We Don't Have Time for This

  “This Friday, the Environmental Justice Club is hosting a special meeting to discuss climate change and what Lakewood High students can do about it. All are welcome. Please email Mr. Mendoza or visit the club's website for more information.” The principal moves onto the rest of the announcements, but I'm no longer listening.
  Now our club is being publicized on the school announcements? And it's a week-long campaign, at that. Another thing I wouldn't have thought to do. Isa's withering look, those pink streaks framing her face, flashes through my mind — again. I also overhear Abigail mention that the members tally on the club's web page is up to forty, and that the page has over a hundred views. [...]
  “Alright,” Mr. Mendoza says. “I'll start by introducing the club. What would you like to happen then?” he asks, looking between us.
  “Well,” Isa answers. “Then I guess we can go around and get to the sharing bit? I know people have commented on the webpage too, so maybe I can ask Kat to read those?”
  “How many have written online?”
  “About twenty, I think?”
  “Twenty, plus everybody here? That's really very well done, Isa,” Mr. Mendoza tells her. She smiles. “Thanks, Mr. Mendoza.” I don't miss that the conversation is now entirely between them.
  “Darius.” Mr. Mendoza says, seeming to read my mind. “Perhaps you can take notes? We'll need a way of capturing what's said.”
  “I'll ask everyone to do hand gestures, too,” Isa says, at the same time I get out, “You want me to take notes?”
  “That's right,” Mr. Mendoza says, “and we better get started. If we've got fifty people sharing, there's going to be a lot to get through.”
  How did that happen? I'm secretary to Isa's lead? She still looks like a deer in headlights. When I stalk off to get my laptop, Marina tries to catch my eye, but I don't have time to complain.
  “Welcome, everyone, come on in and have a seat!” Mr. Mendoza announces. “Feel free to move the stools around and grab more if we run out.”
  He starts his spiel, and I take a place by Isa at the front. While he's introducing the club, Isa grabs a whiteboard marker and writes up:
  What does environmental justice mean to you? What are you worried about? And what should we do about it?
  I reluctantly type her questions into a blank Word document. When Mr. Mendoza finishes, he turns to Isa expectantly. I'm suddenly nervous that she won't say anything and I'll end up having to chair and type.
  Isa takes a shaky breath.
  “Thanks everyone for coming,” she tells the room. “I just thought we should start the year off by finding out what we all care about? And that will help us find something to work on?”
  “Okay, I'll go then,” she says. “Well, I'm really worried about climate change. I think it affects us so much. Probably most obviously with the wildfires.” [...]   “And I'm tired of not talking about it, and not learning about it and not really understanding what I can actually do to stop it,” Isa continues.
  More hands go up.
  “I think what brought me here, though, is my dad's job. He works as a longshoreman, and his hours have been cut because they're building a natural gas pipeline down at the port. The natural gas isn't even for us! The pipeline will ship out east somewhere. And it will only make climate crisis worse. I'm just so frustrated, and I don't know what to do about it.” [...]
  Another girl starts with “There's a red tide again, which I'm really upset about. My family has an oyster farm, so we can't sell anything. Unless, you know, we want to poison people. A whole family died this summer from eating bad shellfish.”
  “Yeah, and there's never good news is there? I'm genuinely worried that the world is ending. That loke major tipping points are being crossed and we aren't doing anything about it. Nothing governments are doing is truly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.” [...]
  “Hi, I'm Darius,” I tell the room. “I'm one of the co-presidents of the Environmental Justice Club. I'm really concerned that the world isn't doing enough to stop climate change, too, and I want to better understand how countries make international decisions. [...] I think it's a really good idea to do this by holding a mock COP — a Model UN clubs together and really get into the weeds of understanding how climate policy is made.”