You may have seen him giving announcements about environmental strikes at school or taking action outside of school. Chris Allen is a leading figure in Arizona’s youth against climate change. If you’ve noticed him giving an announcement, it is likely to promote one of the many environmental strikes he helps put together.
Chris is an avid member of the community against climate change. When asked about what got him started on this path, he said it was just the amount of information accumulating about the emergency and danger of climate change and that “it was unacceptable our politicians refused to do anything about it.”
He cares about this issue for many reasons, he commented, of course, issues like gun control are also important. However, in terms of his future, he sees himself having to make a huge adjustment in 60 years for climate change, not any other political issue right now.
Chris is a leading figure in the youth community, but he doesn’t do it alone. He plans the environmental strikes he announces at meetings with a friend at FridaysforFuture, an organization started by Greta Thunberg. He is also involved with Arizona Youth Climate Strike (AZYCS) who plan their own events.
Chris has held multiple climate strikes and is far from done. He plans on holding one once a month for “as long as it takes to make a change.” During the interview, Chris wanted to make it clear that he was no expert or scientist; he just wants to make the state legislature lean towards what the experts and scientists are saying.
We might not be able to make every strike but don’t worry, there are many things Chris said you could do at home to help. Firstly, reusing whatever we can as much as we can. Second, switching to solar power, and finally, not eating as much meat—especially beef.
Chris is fighting for a great cause and we can all help him out. If you ever want to get involved, you can show up to one of Chris’s strikes, follow one of his tips to help his cause from home, or contact Chris directly. He’s happy to help you get involved.
Written by Michael Pisetsky