Natalie is a member of her school’s track and cross-country team and has enjoyed skiing since she was five. Unfortunately, her ability to safely enjoy and obtain exercise and recreation is being reduced and threatened by air pollution, increasing temperatures, decreasing snowfall, diminished snowpack, and the shortened ski season resulting from climate change.

Natalie experiences stress and anxiety knowing that climate change will continue to harm her health and safety and affect all the major decisions in her life, including where she can live to try to minimize the harms to her health and safety.

To reduce air pollution and try to reduce the harms of climate change, Natalie eats a vegan diet, strives to purchase only used goods, conserves water, and strives for her household to be zero waste. She has participated in Fridays for Future and climate rallies to push for climate action at both the state and national level. However, Natalie knows preventing further harm from climate change requires government responsibility. Natalie is frustrated by her government’s active participation in promoting fossil fuel production and lack of policy to prevent the harms of climate change.