Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/1055360
maybe they do not need to invest in expensive solutions; rather, it is the wealthy who need to reduce their emissions and finance responses (Roser et al. 2017). Team members acknowledge their relative affluence in their home communities, and the insulating effect it has on them. However, while research suggests that affluence may insulate individuals from climate impacts and decrease motivation to act (Markowitz & Shariff 2012), team members' acute sensitivity to the vulnerability of others combined with acknowledgment of their personal privilege was a key motivation to act for these youth. Here is but one example: Climate migration even further increases our responsibility to become sustainable… we need to take in the climate refugees who need homes ( E D M O N T O N , B L O G 2 B ) This commitment to responsibility was impressive; we wish that these youth could teach compassion to politicians who support less- than-charitable refugee policies. As with other impacts of climate change, there is only so much individuals can do to respond to a refugee crisis. 2 . 2 . 3 S ys tems Change: Gover nmen t s, Schools, and Ci tizens As the project progressed, a few students began to contemplate the limitations of individual 'lifestyle' solutions to adequately respond to climate change, even those carried out by a large number of people. Discussion about the role of governments became more prominent, as team members came to recognize that responding to climate change necessarily implicates powerful institutions. Team members rarely mentioned the need for pressure to be exerted by individuals in civil society to enable institutional change, but many explored the potential actions that could be taken by municipal, regional, and federal governments. Team members were hopeful about what governments can achieve, but at the same time critical of their observations of talk without action and abdication of responsibility. Near my house, I saw that small companies throw oil waste in the river. I told the police officers, like the government part of my town – it's not Bogotá, it's a little town near Bogotá – so I told the government of my town and they said 'that's not our problem, that's Bogotá's problem'. And my mom told the government of Bogotá and they said 'that's not our problem, that's Chia's problem' – the 44 | F I N D I N G S