My Path to Climate Activism: Untraditional Teachers and Unexpected Possibilities
In this blogpost, Amy O’Brien reflects upon meaningful ways for youth to learn about social and environmental justice outside of institutional settings. This blogpost is part of the “Provocation for Education from Youth Climate Activism” blog series.
Climate Justice and the Interconnected Crisis
Climate education in schools focuses mostly on climate science, which is hugely important. However, the climate crisis is not just about carbon emission diagrams and temperature graphs—it is also about people. The climate crisis is intrinsically connected to frightening levels of inequality, ongoing conflict and attacks on human rights. I began my climate activism journey at an early age and realised that learning doesn’t always happen in the classroom. We learn about the devastating impacts of global warming on communities—and how they connect to social justice issues—from listening to the stories and lived experiences of people on the frontlines. Young people, in particular, are finding their voices inspiring and they are stepping into activism not only because of textbooks, but because they’re listening, questioning, and caring deeply about the world around them.
Untraditional Teachers
Some of the most impactful learning comes from the people and places we least expect. It can begin in childhood—being shown the names of wild plants by a grandparent, digging up vegetables in a back garden, or going on long walks through the countryside. These small but meaningful moments can quietly plant the seeds of appreciation for the land and for the interconnectedness of life. They remind us that knowledge isn’t always written down—sometimes it’s passed on through gestures, stories, or simply spending time together.
Just as family can be hugely impactful, so are other relationships. Learning doesn’t always look like structured lessons. Sometimes, it’s the quiet influence of a friend who shares your questions, debates ideas with you, and helps you shape your worldview. My best friend is a farmer and my biggest supporter. Through her family’s livelihood as farmers, I learned that sustainable agriculture wasn’t something that could be implemented overnight. Transitioning to sustainable agriculture is a massive shift that requires not only regulations but also public learning and financial support. Learning from my friend’s experiences, I began to appreciate how a just transition involves ensuring we leave no one behind as we mitigate and adapt.
Youth Contributions to Decision-Making
In a more formal sense, young people carve out spaces for themselves within institutional settings like schools and youth councils. Lunchtime green committee meetings, youth advisory groups, and county-level youth councils have become opportunities for me to apply real-world skills and engage in dialogue about issues that matter. Whether it’s campaigning for better public transportation or advocating for inclusive relationships and sexuality education, these activities show that change isn’t only possible, it’s already happening, and young people can be at the forefront.
Despite youth contributions to decision-making, significant injustice remains embedded in the processes and structures of climate spaces like COP. I have found youth inclusion in these global forums to be both inspiring and disillusioning. At COP26 in Glasgow, where I attended as the Friends of the Earth Ireland delegate, it became clear that even a conference dedicated to climate wasn’t taking the crisis seriously enough. Indigenous voices went unheard, the nations most affected were largely excluded from decisions, the event was inaccessible in many ways, and a massive fossil fuel delegation actively lobbied for interests that continue to destroy the environment. While these forums recognize young voices, they often remain dominated by corporate interests and political inaction. Furthermore, young people’s presence was often tokenistic. However, this means it is even more important for us young people to be present in these spaces, pushing for human rights. COP presents an incredible opportunity to come together with like minded activists—organizing, marching, and witnessing global solidarity—and being there, I learned a lesson in the sheer power of collective action. I also realised the importance of continuing to push back, exercising the muscle of hope and bringing human rights to the agenda.
However, the pandemic meant that a lot of these formal spaces, opportunities to voice our opinions and activism had to go online—but that also resulted in new, creative opportunities. The shift to online platforms opened unexpected doors. With more time and fewer distractions, curiosity led to new projects, for example, learning about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, starting conversations about justice and sustainability, and collaborating across communities via Zoom.
An Unexpected Possibility: The Sustainable Sleepover Club Podcast
Sometimes the best ideas and opportunities to learn come from imagining a fun and accessible way to chat about big issues—like late-night chats with your best friends. That’s how the Sustainable Sleepover Club podcast was born. My friends and I found ourselves discussing these vital, ‘big-world’ issues in our conversations in a way that didn’t feel like a college lecture or lesson. We created the environment where we would be able to critically think and learn best. We also held space for chats about our lives and favourite TV shows and for laughs. This sense of being able to explore sustainability issues in a relaxed environment made it so much more accessible to learn about social and environmental justice. So, we simply wanted to share this space with other people, and we were so fortunate that the YMCA was able to support us.
We recognised that although we learned so much from one another, we should challenge ourselves to hear from different perspectives, and so we started guest interviews in each episode. A ‘debrief’ of the topic was recorded after each interview to break down the guest’s input and ensure the episode was understandable for everyone and hopefully fun too!
Soon, it catapulted into a podcast with various guest speakers from around the world and a Live Show, all delving into a range of topics related to the Sustainable Development Goals. This shows that when something sparks an interest or passion in you, it is worth investigating and educating yourself on, especially through a creative project with the opportunity to educate others along the way.
Learning as a Lifelong Practice
Education is not confined to school—it’s shaped by who we listen to, what we seek out, and how we act on what we learn. As Tara Westover wrote, “An education is not so much about making a living as making a person.” Continue to question injustices you see, look for books, be inquisitive, spark up conversations, and actively listen to people’s stories. This is how you ensure you are constantly learning and critically engaging with what’s happening around you—becoming a caring and empathetic person. The shift towards the right is ever clearer; conflict is taking place across the globe as I write this, and it is estimated that humanity has wiped out 60% of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970. That means that the lifelong practice of learning, now more than ever, is of paramount importance. I was General Coordinator of the Women in Law Forum this spring, and the words of our keynote speaker, Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, have stayed with me since; she said, “Unless you have tried everything, you have not earned the right to despair.”
The Author
Amy O’Brien is a social justice advocate and climate justice activist. She is a freelance writer and a podcaster, passionate about human rights and sustainability. Amy is studying law in University College Cork. She volunteers with PLAN International, working to end barriers to gender equality, and was recently elected Internal Convenor of the UCC Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC).