From The Jersey Sierran, July - September 2022
By Judy Minot, Chapter Secretary
Raghav Akula has a message for New Jersey’s youth who are interested in climate issues: “We need you desperately!” Raghav, 17, is the school liaison for the Sierra Club’s NJ Chapter. He says young people often feel that climate change is so overwhelming, one person can’t make a difference. “It’s easy to think there are people smarter, more knowledgeable, and better connected than you. We see dire warnings from the International Panel on Climate Change and think, ‘What can I possibly do from my bedroom or dorm room?’” Raghav says there’s a lot young people can do.
Raghav has seen the strength that young people have as environmental advocates. “Teens and young adults are outsiders. When we’re in the same room as a government official, we don’t feel the same limitations. We have the liberty to propose bold new ideas without fear of getting fired or the need to protect a voter base.”
Now finishing up his junior year at Moorestown High School, Raghav has been working with the Sierra Club since his sophomore year. He got up to speed quickly, reaching out to the NJ Student Sustainability Coalition to coordinate efforts with other student climate activists. He also worked with the chapter’s Transportation Committee to promote legislation (A1971/S1819) for an electric school bus pilot program . He has worked hard to get students active on this bill because electric buses are healthier for them.
“Working with the Sierra Club has been very educational. It has showed me what goes on in the background in the work of activism for a good cause,” says Raghav. Usually, he says, people see only the final product: a bill that’s passed, the offshore wind program starting up off our coast, a moratorium on fracking in the Delaware River Basin. He is learning the details that go into making environmental progress a reality. He says the Sierra Club was like a springboard for him. “Working with the Sierra Club gave me more confidence. I never thought I could join a body that was primarily run by adults and still fit in. I got involved in township government, joined an international environmental organization, and even created a podcast.”
Indeed, as the teen member of the Recreation Advisory Committee in Moorestown, Raghav is working to incorporate sustainable energy into the town’s parks and recreation facilities. With the humanitarian group Sewa International, he has been planting trees as riparian buffers and working with a small organic farm. These experiences are teaching him how large-scale environmental initiatives can play out at the local level.
They’ve also taught him you don’t need to be an expert to get your foot in the door. “Everyone who knows even a little about climate change knows that we need everyone possible in this fight. No one is going to resist you trying to join and make a difference.
“People think, ‘But everyone else knows what they’re talking about,’ but that is just not true. There are a lot of times when you don’t feel like you understand, but the reality is, there are a lot of people in the room who don’t understand. This includes legislators. They don’t have the time or energy to be the expert in every field of knowledge.” He says legislators really need to hear the voices of young people, who will be living in the future that we all create today.
Raghav would like to see young people more strongly represented in the NJ Chapter. He has a vision of creating a division of youth leaders who can speak at committee hearings on behalf of the Sierra Club.
As for his own future? Raghav is interested in the policy process and in how environmental ideas are incorporated into law. He’s considering a college major in economics, law, government, or international relations. He feels that his work with the Sierra Club has introduced him to many new career ideas. “If we’re going to reach net zero emissions by 2050, there will be many steps to take before it becomes a reality. I’d like to be part of that.”