Enlisting the Power of Youth for Climate Change

Despite efforts by the adult generation to stem the rise of global warming, the planet is getting hotter every year. The present article analyzes, within the framework of social- cognitive theory, highly resourceful youth conducting environmental programs that curtail heat-trapping gases and protect various ecological supports of life. The children's intuitive principles of change closely matched the formal principles of social- cognitive theory. Social media equip youth with unlimited reach and promote large-scale environmental impact. Their ingenious practices provide the foundation for a powerful youth environmental movement. Public Significance Statement Climate scientists report mounting alarm over massive destruction of the ecological supports of life. Twenty years of annual UN summitry produced no binding commitment by world leaders to reduce heat-trapping gases. The present article focuses on development of an international youth movement designed to preserve a habitable planet. It documents the effectiveness of youth as agents of environmental change.