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<\/p>\nI had the opportunity to go back home this fall. It was a perfect time to reflect on the past five months since the beginning of the MACAL program! I understand better than ever that the world needs communicators and leaders to explain the climate crisis to various audiences and source viable solutions because the situation is not getting any better.
\nA surprising piece of information from the Climate Science course was the history behind the science. Learning that the earth’s radiation was discovered in 1824 and that global warming was raised by scientists as early as 1856 sounds unreal. Many experts since then tried to solve the problem. Like we said in the CALS500 class, scientists know already so much based on observations and models. Room for denial should not exist at this point. I see my – our – role as Climate Action Leader as a critical one. To support and empower others (individuals, organizations, communities, governments) to engage with climate actions, it seems relevant to learn from the science and its data, then word it in a comprehensive way for everyone.
\nThe blockade to save Fairy Creek’s old-growth forest on Vancouver Island is a good example. Many leaders mention the importance of these trees to sequestrate carbon in the soil, create habitat for biodiversity, and provide food and medicine for Indigenous Peoples. I explained that situation so many times in Quebec – people do not understand the issues. Most likely because the events are not happening locally for them and because of the way media report the information. When I talked about climate justice, the right to refuse economic benefits when they destroy the land, and the preciousness of natural resources (what the author Kimmerer beautifully names relatives in Potawatomi language), my audience over there seemed to pay more attention.
\nFairy Creek is also a great example of networks and networks are important in climate action. People from various backgrounds come together with Indigenous leaders to stop the deforestation of local treasures. Their shared values and their desires to preserve the ecosystem created the largest act of civil disobedience in Canada. Fairy Creek also teaches us a lot about colonialism and the economic challenge of the First Nations. Because “networks harness the power of decentralized collaboration to promote social change” (Taylor & Whatley, 2015), networks are efficient and pertinent in a field like climate change. There is a need for collaboration and to hear many voices. The authors mention the strength of the network and the potential behind shared learning. It is true for activism and valid in my learning experience right now in class.
\nI encountered in CALS500 the idea of taking future climate into account as a necessary and possible thing to do. This concept was introduced by Trevor. In my experience, this notion leads to thinking outside the box. Not planning for now but for a future that does not yet exist. It requires us to be creative and aware of all the tools that science can provide (modeling, projections, resilience). That idea opens many possibilities for my work within the design challenge. For example, it is important to iterate something that will be useful a few years from now. Our prototype needs to be actual but to provide room for improvement over the years to adapt to the current climate which is still uncertain. After all, old ways won’t open new doors. The world keeps evolving: we need to be ahead of the game, not following what already happened\/have been done.
\nFinally, a topic that I want to deepen my knowledge on is nature-based solutions. It is fascinating to learn about the dependence of all elements and to exploit it in our climate action work. Thinking like “nature\u2019s services provide the essentials of life”(Suzuki, 2021) could change behaviors and hopefully create a better future for us all. <\/p>\n
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Credit: pixabay.com Fall in Quebec. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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