Burning forests. Melting glaciers. Rising oceans. As a high schooler, inheriting this ravaged earth can feel terrifying and overwhelming. But environmental destruction can also seem distant when overshadowed by looming essay deadlines, time-consuming soccer practices, and impending history exams. 

I spoke with several Bronx Science students from varied grades and backgrounds about their thoughts on climate change. Our conversations revealed the hopes, fears, and indifferences of a rising generation. Some spoke of the futility of enacting meaningful change, while others expressed optimism for a better future. Together, these reflections created a small but powerful glimpse into the minds of a generation that will soon become the world’s next scientists, innovators, and world leaders.

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Does climate change influence the everyday lives of Bronx Science students?

Angelina Wang ’26: “It’s gotten way warmer. In elementary school, Halloween was so cold and we would have jackets. Now, on Halloween it’s 80 degrees.”

Ariba Hassan ’25: “It does, but not in a very drastic way compared to other places. We are still dealing with the global impacts of climate change, even if they’re not so dire.”

Leonard Park ’26: “It’s definitely not something you would immediately say to yourself… I’m not denying the fact that it’s a huge concern for people, but kids are way more focused on things like test scores, grades, and whatever activities they’re in.”

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Wang, Hassan, and Park each interpreted the question through a different lens. 

Wang approached the question practically, focusing on one universally-experienced effect: changing weather patterns. She’s right. The temperatures on Halloween last year were almost record-high, and New Yorkers continued traversing the city without coats well into November. At the same time, New York endured unprecedented severe drought and wildfires across the state. 

Scientists predict that these trends will worsen throughout our lifetime, expecting average temperatures in New York City to rise as much as 6° Fahrenheit by 2050. New York City usually has about 70 days of below-freezing temperatures each year, but the coming decades may cut this number in half. And while the city has historically experienced about four days each year with temperatures exceeding 95°F, New Yorkers may instead endure up to 54 days a year of extreme heat by the end of the century.

Swaths of asphalt and crowded buildings trap heat and worsen the already dangerous conditions. Rising temperatures increase the possibility of heat-related sickness or death, disproportionately impacting low-income families who cannot afford air conditioning. 

Hassan acknowledged these effects while considering them in a broader context. “It was like sixty degrees in December, so that’s a little frightening,” she shared, “but I think it’s a bigger deal than we joke about.” She explained that while we can tolerate the weather with a change of clothes, other parts of the world face more extreme and life-threatening effects, such as hurricanes and tsunamis. 

Hassan also considered the less obvious “global impacts of climate change.” Rising oceans and increased air pollution are not factors that people directly observe on an everyday basis, nor are they unique to New York. Nevertheless, they still influence our lives. 

Sea levels rise as glaciers and ice sheets melt. At an average rate of one-eighth of an inch per year, this will amount to alarming consequences over the course of several decades. New Yorkers already experience side effects including worsened storms and flooding. In 2012, rising sea levels cost the city an additional $8 billion in recovery from Hurricane Sandy. 

Despite Wang’s observations and Hassan’s concerns, Park spoke of the disconnect between these major world problems and the lives of most high schoolers. Most kids do not regularly think about climate change, he said, especially when “test scores, grades, and activities” feel more pressing. It’s understandable, and it’s important to recognize that life continues despite the warming temperatures and oceans. Every once in a while, however, climate change sparks an event that demands complete attention. 

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What was your experience like the day the sky turned orange? Did it influence your perception of climate change’s relevance or importance?

Kathryn Wu ’26: “I go to my chemistry class, and there’s this huge window, and I see that the whole sky is orange. I’m completely shocked because I felt like it was an apocalypse or something.”

Angelina Wang ’26: “It definitely gave apocalyptic zombie-type vibes. I remember walking out and my eyes were actually burning a little bit. It was making me cough.”

Dakota Lombard ’26: “I had a history test and [my teacher] locked up the windows and turned up the AC and told us all we were going to ace it. We didn’t, but it was really funny. And everyone was freaking out.”

***

Even though it was over a year ago, Wu, Wang, and Lombard all have specific memories of June 7th, 2023. Other students that I spoke with could also describe the exact time. Why? Across New York, the sky was orange. Many students began to notice this around eighth period, whether they were sitting in Mr. Lubin’s AP World History class or walking into Spanish Two. 

New York’s hazy sky was a symptom of wildfires burning hundreds of miles away in Canada. In 2023, Canadian wildfires consumed 15 million hectares of land, far exceeding the yearly average of 2.5 million. The situation quickly became uncontrollable in Quebec, where lightning ignited over 120 wildfires in just one day. 

