Peaceful Planet

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overpowering the climate procrastination monkey
by Lani Lin-Kissick, Annabelle Ford

25%. That’s the weight of my calculus grade determined by my final exam. “Do not get fooled,” quite literally written in the course advice section
 You already know we procrastinated that đŸ’©.Maybe you’re not as bad as me, but you probably relate to having desensitization to tests, assignments, and other important action items that reallyyyy should be prioritized.So, why do our brains hate staying on the obvious, continuous work path and opt for performing a superhuman, last-minute effort (if any at all)? And how does this psychology relate to why we ignore our claim to climate action despite knowing the consequences and actions?

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Peaceful Planet is a dynamic youth empowerment movement created by teens, for teens. It provides a supportive and inclusive space for young individuals to holistically explore critical human rights and environmental conservation issues while fostering collaborative action. Peaceful Planet aims to inspire a new generation of change-makers equipped with the knowledge, tools, and community support needed to create a more equitable and sustainable world.

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In today’s world, the news surrounding climate change, biodiversity loss, armed conflict, and other cross-national violence can feel overwhelming and often serves to deepen political polarization in the u.s., as well as tensions between the u.s. and its allies and other global regimes. Teens are exposed to this content daily, primarily through social media, leading to feelings of apathy, climate anxiety, and a sense of powerlessness.Peaceful Planet aims to reshape this narrative by empowering teens with resources and a community key to realize our collective ability to create change. With your vital support, the Peaceful Planet team will work to achieve our name, and we will do so in a way that is inclusive, inviting, and engaging.

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Overpowering the Climate Procrastination Monkey
by Lani Lin-Kissick, Annabelle Ford

25%. That’s the weight of my calculus grade determined by my final exam. “Do not get fooled,” quite literally written in the course advice section
 You already know we procrastinated that đŸ’©.Maybe you’re not as bad as me, but you probably relate to having desensitization to tests, assignments, and other important action items that reallyyyy should be prioritized.So, why do our brains hate staying on the obvious, continuous work path and opt for performing a superhuman, last-minute effort (if any at all)? And how does this psychology relate to why we ignore our claim to climate action despite knowing the consequences and actions?

From Community to Government

Avenues of Change
by Claire Chiu

An interviewer once asked me what I thought was more effective to combat climate change – grassroots organization, or policy? In other words, a top-down approach, or vice versa? Through my years of experience as a youth environmental activist, here is what I think


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February 7, 2025

Take Action: Overpowering the Climate Procrastination Monkey

By Lani Lin-Kissick, Annabelle Ford

25%. That’s the weight of my calculus grade determined by my final exam. “Do not get fooled,” quite literally written in the course advice section
 You already know we procrastinated that đŸ’©.Maybe you’re not as bad as me, but you probably relate to having desensitization to tests, assignments, and other important action items that reallyyyy should be prioritized.So, why do our brains hate staying on the obvious, continuous work path and opt for performing a superhuman, last-minute effort (if any at all)? And how does this psychology relate to why we ignore our claim to climate action despite knowing the consequences and actions?

Designed by Lani Lin-Kissick

To state the obvious, climate change is the most consequential crisis of our time, period. We hesitate to act because of three key psychological barriers. At PP, we love acronyms, so we’ll call them the 3Ds: distance, doom, and dissonance.We often feel distant from the crisis because its worst effects seem far in the future, not connecting the climate crises happening in the DRC, Chad, Somalia, and Bangladesh–even the floods in FL and CA–to our reality.Doomism plays a role, too–a large majority of climate-related media use catastrophe narratives, leaving readers feeling powerless. This isolates people who care or want to care about the climate instead of empowering them–a tell tale sign that this storytelling technique has to go (1,2)!Meanwhile, dissonance arises when our actions contradict our values—we know fossil fuel consumption is harmful, yet we rationalize personal choices like plane travel for convenience (3). Our contradictions are backed by the numbing social media content we consume every day that promotes consumerism and individualism in neverending “self-care” and fashion trends. This results in degradation desensitization, which is “the loss of sensitivity to a previously aversive degradation stimulus due to consistent exposure to that stimulus” (4), prevalent because we fail to promote positive climate action stories along with the crises.What You Can DoInstead of succumbing to inaction, take steps that counter climate anxiety while making a real impact:
Join an organization: Groups like Peaceful Planet provide community, education, and action plans to combat the climate crisis. Research shows that activism itself can alleviate climate anxiety.Organize locally: Whether it’s a school club, workplace initiative, or a chapter of an existing group, collective action amplifies impact and fosters hope. Some examples are the Sunrise Movement, Master Naturalists, and your school’s social justice clubs.Upgrade your lifestyle: Every wasted cup of water could sustain a child; a single ton of CO₂ could permanently damage a population of fish. It all matters. Revolutionary optimism—not despair—drives change.Educate and advocate: Post on social media, talk to friends and family, or reach out to representatives. Schools have yet to catch up with climate education, so grassroots efforts are crucial.
I know that tackling climate change seems impossible. In many ways, it is. Still, if everything we do in the modern world has a carbon consequence, then that is a million opportunities to change the world.I know this to be true for me. Spending time outdoors has always made me feel safe, the cool breeze a comforting hug and the chirping birds the sweetest song. And I couldn’t ignore the news. So, climate anxiety filled me
 until I turned that anxiety into passion, drive, life purpose.Now, I’ve founded Peaceful Planet and write impactful articles that help us all connect climate action to how we live our modern social lives with my friends. :)This Black History Month, let the wisdom of architect educator Mabel O. Wilson explain why she’s an Afro-optimist not pessimist, and see how we can all relate this mindset of radical optimism to how we approach climate change–and generate peace. (5)“...I see the promise of making. I think it’s important to be critical and see where the current system fails, but also to pose questions about how to change it. That’s where the work comes in, where imagination becomes vital.”

