Last night, the youth-led activist group Climate Defiance - which had loudly called for Joe Biden to withdraw his bid for reelection earlier this year - endorsed Kamala Harris for president. But, despite that support and soaring enthusiasm from young people after Harris replaced Biden on the Democratic ticket, with 40 days left until the election, excitement has cooled off among many young voters who are prioritizing climate and calling for stronger commitments from the candidate. After the Sept. 10 debate, some young voters and climate groups were unimpressed by both candidates’ support for oil and gas production, voicing dismay over Harris’ shift to the center on climate. “If Harris wants to win, she needs to be far more progressive than she was tonight,” wrote Gen-Z for Change on X after the debate. “She needs to ban fracking, support public transit, secure a permanent ceasefire, and more.” But the group prioritized defeating the Republican presidential candidate: “Regardless, Trump is dangerous,” the post continued. “Trump is a racist. Trump is a fa(s)cist dictator. We need to stop Trump.” Explore the latest news about what’s at stake for the climate during this election season. The Sunrise Movement stated that the debate was a “missed opportunity” for Harris to contrast her record on climate with Trump’s. “Harris spent more time promoting fracking than laying out a bold vision for a clean energy future,” the youth-led organization wrote. Both groups had been strong voices on the left calling for Biden to cease his reelection bid, and had voiced optimism about Harris’ potential to support swift action on the climate crisis, citing her past support of policies like the Green New Deal and her legal prosecution of oil and gas companies. Gen Z for Change and the Sunrise Movement are among the many progressive organizations phone banking, canvassing and otherwise pushing for youth voter turnout in swing states. But... |