The newly founded Climate Change Club recently welcomed its first members and urged them to make their voices heard during its first club meeting.

On Tuesday, students of different grades gathered in D14, as sophomores Katerina Gaines and Claire Bing talked about the club’s vision and the broader issue of climate change.

Climate change is the accelerated change in global or regional climate patterns caused primarily by carbon emissions. It is a growing problem that has steadily gained more attention in recent years.

Gaines, the club’s president, and Bing, the club’s vice president, started the club together. They have been best friends since elementary school, initially bonding over their shared love for nature and both became avid environmental activists soon after.

“We started this club because we are passionate about the environment,” Bing said. “We thought that we could do more here at Carlmont about climate change.”

Last year, Gaines saw the documentary “Before the Flood” and emailed Carlmont’s principal, Ralph Crame, asking if it could be shown in school to spread awareness.

This year, with the help of their club members, Gaines and Bing are focusing on other issues related to climate change.

Bing said they plan to use posters that they will hang around the community to promote awareness and encourage a more positive mindset in which individuals can make a difference. Also, they hope to attend, and possibly organize, strikes of their own. The club also wants to focus on reaching out to state representatives and raising money for other climate change based causes.

Club members have expressed their support for these ideas and are excited to begin.

“Posting about climate change on Instagram is not enough and will not do anything. You have to put yourself out there to promote change,” said sophomore club member Enya Luo-Wimmer. “I want to do whatever I can, even if it is something small.”

Bing said their main inspirations were Greta Thunberg, a renowned 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist, and “Before the Flood,” a documentary produced by National Geographic.

“Our main goal is to make a difference. We want to make sure that everybody in our community knows what is going on with climate change, and they have the resources or knowledge to help,” Bing said.

Gaines and Bing said they are excited to see what this club will accomplish. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month in D14.

“I think this club will be life-changing,” said Eliott Yonts, a junior.