Resources:1. Butterworth, Amy. “Climate Doomism Is Bad Storytelling — the Beautiful Truth.” The Beautiful Truth, 29 Aug. 2023, thebeautifultruth.org/world/climate-doomism-bad-storytelling/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
2. Daley-Harris, Sam. “Suffering Climate Anxiety? You’re Not Alone.” The Invading Sea, 11 Feb. 2022, www.theinvadingsea.com/2022/02/11/climate-anxiety/. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
3. Corner, Adam, et al. “How Do Young People Engage with Climate Change? The Role of Knowledge, Values, Message Framing, and Trusted Communicators.” Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, vol. 6, no. 5, 24 Aug. 2015, pp. 523–534.
4. Alhadeff, Alexandra. “Numb to the World: Degradation Desensitization and Environmentally Responsible Behavior | Tropical Resources Institute.” Tri.yale.edu, 2015, tri.yale.edu/publications/tropical-resources-bulletin/tri-bulletin-archive/tropical-resources-vol-34/numb-world.
5. Olunkwa, Emmanuel. “PIN–up Magazine.” PIN–up | MABEL O. WILSON on RADICAL OPTIMISM, 2022, www.pinupmagazine.org/articles/mabel-o-wilson-on-radical-optimism. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.*Additionally, we’d like to recognize Tim Urban who famously created the visualization of the “procrastination monkey” in his 2016 TedTalk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arj7oStGLkU.

February 6th, 2025

FROM COMMUNITY TO GOVERNMENT: AVENUES OF CHANGE

by Claire Chiu

An interviewer once asked me what I thought was more effective to combat climate change – grassroots organization, or policy? In other words, a top-down approach, or vice versa? Through my years of experience as a youth environmental activist, here is what I think


Designed by Lani Lin-Kissick

“Hey, that event called ‘Heartbroken Ocean’ – are you organizing that? It sounds really cool.”This small compliment given to me by my high school classmate was a lasting sign that my passion for grassroots organization and creative advocacy is well-founded.Definition: ‘Grassroots Organization’ is defined as a group of people united by ideas and purpose, often as volunteers to help their local community, sometimes notably with elements of activism.From working in student council to directing an independent environmental organization, I had devoted myself to environmentalist community initiatives in my high school years, and I still continue to do so while studying in Cornell’s college of engineering. But I sometimes find it difficult to be both an engineer and a community leader. The action-oriented engineer part of my brain screams, “Stop spending so much time on your little campaigns and events, and do something that makes faster change!” But through the doubts, I persisted, because this is what I know:Grassroots changes culture and fosters empowerment. It helps people care a bit more about something they might not have noticed before. Through my high school student council and Green4Tomorrow, a student-led environmental organization, I organized a myriad of campaigns and events surrounding sustainability. From a small secondhand book exchange event at the library to “Heartbroken Ocean,” an off-campus concert and fair collaborating with 6 schools to advocate for ocean conservation, I saw how these campaigns not only increased the visibility of key issues, but demonstrated that environmentalism is fun and meaningful. It reduces the barrier for people to get involved in positive change. It shows them that being an environmentalist is the trend.Small individual actions are what make our cumulative effort so powerful and important. Our collaborators for “Heartbroken Ocean,” such as student organization Fridays for Future Taiwan, which organized a peaceful protest recognized by nationwide news, and High School Soap Lab, which brought volunteers together to make and donate hundreds of handmade soaps from recycled oil, are similar examples of the power of grassroots activism.Though important, grassroots movements alone aren’t enough to create effective change - government also plays an important role. Government and policy can often create large-scale change without needing as much resources or time. I took my first step into the realm of environmental governance when I was invited to serve as youth advisor for the Taiwan Ministry of Environment, Executive Yuan. Through meetings and email, I provided my feedback to government officials regarding environmental policies, from water quality monitoring initiatives to public education and outreach. Through my voice, I reminded the government that youth care about the climate urgently, and that they must protect children and teenagers’ rights to a healthy environment and life. For example, instead of monitoring only the percentage of adequate waste treatment in Taiwan, I advocated for setting goals based on detailed percentages of each type of waste treatment, such as incineration and recycling. Determined to make the most of my role as youth advisor, I also independently planned a trip to visit an indigenous community of Atayal people in Yilan, discussing with community representatives about how improved recycling and transportation infrastructure would support the growth of their community. Taking inspiration back into meetings with the Ministry of Environment, I emphasized how crucial it was to consider the effects of policies on each unique indigenous community, case by case.If you’re a young environmentalist, I encourage you to try taking action directly from within the system too! I believe youth representation in policymaking is extremely necessary, especially in the environmental sector where government decisions directly impact the well-being of the next generation. However, since the government can also be restrained by pressures from powerful stakeholders and complex considerations, we must also support the NGOs and grassroots movements that help bring ideas to light and ignite action. Grassroots organization is a long-term investment in future generations, empowering and motivating people to combat global issues. Direct changes in policy are equally important. People and government should be seen as interacting forces – let’s maximize both in the direction of positive change.