Zoom Chat - Youth To Power: In The Words Of Greta Thunberg, July 11, 2021

Scott Henson
Scott Henson
Last updated 

All Climate Conversations: https://drawdownseattle.org/conversations/


Links from the Discussion: 


Additional Resources and Links from our Discussion:

  • Local Youth Led Movements in Seattle/Washington: 
    • Fridays for Future We, #FridaysForFuture Seattle, are a youth-operated movement demanding that our government act on the climate crisis. More specifically, we ask that our state and local governments enact their own Green New Deal resolutions, to confront potential climate catastrophe at every structural level. Inspired by Swedish political activist Greta Thunberg, we strike every Friday to demand action and make our voices heard.
    • Sunrise Movement Washington (Facebook).A movement of young people working to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. Also on Instagram & Twitter.
  • Other pioneers in the climate and environmental movements:
  • George Manbiot George is a British writer for the Guardian on environmental activism and in one of the videos with Greta that we watched.
  • Juliana v. United States.  A climate-related lawsuit filed in 2015 by 21 youth plaintiffs against the United States and several executive branch officials. Filing their case in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, the plaintiffs, represented by the non-profit organization Our Children's Trust, include Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, the members of Martinez's organization Earth Guardians, and climatologist James Hansen as a "guardian for future generations"
  • Related to children fighting for their future, here is a great article titled: "‘One more mine does make a difference’: Australian children argue for the climate – and the law agrees"
  • The Infinite Game.  What is causing so many of the problems we see today?  Finite mindset.  From Simon Sinek: "The more Simon started to understand the difference between finite and infinite games, the more he began to see infinite games all around us. He started to see that many of the struggles that organizations face exist simply because their leaders were playing with a finite mindset in a game that has no end. "
  • Doughnut Economics. The Doughnut offers a vision of what it means for humanity to thrive in the 21st century - and Doughnut Economics explores the mindset and ways of thinking needed to get us there.
  • How Did We Get Here? Check out the Awakening the Dreamer materials that outline how we got into this situation through an "othering/ throw away mindset" and an unsustainable story of infinite growth fueled through consumerism and GDP.
  • World Happiness Report.  The World Happiness Report 2021 focuses on the effects of COVID-19 and how people all over the world have fared. Our aim was two-fold, first to focus on the effects of COVID-19 on the structure and quality of people’s lives, and second to describe and evaluate how governments all over the world have dealt with the pandemic. In particular, we try to explain why some countries have done so much better than others.
  • C40 Cities (Seattle is a member). C40 is a network of the world’s megacities committed to addressing climate change. C40 supports cities to collaborate effectively, share knowledge and drive meaningful, measurable and sustainable action on climate change.  
  • Rewiring America. "Decarbonize the Grid, Electrify EVERYTHING!"  Rewiring America is a growing nonprofit, working to launch a movement that electrifies everything, starting with our 121 million households.  
  • France moves to ban short-haul domestic flights. One of Greta's impact is putting a spotlight on the impact of flights.  This BBC article outlines France's recent decision to ban some of theirs to help with climate change.
  • How to Save a Planet Podcast. Does climate change freak you out? Want to know what we, collectively, can do about it? Us too. How to Save a Planet is a podcast that asks the big questions: what do we need to do to solve the climate crisis, and how do we get it done? Join us, journalist Alex Blumberg and scientist and policy nerd Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, as we scour the Earth for solutions, talk to people who are making a difference, ask hard questions, crack dumb jokes and — episode by episode — figure out how to build the future we want.


Chat Log:

00:05:08 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): These are great resources Paul, THANK YOU!
00:05:52 Suzanna Litwin: A great collection!
00:06:22 Jae Geller: Thanks so much for doing this!
00:07:57 laurazeffer: Don’t forget Bill McKibbon
00:08:33 Suzanna Litwin: That she was able to get the movement going is incredible for a young woman.
00:10:29 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): Does anyone know who the group in red tops behind Greta are?
00:10:39 Paul Litwin: Not I
00:20:21 IeRM Philipp Schmidt-Pathmann: Where to start….
00:28:17 Suzanna Litwin: Can you increase the volume?
00:36:54 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): Of interest and related was the early climate movement (started in 1992 in the United States) called “Earth Guardians”.  I mentioned Xiuhtezcatl Martinez a moment ago.  It was his Mom who started this movement and he became the face of (and you will see him in many of the posters in climate strikes).  He is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit Juliana v. United States filed against the US government for failing to act on climate change.
00:37:04 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiuhtezcatl_Martinez?wprov=sfti1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiuhtezcatl_Martinez
00:37:36 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): https://www.earthguardians.org/our-story
00:45:10 Jeff Berner (he/him): Everyone should read George Monbiot
00:45:36 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): These are the core message advocated in the work of the Project Drawdown team as well.  George is fantastic!
00:45:57 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): We have to stop emitting (sources) AND reinforce our natural sinks
00:47:46 Suzanna Litwin: And FUNDING
00:50:48 laurazeffer: The question is HOW to implement? Inspire and market the need to Do not just observe and leave to others to repair
00:51:49 Amy Theobald: they should harvest the crickets instead and make flour
00:52:24 Jae Geller: Even for future summers.
00:52:25 Suzanna Litwin: People need to make personal sacrifices.
00:52:46 Jae Geller: What is going on in the West of the US this summer is crazy!
00:54:49 IeRM Philipp Schmidt-Pathmann: Jeff Berner - Yes re George Monbiot. Big fan. Good conversations.
01:06:11 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): This part of our conversation (economics, infinite growth, GDP) is why I am such a fan of Kate Raworth’s work on changing how we measure success and transform the economic system:
01:06:12 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): https://doughnuteconomics.org/
01:09:04 Jeff Berner (he/him): Exactly Scott!!! Portland and Amsterdam are piloting Doughnut Economics in policy making.See Yes! article here:https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/ecological-civilization/2021/02/16/cities-life-affirming-economiesThis is part of the C40 Initiatives, which Seattle is a member.  Trying to find out who in city government is following this. It needs to be part of Seattle Green New Deal.
01:15:40 Amy Theobald: The legal challenges brought forward by children are starting to gain traction in other countries according to this article that was published in the Guardian this morning. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/10/one-more-mine-does-make-a-difference-australian-children-argue-for-the-climate-and-the-law-agrees
01:20:27 Suzanna Litwin: Excellent comment Amy!
01:21:10 Barbara Young: I have to leave right at 4:30.  Love this!!
01:21:24 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): This series from Pachamama (which I have facilitated a couple of times as has Barbara and others) speaks to the root cause of why the change is hard and so embedded in our culture:
01:21:25 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): https://drawdownseattle.org/awakening/
01:21:34 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): “Awakening the Dreamer”
01:24:52 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): In this video, Greta speaks to how the current targets are a fantasy.  Saul Griffith of Rewiring America (he’s actually Australian), has said we will likely soon be changing our targets so that people understand 2050 net zero targets will have to be revised once the reality of what Greta is talking about becomes more evident.
01:24:53 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): https://www.rewiringamerica.org
01:26:16 laurazeffer: Spot on, can we make every citizen of the earth watch these?  :)
01:26:46 Kathy Dawson: Please save the chat and share—I’m on my phone and can’t do it for myself
01:27:05 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): Kathy - no worries - it will be!
01:28:40 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): Related to everything we have been discussing I mentioned Simon Sinek’s work on the Infinite Game: https://simonsinek.com/the-infinite-game
01:29:03 Suzanna Litwin: The media AND the INFLUENCERS
01:31:25 Jeff Berner (he/him): I perceive that this was an outcome of Greta's activism:"French lawmakers have voted to ban domestic flights on routes that could be taken in a train ride in less than two-and-a-half hours, Reuters reported. The vote late Saturday comes as part of France’s larger climate bill, which seeks to reduce its 1990-level carbon emissions by 40 percent over the next decade."
01:33:11 Jae Geller: This has been super helpful but I need to leave. Thank you all!
01:34:51 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): Awesome Jim - that would be a great discussion!
01:36:49 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): On this topic, here is how countries around the world are doing on happiness:
01:36:50 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): https://worldhappiness.report
01:37:39 Jeff Berner (he/him): Echoing Kathy that GDP does a very poor job of measuring equitable distribution.
01:40:00 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): Is this the site for the local activism?
01:40:01 Scott Henson (Drawdown Seattle): https://fridaysforfuturese.wixsite.com/home/about
01:42:41 IeRM Philipp Schmidt-Pathmann: Thank you for this discussion!!!