So I talked about this a bit in this month's livestream, but I wanted to share with y'all some of my thoughts from the UN Climate conference. YouTube flew me out to Glasgow, Scotland where more than 30k people, including world leaders, youth activists, representatives from indigenous tribes and tech billionaires met to talk about ONE main issue. Seeing all these people come together and hearing their stories made everything feel... real.
I left feeling like people are acting, and I haven’t stopped thinking about COP26 since I’ve left. In fact, I’ve looked into graduate programs in climate studies, not to mention watching my peers on YouTube videos to learn how best to talk about climate change, and investigating more science and research.
At COP26, I heard heart-wrenching stories of indigenous tribes in Africa no longer seeing the annual birds that indicate when water's coming. Because droughts are increasing in frequency and severity. I experienced some surreal moments when I was a stone’s throw from Prince Charles, watching him tour a new electric McLaren racing vehicle. I also learned A. LOT. I came in thinking "we need renewable energy" - my one track solution, my one size fits all. "Let’s just decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and call it a day." But it’s not just energy, it’s deforestation because cutting down trees leads to desertification and fewer crops. It’s sustainable practices for fashion because textile manufacturing pollutes our water.
I already knew climate change is one of the most pressing issues for our generation. BEING there, though, gives you a community of people that you don’t otherwise feel a part of in your everyday life, and it made me think a lot about how we communicate the issues of climate change. How do we tell stories that impact people and how can we turn that impact into actionable goals, rather than anxiety, discord and apathy?
It's a lot to think about, but I'm inspired after seeing so many people put their energy into changing the world for the better.
Hopefully these thoughts help share some of my hope with you. At the very least, I can share these pictures from my time there. I got to chat with amazing youth activists, awesome climate scientists, and explore some of the beauty of Scotland (including a legit castle).
Amos Fleetwood
2023-12-05 17:50:01 +0000 UTCNoah Francis
2022-11-19 18:48:09 +0000 UTCVictoria Li
2021-12-01 03:33:40 +0000 UTCWilliam Remsen
2021-11-27 13:52:59 +0000 UTCSuzanne Strickland
2021-11-27 02:25:36 +0000 UTCSuzanne Strickland
2021-11-27 02:20:36 +0000 UTCMariana Arzuaga
2021-11-26 20:52:44 +0000 UTCGuillaume Rossolini
2021-11-26 20:10:12 +0000 UTC