Webinar On-Demand: 'Unburdening the Climate Generation'

On June 11, 2025, the Pulitzer Center invited educators, climate activists, and clinicians to participate in a virtual conversation about supporting younger generations in navigating climate anxiety and pursuing action. The webinar, ‘Unburdening the Climate Generation: Supporting Those Born Into Crisis & Building Solutions,’ featured Pulitzer Center grantee and climate journalist Stephanie Hanes, Climate Psychology Alliance North America Co-Executive Director Rebecca Weston, and Grace Gibson-Snyder, a 20-year-old plaintiff in multiple youth-led climate cases. Together, panelists and attendees brainstormed strategies to defend climate education, encourage imperfect allyship, and build capacity for climate action.

The event comes just a few months after the U.S. Commerce Department cut $4 million in funding to a climate research center at Princeton University, claiming the initiatives scare children. But experts have said that canceling support for one of the nation’s top climate research programs will not make young people less anxious about climate change—it will just give them less information about the threats they might face and their potential to find hope through solutions.

Webinar attendees were encouraged to prepare by reading Hanes’ Pulitzer Center-supported reporting about how climate change is proving to be a powerful driver of innovation among young people. Her project, The Climate Generation: Born Into Crisis, Building Solutions, shows that young people are—in fact—focused on finding solutions to the climate crisis. Despite climate doomerism, the “climate generation,” which Hanes defined in her reporting as those born after 1989, is reshaping our understanding of work, culture, “progress,” human rights, and community. 

The event began with short presentations from Hanes, Weston, and Gibson-Snyder about their individual experiences and takeaways about the generational gaps in support for climate activism. Gibson-Snyder, who first made history as a prevailing plaintiff in the Held v. State of Montana constitutional climate trial, just became a plaintiff in a new climate-led federal case filed against the federal government. Her introduction addressed her complicated feelings about her involvement in the issue.

“As a young person, it’s really hard to remember that this is not just all our job,” Gibson-Synder said. “And this is one of the things I’ve been struggling against for years—trying to balance the really intense emotions of wanting to be involved and figuring out how to maximize the efficacy of my engagement, while also feeling such frustration and anger that I have to be involved in this at all.”

Attendees and panelists then divided into breakout rooms to have cross-disciplinary conversations about their takeaways from the presentation. They also shared concerns and inspiring moments from their own communities, as well as remaining questions.

The event concluded with a moderated Q&A session. Key points from this section included the importance of having climate conversations that transcend party lines and practical ways to support youth in climate action.

“Every job can be a climate job,” Weston said on having difficult climate conversations that cross party lines.  “Because climate change affects everything, there is absolutely no limit in terms of what can be done for the climate.”

As a climate journalist, Hanes said she often finds different entry points—like business or agriculture—into a difficult climate story with new sources. “Because it's an everything issue,” she said. “There are lots of places to find commonalities.”

Gibson-Snyder also addressed what it takes to create meaningful youth-centered spaces, acknowledging how common it is to include youth voices by creating a program for them or an advisory board. “I want to throw out there that is actually a silo and you are throwing youth into a separate room to have conversations,” she said. “I don't want a seat at the other table, I want a seat at the table.”

The importance of imperfect allies, or supporters that continue to show up and persevere despite their shortcomings, was also a common theme of this event. On this topic, Weston said, “If we insist on certain litmus tests for engagement of any kind, we’re not going to win the fight for democracy.” 

Resources:

• Our Children's Trust
• Third Act
• Climate Action Venn Diagram
• Climate Emotions Wheel
• Essential Readings in Climate Psychology