Our youth will inherit climate crisis. We talked to a Staunton teen about what that means.

STAUNTON — Four days before leaving for college, Hyacinth Cox was still holding out hope she somehow could take the moped with her. A moped has many advantages, one of which it can easily fit into most cars or trucks, if needed. Cox said you just have to muscle it in, although she admitted a U-Haul might be needed for this particular trip.

Yet, anyone who has packed for college would understand why the moped couldn't go, at least not yet. There was just too much else to pack, so now the plan is to bring it down later. The 1978 silver Vespa Grande that she found on Craigslist about a year ago tops out at 25 miles per hour, so Cox is used to other vehicles passing her on the road as she drives around Staunton.

"Other than that, it's a pretty great experience," Cox said.

Part of that experience is that the moped averages around 120 miles to the gallon of gas. There are debates over whether motor scooters are more or less eco-friendly than cars, but Cox likes to think her fuel-efficient ride is making some impact on reducing her carbon footprint.

She also has worked to clean up Lewis Creek in Staunton. She's picked up trash on a trail not far from her house. She's protested the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project.

All of that is important to the Staunton teen, who first discovered a passion for the environment when, as an 11-year-old, she attended Nature Camp in Vesuvius. The private, nonprofit summer camp specializes in natural history and environmental science education, focusing on conservation.

Growing up in a family of environmentalists, Cox was always conscious of the world around her, but something about that two-week overnight camp changed her.

"Go live in the woods for two weeks, learn about nature," Cox said. "I think that really sparked an interest for me in just how the world functions and grows."

She attended every summer after that with the exception of 2020 when the pandemic closed Nature Camp. Being around others who were passionate about the environment made her realize how important it was to her as well. Now, she plans to major in conservation biology in college with the hope of one day being a science journalist.

"I'm just really interested in getting out there, doing field research and looking to spread awareness about different environmental issues that are maybe not getting as much light as they should," Cox said.

We talked with Cox to explore how one Staunton teen is thinking about the legacy of the climate crisis in the decades ahead. As part of our Paste BN Network "Perilous Course" project, we spoke to young people up and down the East Coast who are worried, sad or upset at the coming inheritance of a world rapidly worsening for human habitation.

Cox graduated from Staunton High School in May and is now starting her freshman year at Warren Wilson College, a small liberal arts school just outside of Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. The school's campus includes a 300-acre working farm and garden, and a 600-acre forest, almost perfect for Cox.

"From the horses that plow the fields to the bees that pollinate the garden, everything follows sustainable agricultural practices," the school's website reads.

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The dining locations at Warren Wilson participate in farm-to-table, composting, and recycling programs. Per the school's website, the crops and animals that help feed the campus and surrounding community are tended to by student work crews, and 34% of the food served on campus is either grown on campus or in the surrounding community.

Cox found out this summer at least three other people at Nature Camp also attend Warren Wilson, and one of the camper's fathers is a professor there. It just felt like she'd made the perfect decision on a school.

"It just seemed like an environment that I'd fit very well into," Cox said. "Just other people that are equally as passionate about the Earth."

Cox tries to stay as up-to-date as she can on the climate crisis and it can be depressing. Lately, she's focused on Arctic sea ice levels, worried about the potential for flooding and changing weather patterns, bringing more severe weather to parts of the country.

She wonders how the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June to essentially take away the Environmental Protection Agency's power to regulate carbon emissions will have an effect. She is concerned about how devastating heat and severe droughts will impact the global food supply. At her worst, she wonders if one day she'll have to move to Canada because the weather in the United States will be too extreme to survive.

At 18, Cox feels like much of that remaining life is being stolen from her.

"It's just like, there's all of this environmental disaster, I guess was kind of just left with my generation," she said. "And we're being constantly told you're the ones that are going to fix all this and come up with some miraculous solution. No pressure."

Occasionally Cox has spells of hopelessness, feeling like it's so terrible and so much bigger than any one person. She is in therapy, and although Cox said environmental worries weren't the root cause of her seeking counseling, it is definitely something that is discussed a lot during sessions.

About a year ago, the fear of what might happen if things don't change and do so quickly consumed her. It was the biggest worry on her mind.

She constantly checked the news. She joined online communities with members who had the same concerns as her, had the same passions about the environment. That didn't always go well because some commenters tended to stray toward the apocalyptic side, only serving to increase Cox's concerns. At times she felt completely engulfed by the negativity.

"Just getting those constant updates just broke me down a bit," she said.

Cox had to learn how to disengage, take time to reset her emotions and try not to stress herself. Therapy helped. When the feelings start to overwhelm her, Cox works to refocus on what she can change and not worry about what she can't. That has helped. A year later, as she gets ready for her freshman year of college, Cox feels better. Better doesn't always mean great, however.

"I try not to let it consume my every waking thought because, if I do, that's just not going to be great for my mental health," she said. "But it definitely does upset me a lot, that it's happening and not enough is being done."

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Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com