If I were to describe my generation, Gen Z, in one word, it would be “desensitized”. Growing up in a post 9/11 world, we have never known a country at peace, much less a world. I was born in 2002 and my life has been punctuated by tragedy and unrest. I remember sitting in a school assembly in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting. I was ten years old when I was told I could be killed in my elementary school classroom at any time. After that, however, there were no more assemblies, school shootings are now commonplace; if we had continued, I would have spent most of my education in an assembly hall. At 14, I remember crying in the bathroom when Donald Trump was elected the first time, realizing that I will probably have fewer rights than my mom did when she was my age. My high school graduation was done over Google Meet amidst the COVID pandemic and my college graduation uncertain as protests continued across the world. This isn’t to evoke pity, it is a privilege to have a graduation at all, but rather to provide context for the America I grew up knowing. The young adults in my generation have seen a lot in our few years and we were born into a world that tells us and shows us that we are disposable.
My name is Morgan, and I am a 22-year-old working my first job out of college in Minneapolis. I work for a non-profit called Clean Water Action, fighting to protect and preserve clean, drinkable, and fishable water for all. I am incredibly grateful to work with the determined team that helped advocate for and pass the most comprehensive PFAS restrictions in the world, Amara’s Law. For those unfamiliar, PFAS, commonly known as the “forever chemical”, is a substance used in items like waterproof rain jackets and non-stick pans for its ability to repel oil and water. It is used in food packaging and personal care products like microwave popcorn, dental floss, and cosmetics. PFAS is also a toxic chemical. This isn’t a secret, this isn’t a surprise, this isn’t an opinion. It is a fact that manufacturers have been aware of since the chemical’s inception more than 75 years ago and they continue to sell it to consumers anyway.
A few years ago, a young woman named Amara Strande and her family became advocates fighting for PFAS restrictions in Minnesota and nationwide, alongside some of my colleagues. I didn’t know Amara, but I’m now older than she ever lived to be. She died before ever seeing this law implemented, a rare form of cancer her family believes to be linked to PFAS exposure taking her life days before her 21st birthday. Hearing Amara’s story and her fight for change affected me on a profound level. I was no longer just working to protect Minnesota, or the millions of people exposed to environmental hazards every day, I was working to prevent another family from going through what Amara and her family went through.
As a desensitized Gen Z’er, it is hard to rattle me, I thought I had prepared myself for what it would be like as a young woman entering the field of politics. I knew there would be challenges and discouraging moments. I knew a bill that I wouldn’t agree with would pass and some I poured my heart into wouldn’t, that’s the job. Witnessing the moments in the Capitol I had read about and studied, the bang of the gavel, the calling of the testifiers, all of it seemed larger than life and incredibly important. But this reverence quickly faded as I heard discussion after discussion trying to justify rolling back potentially life-saving legislation in favor of a business’ bottom line. I heard jokes about how much money this will make corporations, and watched eyes roll at the mention of environmental and human health impacts. The people who promise to protect and advocate for their constituents don’t always choose to keep those promises. I was heartbroken and scared, for my future and that of so many others.
Amara’s law is being implemented well, with the rest of the world watching closely, and Minnesota is better for it. We are incredibly grateful for our allies in office, without their hard work and determination, we would not have been able to pass such monumental legislation. But right now, Amara’s law and the health of millions are at risk once again. Bills HF 1627 and HF 81, authored by Representative Heintzman, plan to irresponsibly gut the law, putting polluters before people, like we’ve seen done so many times before. When will enough finally be enough?
We have been a broken record since the passage of Amara’s Law, saying that finding safer PFAS alternatives has the potential to create jobs and be profitable for businesses of all sizes. The global community is moving away from using PFAS in consumer products and Minnesota has an opportunity to be a leader in manufacturing safe products for global sale. Just because innovation is hard and takes time is not an excuse. Capitalism is meant to push society forward, creating competition that drives change, fostering new ideas and businesses. It was not built to just accept the first product that completes a goal, especially when it is poison to people and the environment. We have seen these innovators, scientists, and entrepreneurs who are creating effective alternatives to PFAS, they just need support. They don’t even get a chance because large corporations come in and try to pick apart important legislation like Amara’s Law. Minnesota continues to be poisoned and polluted, people continue to get sick, children like Amara continue to die. Advocates like myself continue to do what they can, while some legislators continue to refuse.
I am not doing this work because I want governmental control or hate businesses. I am not doing this because I think the environment is more important than other parts of our society. I am doing this job because I care about other people. I look at my colleagues, our coalition partners, and allies and I see good people working themselves to the bone because they know there are more important things than quarterly earnings. It truly is that simple. We care about people and will fight to protect them. We will turn off the tap on PFAS. For Amara, Minnesota, and the world.
Read the abridged version published in the Minnesota Star Tribune at https://www.startribune.com/im-22-with-a-new-job-focused-on-clean-water-heres-why-im-doing-it/601237445
