from environmentalist Bill McKibben, she is now fighting for the futures of her loved ones. But a question continues to ring in the back of her mind every summer: “Is it gonna burn again?”
Audrey Kindred.
“The nuclear problem was such an explosive picture in my mind — [the world] could end all at once. The feeling of climate change is like the slow-motion version of that.” – Audrey Kindred, 59, Brooklyn, New York
The climate crisis sparks unsettling feelings for Kindred, who grew up in the Atomic Age. During her college years, Kindred advocated against the use of nuclear weapons and called for nonviolence. That same feeling of impending doom Kindred experienced is visible in the children she works with at The New York Society for Ethical Culture, a progressive nonprofit in New York City that promotes social justice, democracy and ethical relationships. “That apocalyptic feeling that your world could end is a terrible way to live,” Kindred says. “It’s a terrible fright to hold. And I saw it with the climate movement.” Inspired by Kenyan activist Wangari Maathai, Kindred says youth represent the “age of awakening consciousness.” She adds, “None of us can live for just ourselves here. We have to live for a bigger picture.”
Shanika Anderson.
“[My son] learned that the dinosaurs went extinct because of…how the asteroids changed the climate. I want him to make that connection. If we don't do something about this, then human life and animal life will be in trouble once again.” – Shanika Anderson, 41, Washington Heights, New York City
As a preschool teacher and a mother, Anderson often thinks about our children’s future. She routinely sees “alarming” news reports of extreme weather events happening around the world — including the severe heat wave in Saudi Arabia that killed 1,300 in June. Anderson says she took her 4-year-old son, Sage, to a “Summer of Heat” protest outside Citibank in July, as children should be exposed to what’s happening. “I’m always thinking about how these things…impact me…but even more so for them,” Anderson says.
Chris Stahl.
“You could just see these empty craters where there weren't any more glaciers, and then you get to the edge of a glacier that was drip, drip, drip, dripping away. So that made a big impression on me.” – Chris Stahl, 74, Poughkeepsie, New York
Stahl took a hiking trip with her son to the Alps in France, and what she saw “made a dent” in her awareness of climate change. Since 1850, the Alp’s glaciers have lost up to 40% of their surface area due to climate change, according to the Research Center for Alpine Ecosystems. Stahl and her grandchildren joined the protest outside Citibank in July because, she says, “it’s their future.” She continued, “For them to have a grasp of the situation, but also an idea that things are possible and that they can be involved in making a positive change — I think that’s important for kids.”
Liat Olenick.
“Hurricane Sandy happened my first year in the classroom, and our school closed down for a week. So, that was definitely like a moment that spurred me to think more about the climate crisis.” – Liat Olenick, 38, Brooklyn, New York
Another major moment for Olenick that showcased the realities of the climate crisis was a 2018 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which revealed that “we had 10 years left to save humanity,” she says. Olenick, who is co-founder of Climate Families NYC, says the report pushed her into climate organizing. Then she gave birth to her son in 2022, which also “injected even more urgency into it for me.” Olenick gathered families outside Citibank in July to ask the company to stop fossil fuel expansions that are “poisoning communities across the world and in the Gulf South,” she says. To her, activism has no age limits. “There’s a power in having…grandparents, parents and kids come together,” Olenick says. “A lot of times, activism is dismissed as a youth thing [but] no, this is what all of us want and need.”
Kate Hull.
“I've been watching what's happening to the climate for years. I'm very, very worried about the future of young people who are going to really have to live through…the loss of home and safety, and mass emigrations of people escaping disasters and chaos.” – Kate Hull, 73, Greenwich Village, New York City
Having a strong awareness of extreme weather events around the world, Hull says the early arrival of Hurricane Beryl — a category 5 hurricane that wreaked havoc in the Caribbean, Mexico and the Gulf this summer — paired with rising temperatures, really stood out to her. While Hull wasn’t “scared into” climate activism by any extreme weather event, “it’s something that’s worried me as I see them over the years,” she says. “The animals are having a terrible time,” she adds. “We’ve upset the whole balance of nature.”
Karsen Yama.
“How can you not have an 'aha' moment when…every summer it's getting hotter and hotter and hotter?” – Karsen Yama, Brooklyn, New York
Because of a condition called postural orthostatic tachycardia, Yama’s daughter couldn’t regulate heat in her body for five years. As a result, Yama had to pack a chilled vest for her daughter to keep cool — which was even more difficult due to rising temperatures. While her daughter — who is now 25 — has fully recovered, the continuous heat waves serve as a constant reminder to Yama about climate change.
Claire Schoen.
“There’s always been tornadoes and always been mega fires, but now we have mega fires and we have tornadoes that are just wiping out whole communities.” – Claire Schoen, 72, Berkeley, California
A former audio journalist, Schoen has “been wanting to save the planet one way or the other all my life,” she says. Five years ago, she launched 1000 Grandmothers For Future Generations, an organization made up of senior women and allies addressing the climate crisis and systemic racism. After leading the group, which now has about 2,000 members, she pivoted to Extinction Rebellion, an organization that holds nonviolent, peaceful protests to address the climate crisis. Schoen often thinks about the future of not just her children, but her grandchildren, who are 4 years old, 2 years old, and 6 months old, and together provide another motivator in her climate activism work. “It’s what I’m gonna do for the rest of my life,” Schoen says.
Deborah Popper.
“You feel better about the world, even as you feel worse about the world, because you know other people are actually doing something.” – Deborah Popper, 76, New York City
As an expert in environmental geography, Popper says she’s been “thinking about climate change for a long time.” While Popper is retired, she currently teaches a course at Princeton University about land-use issues that can have a negative impact on the environment, including the emission of carbon that fuels climate change. Throughout her career, a large amount of Popper’s activism took place in the classroom while presenting issues to students “who have gone on to do really interesting work,” she says. After contemplating how to address the climate crisis during her retirement, Popper joined Third Act, an organization with activists aged 60 and over who advocate for environmental justice.