Let’s be real: being a young person in Michigan right now feels like a constant game of “Survival: Economic Edition.” Between trying to secure a future in a shifting climate and checking a utility bill that looks more like a mortgage payment, the vibe is giving stressed. And if you tuned into the recent State of the Union (SOTU) address this week hoping for a roadmap to a livable future, you probably walked away feeling… ghosted. While the podium was filled with talk of “economic recovery” and political finger-pointing, there were way too many unanswered questions. I mean…did the oligarchs get the money, because according to Gen Z environmental leaders, they ain’t got it. A recent powerhouse panel featuring some of the most influential youth voices in environment including Kristy Drutman AKA Brown Girl Green, Dionna Brown, a proud Flint, Michigan Native from the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Isaias Hernandez AKA Queer Brown Vegan, and college youth organizer with the Grand Valley NAACP Ernesto A. Hurtado-Garza, Jr., sat down with their Big Millennial Sis, LaTricea Adams, Founder CEO and President of Young, Gifted & Green, to unpack a hard truth: the energy crisis isn’t just an “adult” problem. It is a Gen Z crisis.

The Math Ain’t Mathing

For many young Michiganders, the frustration starts with the light bill. Young people are told to work hard and save, but how is that possible when basic utilities are skyrocketing? Dionna Brown from the Michigan League of Conservation Voters didn’t hold back on the absurdity of our current situation.

“We should not be paying this much money for our utility bills for the worst service in the Midwest. The worst service. Unreliable. [They’re] power outages every other day. It should not be like this. And we’re paying over $300 for this crazy work.” — Dionna Brown

When you’re paying premium prices for unreliable grids, a good crashout is perfectly acceptable. When the Commander in Chief’s address to the nation fails to mention that utility companies are essentially charging us a “survival tax” for service that doesn’t even stay on, it’s no wonder young voters like GenZ feel unheard. Our executive branch is so unserious.

Policy Fatigue is Real

We get it. Mention the word “policy”, and some young people immediately exit the group chat. There is a massive disconnect between the high-level political talk in D.C. and the actual lived experience of the everyday college student. Ernesto A. Hurtado-Garza, Jr., President of the Youth Climate Council at GVSU, highlighted this hurdle in engaging the campus crowd.

“A lot of the times college kids don’t want to hear the word policy…They avoid [it] as much as possible.” — Ernesto A. Hurtado-Garza, Jr.

But as the panel noted, avoiding politics doesn’t mean politics avoids you. The light bill is a political choice, and changing it requires getting hooked on the solution.

Waiting for a Roadmap

One of the hardest parts of the climate crisis for Gen Z is the feeling that national leaders are driving a car with no GPS. We know where we need to go (a sustainable, just planet), but the people currently behind the wheel seem to be stalling and taking some wild detours like de-regulating foundational protections like the Endangerment Finding. Kristy Drutman, founder of Brown Girl Green, pointed out that the “just transition” we keep hearing about won’t happen by accident.

“There’s not really a clear road map that leads us out of this mess. It just seems like it’s going to continue to get worse until we have leaders in power and people that we do elect into positions of power that are going to pass the policies and the bills necessary to regulate polluting industries to get us back on track for a just transition.” — Kristy Drutman

Sustainability is a Survival Skill

While some influencers and corporations portray environmentalism as a luxury or a “future goal,” the panel reminded us that for many, it’s a survival strategy rooted in the past. Isaias Hernandez (a.k.a. Queer Brown Vegan) challenges the corporate “greenwashing machine” by grounding sustainability in the reality of the working class.

“I think growing up poor for myself made me more sustainable in the way I saw life.” — Isaias Hernandez

True sustainability isn’t about the “renewable energy credits” mentioned in high-level speeches; it’s about the resourcefulness of communities that have been forced to survive on the margins for generations. While the panel clearly names that the largest responsibility to solve the climate crisis is to hold industrial polluters accountable, it is always a good time to model best practices. Climate anxiety may have us temporarily in a chokehold, but adopting personal, sustainable practices in our everyday lives is not only a form of resisting colonialism, it provides a sense of control of our lives when things feel really chaotic and unpredictable.

Reclaiming the Power

The SOTU might have missed the mark, but the youth-led climate and environmental justice movement in Michigan and across the nation isn’t waiting for politicians paid off by tech bros to call the shots. GenZ is all about forging new paths, so if the government won’t provide the roadmap, they will build the roadmap themselves.

LaTricea Adams of Young, Gifted & Green summed up the shift from political frustration to grassroots power:

“We ain’t got no money, but we do have power. We have people power.” — LaTricea Adams

Check this DOPE conversation from Local, State & National GenZ Voices: