The narrative of a climate emergency has increased exponentially as a term to describe the state of climate change, its repercussions, and the need for action. Thousands of political jurisdictions worldwide have declared a state of climate emergency. Young people have taken to the streets, fighting no longer just for their futures but for their current lives, and for all life on Earth. Inspired by this tumultuous context, this research seeks to explore the concept and condition of a climate emergency, moving beyond scientific and political usages and understandings, to gain more insights into other dimensions of a climate emergency as, interconnectedly, an affective discursive term, a lived reality, and a conceptual challenge. This research asks: What does it mean for youth to live in a climate emergency? Youth voices are often overlooked, yet youth are now the “future generations” environmentalism had been trying to preserve. This research shares findings and stories from a group of youth on their perspectives, experiences, and emotions as they negotiate their realities and seek meaning in an emergency. This research seeks to broaden understandings of life in a climate emergency, creating an inclusive narrative that validates youth’s experiences and emotions, and providing an impetus for action. Sharing circles were conducted with 12 youth, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, to hear their stories. For these youth, living in a climate emergency means experiencing intense emotional and psychological states (anger and frustration, anxiety and fear, depressive states, guilt, helplessness, hope and gratitude, overwhelm, and sorrow and grief), having these emotions dismissed, having their everyday lives profoundly affected, and having their futures shaped and stolen. This research also prompts reflection on new conceptualizations and narratives of life in a climate emergency. Overall, this emergent research imbues the climate emergency discourse with more meanings, and has normative implications for social and political change.
