It all began with the Lakeridge Elementary Green Team.

That’s where Elisabeth Grove, Quinn Harper and Vihaan Tandon first gathered with other young environmentalists to delve into the school’s recycling and composting programs, energy conservation and more.

Over the years, the Mercer Island High School seniors have grown in their clean Earth advocacy and are currently members of the youth WA Citizens’ Climate Lobby. According to its website, the lobby is a “nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy climate change organization focused on state and national policies to address the global climate crisis.”

They have also lent their strong support for the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Climate Commitment Act, which joins other crucial climate policies in aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95% by 2050.

The trio recently spoke at a Mercer Island City Council meeting and Mercer Island School District board meeting regarding their environmental protection advocacy and the climate legislation. They’ve also been engaging in conversations with representatives from other King County cities.

Leading up to the Nov. 5 general election, the climate lobby focused its efforts on the No on Initiative 2117 campaign (to prohibit carbon tax credit trading) and the initiative was defeated 61.98% to 38.02%.

“This is a victory for clean air, clean energy jobs, and a stronger economy in the Evergreen State,” said Gov. Jay Inslee in a press release. “I am grateful to everyone who supported this campaign and voted ‘no’ on I-2117.”

Turning back the clock to her elementary years, Grove said that the Lakeridge Green Team’s climate advocacy was then focused on the stoppage of Styrofoam takeout containers.

“I’ve been interested in politics and policy for a while. I joined Citizens’ Climate Lobby because Quinn and Vihaan made a presentation, and it seemed like a really great place to try to work for climate advocacy on a more systemic level, rather than just an individual level,” she said. “It’s a great way to channel anxiety about climate change and trying to help save (the planet).”

Harper said he became involved in environmental advocacy at Lakeridge and later joined the climate lobby because he wanted to make a difference in the world and not sit back and watch things happen. He gained inspiration to become involved in this realm through his love of being active outdoors by hiking, kayaking and spending time on the lake in general.

“There’s definitely been some times both on Mercer Island and when I travel to different places where I’ve noticed climate change seriously affecting the environment. Like wildfires in eastern Washington, destroying homes there. Also even affecting us here. You can’t go outside (because of) heatwaves, both in California and we’ve had the hottest years ever recorded in the past few years,” he said.

Tandon feels that he’s grown as both a climate activist and a person over the years through his involvement with the Green Team and the climate lobby. His passion for climate advocacy was ignited when he lived in India for a month about eight or nine years ago and has continued from there.

“There was a lot of pollution there, and it was a drastic difference between the U.S. and India. I was just curious as to what the root of the problem was, so I learned all about pollution: emission from cars, emission from energy. Coming back here, I joined the Green Team, and I’ve just been passionate ever since,” he said.

With this vital experience, Tandon said he’s developed his speaking skills and confidence by engaging with legislators and that will help him now and when he attends college to hopefully delve into sustainable business.

“I think that’s been incredibly helpful, and I’m hoping I can make an impact,” he said. “I think it’s going to be paramount for when I’m older that I can really make change.”

Grove said she’d like to keep traversing the climate advocacy route in college and beyond in the policy sphere.

“I’m just super interested in how to make policy and what would be the most effective policy, especially on environmental issues,” she added.

On the college front, Harper plans on studying environmental science and later wants to become involved in conservation with a nonprofit or other group focused on the environment.

“I’m really open to kind of doing that in any way, but definitely excited to do that in the future,” he said.