March 6 Keynote Address by Climate Justice Advocate Audrey Hufnagel

We were delighted to welcome Audrey Hufnagel of Damariscotta who kicked off our March 6 Meet the Candidates event with some inspiring words.

She is a sophomore at Lincoln Academy and a member of Maine Youth for Climate Justice.

Watch her keynote address here or read the transcript below. Visit this page to watch the event in its entirety.

Good afternoon, my name is Audrey Hufnagel (she/her). I live in Damariscotta and I am a sophomore at Lincoln Academy and a climate justice advocate.

Living in Damariscotta, I am lucky enough to have a lot of access to outdoor spaces. I love to swim in the ocean and Damariscotta Lake and hike along the numerous trails in this area. Growing up, I have developed deep connections to these places and to the outdoors in general.

I first learned about climate change in middle school, and as I did more research, I realized how much the effects of the climate crisis are currently impacting, and will continue to impact, not only these places that I love, but also the future of everyone on this planet. It was this that drove me to join the climate movement in Maine.

Now, I work with several youth-led climate organizations including Maine Youth for Climate Justice, a statewide coalition advocating for bold climate action. I also work with Maine Youth Action, an affiliated organization that focuses on legislative and electoral work around climate justice. Through these organizations, I have done a lot of advocacy for climate legislation such as the Pine Tree Amendment, which would amend the Maine constitution to include the right to a healthy environment, and a bill to help provide educators with the support they need to teach climate education in schools.

My work is centered around the concept of climate justice. Climate justice recognizes that climate change is not just an environmental issue, it is also a justice issue.

Climate change does not impact everyone equally. People with marginalized identities, including people who identify as BIPOC, which stands for Black, Indiengous, People of Color, LGBTQ+ and young people, are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change.

For example, because of systemic structures that have oppressed Black people for generations, many Black people live in communities with limited resources that are often hit the hardest by natural disasters, which are exacerbated by climate change.

Climate justice recognizes this intersection between climate change and social justice issues. It is important that solutions to the climate crisis also address these intersectional issues.

Often the people who are most impacted by the climate crisis have contributed the least to it, and they often don’t have as much representation in decision making spaces. Therefore, equitable solutions to the climate crisis must also center and uplift the voices of these communities.

Climate change is an issue that will impact my future and the future of everyone in my generation and it is currently impacting people around the world.

In Lincoln County, we are already seeing its effects. Coastal communities where many people fish for a living are being impacted by ocean acidification and the warming of the Gulf of Maine, which is actually one of the fastest warming bodies of water in the world. Sea level rise is also a big threat to coastal communities. Already in Damariscotta when there is a big storm or high tide, our downtown parking lot often gets flooded. Farmers are being affected by changes in weather patterns and invasive species are becoming more prevalent, destroying Maine’s natural ecosystems. These effects will only worsen if bold and immediate action is not taken to address the climate crisis.

Scientists have said that we must dramatically decrease our consumption of fossil fuels by 2030 before the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere becomes irreversible, causing severe natural disasters and mass extinction.

In 2030, I will only be 23. This is an issue that is going to impact my life and the lives of everyone in my generation and generations to come, and it will be my generation who will have to deal with its worst effects.

Young people around the world are advocating for climate justice and demanding that leaders take the necessary action to mitigate the climate crisis so that we have a chance at a future where we can live and thrive.

Through my climate justice work, I have spent a lot of time advocating for bills in the Maine legislature, and I know that even with a democratic majority, it can be hard to get bold climate legislation passed. If we lose that Democratic majority in this next election cycle, we are effectively losing two years that we could be getting climate legislation passed, and with only eight years until 2030, time is precious.

We need to elect legislators who will not only support, but also take the lead in advocating for and introducing bold and immediate climate legislation. We need leaders who will make climate change a priority, because it is one of the most important issues of our time. The action that leaders take or fail to take right now will determine the future of our planet.

I will not be able to vote in this election, and it will still be two more years until I am able to do so, but you can vote and you need to vote, donate to democratic candidates or provide clean election contributions, volunteer. Get involved in whatever ways you can so that we can elect legislators who will help drive the change that is needed to address the climate crisis.