"Our House is on Fire": Exploring the Rhetorical Significance of Youth Climate Activists, An Emerging Discourse Community

Abstract

How do youth activists position themselves to speak on behalf of a public, scientific dilemma while in a position of inferiority or civic exclusion? This paper presents an analysis of the latest generation of youth climate activists. I specifically attend to the organization Fridays For Future founded by Greta Thunberg in 2018. By undertaking an analysis of rhetorical artifacts from the international network of youth climate activists, this article reveals the rhetorical strategies of young people who intend to influence legislation and policy. Exporting rhetorical theory to youth environmental advocacy helps to understand this emerging and influential discourse community.