Greenpeace’s newest campaign, A New Warrior, is the type of social change and activism that we all should be proud of. The Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace’s international ship, has been protecting Mother Earth since 1978, and now they need your help to build a new one. You can purchase a part of the ship- from a wrench to pieces of the sail- and your name will appear on a plaque inside the ship along with other donors and contributors. There are thousands of items left to buy and their website offers interactive maps so users can determine the exact location they would like to make a purchase.

In a recent Washing Times Opinion piece, Ted Nugent stated that Millennials, those aged 13-29, “sleep as their future crumbles.”  While I would love to see the civil disobedience that occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, and would without a doubt be one of the many placing a flower into the barrel of a gun, our young generation is not as apathetic as he states.

According to Time Magazine, young people voted “in numbers rarely seen since the general election of 1972″ during the 2008 Presidential election. Across American colleges and universities, including my place of study, Indiana University, students are taking a direct role in leadership, especially when it comes to the environment. No longer can I, as with many of my peers, stand by while the natural environment decays because of “business-as-usual.”

This is your opportunity to foster an alternative to “business-as-usual.” Not only should you help build a ship that protects our natural environment, but next time you hear about an apathetic young generation, stand up and say something. Anything. It is our responsibility to do so.

Sources: Greenpeace, The Washington Times, Pew Research, & joshspear.com