Activists on the front line

The last UN negotiations on climate change have produced almost any effects.

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The disappointment of environmentalists all over the world has led to the foundation of many organizations whose purpose is to raise awareness about the problem and to push the governments into action.

At the International Conference of Youth (COY14), which is held in Katowice (Poland) from October 29 to November 1, we met some activists of Generation Zero – a New Zealand movement committed to the promulgation of the Zero Carbon Act. This is a law which will make it possible to reach the goal of 0 emissions by 2050 thanks to the so-called “Two Baskets Approach”. On one hand, it will lower the emissions of the greenhouse gasses which linger in the atmosphere the longest. On the other hand, it will reduce the emission of the greenhouse gasses which linger in the atmosphere for a shorter period of time.

Generation Zero’s efforts have already produced the first result, as the Zero Carbon Act has become a draft law. Moreover, the movement has got this important achievement just three years after its creation! On this matter, it has declared: “If you go big, people will follow you”.

The effectiveness of the New Zealand group’s work has sparked admiration in many other activists, including Carola Rackete, a representative of Extinction Rebellion. This is an English organization which is also committed to save the ecosystem. Talking with Carola, she told us the ideology of the movement and its future plans. She firmly claims that “[our] manifestations are based on the principle of nonviolence” and adds that for her, activism is the only useful tool to obtain concrete results, just like it happened in the past.