Atreyi Basu and Dora Liao, both seniors at Lexington High School, are co-representatives of Sustainable Lexington Youth (SustainabLY) and liaisons to the Sustainable Lexington Committee. Atreyi’s journey into environmental activism began in fifth grade when she learned about climate change and realized the urgency of the issue. Shocked by the lack of action from adults, Atreyi decided to take matters into her own hands. Dora was inspired by Greta Thunberg’s campaign for climate action back in middle school, and has been committed to community-oriented environmental activism ever since.
Atreyi and Dora will both be taking part in a community conversation about growing up in a climate crisis, hosted by the Lexington Lyceum at Follen Church Community Center on Tuesday, April 30 at 6:30. The event will be moderated by Sustainable Lexington Committee chair Cindy Arens; other guests include Roaming Buffalo Wabanaki, an Indigenous Talking Circle Keeper; Milo Briskin, the education coordinator for Mass Audubon; LHS Envirothon captains Caroline Ehmann and Eileen Ho; and Isaiah Johnson of the Mystic River Watershed Association.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
LexObserver: As a co-representative of SustainabLY, what are some key initiatives or projects that you’ve been working on recently?
Atreyi: We supported the Sustainable Lexington Committee in hosting a Clean Energy Fair, an event designed to encourage Lexington homeowners to transition to green energy. We hosted trivia games and crafts to teach students about sustainability and the importance of their voices.
We started a campaign to encourage local restaurants in the center to participate in sustainable food waste practices, like donation and composting, to move the town towards zero waste.
We also promoted youth voter turnout for town elections.
LexObserver: Could you share some insights into how young people in Lexington in general are responding to your climate change? What are some common concerns or motivations that you have observed?
Dora: In general, people are pretty aware of the fact that climate change is a real thing. We’ve all been feeling it. This winter especially has been very mild here in Massachusetts. I know a lot of my classmates, they’ve expressed concerns about the fact that we haven’t had a lot of snow, and even the fact that we did have snow in April — that was a little concerning, like a little weird for sure.
I know one thing that [SustainabLY] is trying to bring attention to is the lunch program at our school, which has actually been making efforts to reduce waste. They’re selling aluminum bottles now instead of plastic bottles during lunch. What bottles are you using? What utensils are you using during lunch? How much waste are you throwing away every single day? You don’t really notice it until people point that out.
LexObserver: What role do young people play in shaping environmental policies and driving meaningful change at the local and global levels?
Dora: I think the youth have a voice, even though sometimes they might not feel like we have a voice because you can’t vote when you’re under 18. If you can influence adults’ opinions by speaking out and making your opinion known, I think that can be really helpful.
Atreyi: Young people can play a huge role in shaping environmental policy. There are so many opportunities for youth to get involved with political activism, especially when it comes to the environment. We will be the ones suffering the greatest impacts of climate change so it’s only right that we make our voices heard in addressing it. Young people have led the charge for many social justice fights, and environmental change is no different. It’s already an issue that has galvanized many and I hope it continues to do so.
LexObserver: Can you share any memorable moments or achievements from your involvement in environmental activism so far?
Atreyi: Through political activism, I’ve had a lot of amazing conversations with people all over the country when phone banking for electoral campaigns or advocating the passage of environmental policies. Nothing is more rewarding than when you’re able to educate a voter and introduce them to a new perspective while gaining one yourself. I’ve had calls where callers thank me for the work I’m doing, which always puts a smile on my face, but I’ll always remember the ones that prompted me to change my mindset.
LexObserver: What do you hope that your community knows about the work that you do? And for adults and people who aren’t actively involved in climate activism, what can they do to help?
Dora: I hope that adults acknowledge the student voice, as students are the future. We are the next generation that is going to be impacted by the Earth’s changes.
I also hope that SustainabLY is able to gain more of a foothold in town. We’re still in the early stages, but as SustainabLY gains more of an impact in town, I hope that we actually do get a voice when people vote.
There is currently an article being discussed by Town Meeting that would allow people over 16 to vote in town elections, which is really exciting. That would mean a lot of high schoolers could vote and SustainabLY could do so much more because so many more students would have a voice. I just hope adults make an effort to listen to us.
LexObserver: Looking ahead, what are your hopes and aspirations for the future of sustainability efforts in Lexington and beyond?
Atreyi: I hope that we can take stronger and more decisive action to ward off the impacts of climate change. We’ve set ambitious goals, which is absolutely a step in the right direction, but we need to remember that to meet these goals, we need to do more. I hope that climate change is prioritized more in town policy.