Collective action: the limits of panic and the need for hope in the fight against climate change words: Iulia Alexandra Pop
On September 10, The Intercept held a special event called The right to a Future, with Naomi Klein and Greta Thunberg. It was live on YouTube and, while it aired at 2 am in my country on a weekday, I watched from beginning to end. I was excited to see Naomi Klein, a woman whose writing has had a huge impact on my life, and Greta, perhaps the most famous climate activist of recent times, in conversation. I was surprised to discover that the most meaningful part of the event for me was the beginning where youth activists Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Xiye Bastida, and Vic Barrett dared to imagine sustainable futures. While Naomi has so eloquently explained the crisis to me in her writing and Greta sounded the alarm for the world, I found these other voices offering me something I didn’t know the climate action lacked — hope.
“It’s the year 2029 and everything is changed. [..] No longer do I have the dread of the day my people are pushed from their land by rising seas. [..] Today, I can imagine bringing kids into this world to carry on the culture of our people.” -Vic Barett
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