By Jessica Mielock
Mia Brazneu’s felt sick to her stomach. How was this possible? She thought back to the family trips she’d taken, back to the national parks visited, back to the days where she’d hike for miles of dirt, gravel and sand. The sun peeking through the leaves and hitting her face just right, the warmth kissing her skin with a silent ‘I love you’.
But she wasn’t there to say it back. Instead, Brazneu sat at her desk in her fifth grade classroom, learning about how climate change was destroying her first love: nature.
“It was like experiencing the loss of a family member,” Brazneu said. “The grief and rage [I feel] every single time there’s a new headline about deforestation or the next record heat day is what pushed me into [environmental] activism.”
Brazeu channeled her feelings into attending climate science programs and fighting for climate change education in her school. She dedicated her time to calling local leaders in her area, sharing campaigns and helped get the Clean Energy Future Plans Act signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a small step forward for the cause. However, the act didn’t provide as many ideal protections for occupants of Michigan.
Dionna Brown, an environmental rights activist like Mia Brazneu, experienced the lack of protection for citizens first hand when the Flint water crisis hit her community. As one of the many children poisoned by the lead from Flint water, Brown developed ADHD and Dyslexia in the aftermath. Within the last year, the Attorney General of Michigan decided not to pursue charges against anyone responsible for the water crisis that occurred 10 years ago. Each household affected will receive 1,000 dollars, a decision Brown disagrees with.
Photo by Alex Schwartz
“You cannot put a price on the line,” Brown said. “You can’t put a price on my grandmother who lost her life because being poisoned by lead in life can affect every organ in your body.”
The Flint water crisis affected predominantly Black and brown communities, leading to larger discussions of environmental racism. The term refers to negative environmental consequences affecting marginalized communities such as communities of color and communities with low income.
With environmental racism comes environmental justice, a field that Latia Leonard specializes in. Leonard has partnered with multiple organizations, including the state of Michigan, to address this gap in resources like safe drinking water and clean air.
“To take care of the environment is to take care of the people,” Leonard said.
On top of her other work, Leonard also helps educate youth in Michigan on environmental justice and how to take action.
“Right now, the state of Michigan does not require a climate education,” Leonard said. “There’s a lot of barriers from a classroom classroom standpoint and I think that students are eager and want to learn. I feel like there’s no better people to do that than the young folks in this room.”
All three agree that climate change and environmental education are important for helping save the Earth from the devastating path it’s on. Elevating younger voices is key to making a change.
“When youth are in the room, leaders listen,” Breznau said.