Scientists attributed the wildfires’ severity to unprecedented summer temperatures and dry conditions. This intensified destruction and extended the fire season. Wind carried the smoke to New England, clouding the sun and plummeting air quality to hazardous levels.  

Wu, Wang, and Lombard each used dramatic language to describe their experiences, comparing the event to an “apocalypse” and reliving emotions of fear and anxiety. Wang recalled the physical effects, such as coughing and stinging eyes. Many others had similar experiences. Canadian wildfire smoke significantly increased asthma-related symptoms among New Yorkers and especially threatened the health of elderly people, young children, and those with cardiovascular diseases. 

New York City closed public schools the next day. Officials advised wearing masks or staying indoors. For many people, this was a wake-up call: climate change is drastic and powerful enough to upend daily routines. It also emphasized the global nature of climate change, as the fire’s impact surpassed borders between Canada and the U.S.

New York’s experience does not compare with the destruction of the Palisades Fire in California and other recent wildfires in Brazil, Greece, and Australia. However, Bronx Science students can now better empathize with those suffering the effects of wildfires across the country and globe. Even when our own lives feel normal, the media constantly surrounds us with reminders of crises worsened by climate change.

June 7th, 2023 is seared in the memories of Bronx Science students, but will it simply be a one-time event to tell exciting stories about? Or will it have an enduring impact on how we consider climate change on a global scale? Although such events are disheartening, our generation has the potential to unite over disasters and leverage them to create more awareness and action.

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Does our generation experience or perceive climate change differently than other generations?

Maysha Chowdhury ’25: “Social media has been a catalyst in understanding climate change… Our generation is more likely to demand change because we are more aware of how urgent this issue is. But there’s also a long way to go.”

Ariba Hassan ’25: “We’re just at a point in the world where a lot of things are happening: wildfires, flooding… Our generation is getting the brunt of that, and the next generation – our kids – are people we have to worry about now.”

Jonathan Zhang ’28: “It’s normal for us.”

***

Generation Z is in a unique position. We are the first generation to grow up with internet, cell phones, and social media. We witnessed both global division and unification during the pandemic that upended our childhoods. And we were born into an era of heightened environmental awareness, shaped by the climate change movement of the late twentieth century.

Chowdhury highlighted the intersection between environmentalism and social media. She emphasized social media’s ability to connect millions of people and rapidly spread information. Many climate activists use social media platforms to both acknowledge the world’s problems and formulate solutions. Hashtags such as #FridayForFuture have been instrumental in launching worldwide climate strikes.

“What a lot of people don’t realize is that climate change isn’t just a problem for our planet, it’s a human one,” Chowdhury said. Social media is a tool to humanize the crisis by bringing people together and sharing photos, videos, and personal experiences. “When we reframe it as a story about real people, whether it’s someone losing their home to a flood or a New York City kid sweating through heatwave, it becomes harder to ignore.”

However, the influx of media attention can come with an overwhelming sense of anxiety and responsibility, which Hassan alluded to in her response. The news and social media are constant reminders of the climate crisis even when spared from directly experiencing its effects. Although the internet symbolizes international unity, it also provides us with countless examples of world leaders struggling to compromise and enact meaningful change.

Compared to Chowdhury’s hope and Hassan’s worries, Zhang’s comment is short and poignant: “It’s normal for us now.”

From a young age, Generation Z has been exposed to climate change at its worst. Without decades of life to contextualize our experiences, severe heat waves are just hot summers. Storms of unprecedented strength are just storms. Record-breaking wildfires are just wildfires. 

Seniors like Chowdhury and Hassan may remember losing a week of kindergarten to Hurricane Sandy. In only their first year of school, how would they have known that this wasn’t normal for the American Northeast? Someday in the future, our kids may be more familiar with missing school due to hazardous air quality than snowstorms and icy roads. If this is their reality, how will they know that life doesn’t need to be this way?

The definition of ‘normal’ is shifting as each generation grows up in increasingly different circumstances. As it evolves, climate change seems more like a fact of life than a solvable problem. The more people see its devastating effects, the more numb they can become. 

But the reflections from these seven students have proven that not all is hopeless.

Wang, Hassan, Park, Wu, Lumbarg, Chowdhury, and Zhang expressed thoughtful responses during our conversations, showing that many young adults are still taking the time to consider climate change, even if it isn’t always at the forefront of their minds. Moreover, their diverse responses displayed originality and creativity, qualities that are essential in combating climate change.

Chowdhury was right in noting that “there’s still a long way to go.” Generation Z, with all its resilience and adaptability, is up to the challenge. 

Together, these reflections created a small but powerful glimpse into the minds of a generation that will soon become the world’s next scientists, innovators, and world leaders.