in about a week, acc will host the first-ever global conservative climate summit at cop26 with international partners from the united kingdom and australia. this summit will bring together conservative leaders from across the globe to discuss market-based approaches to the environmental challenges that their home countries – and the world at large – face. this is a historic moment that means so much to me personally because it will be one of the first events that showcases conservative leadership on environmental issues on the world stage.

four years ago, i never would have imagined that the acc could make this much progress in such a short time. but too much of the republican party is still associated with climate denial, even as efforts such as the house’s conservative climate caucus advocate for climate solutions. challenges still remain, and my organization often faces opposition by both those on the right, who say we go too far, and those on the left, who say we don’t go far enough. we’re far from done in our push for pragmatic, realistic climate action. still, i have been so encouraged by the massive steps forward we have taken, and it only motivates me to continue to push for more action.

cop26 is a huge opportunity for global cooperation on the issue of climate change. if we truly want to 2022年卡塔尔世界杯官网 , we must push a diverse set of solutions to climate change. that includes clean energy and reducing our emission output, but it also includes things like natural climate solutions and breakthrough technologies to reduce greenhouse gases already in our atmosphere.

climate change is obviously a challenge, but i prefer to look at it as an opportunity. by promoting innovation and actionable solutions, we can help create a better world for future generations, one that adapts to current effects of climate change and prevents further warming. at cop26, i hope to encourage others to have this perspective as well and use cop as a launching pad for real climate action.

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about the author: 

benji backer, who will be at cop26, is the president and founder of the american conservation coalition, a non-profit organization that engages young conservatives on environmental issues like climate change. benji is from wisconsin and based in seattle. 

the global conservative climate summit will be held nov. 10-11, 2021, in glasgow.

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editor’s note: please check back every day, leading up to the beginning of cop26 on oct. 31, for new pieces from climate leaders in the planet forward network.

during the week of oct. 11, 655 people were arrested in washington, d.c., while participating in indigenous-led “people vs. fossil fuels” demonstrations. organizers demanded that president biden declare a climate emergency and cease approvals of new fossil fuel projects. indigenous activists occupied the bureau of indian affairs, demanding 110 million acres of stolen land be restored to native nations. the d.c. chapter of the direct action group extinction rebellion tweeted footage of an activist spraying the stairs of the chamber of commerce with an oil-like substance, alleging that the institution “used its power for years to deny climate change.” and on oct. 20, five young people announced they were going on a hunger strike to demand that president biden meet his climate justice promises –– and that the reconciliation bill be passed with provisions to cut u.s. emissions in half by 2030.

as a young person working in climate communication, i hear a lot of thoughtful conversations about how to convert climate change deniers into science believers. yet, when i learn about mobilizations like these, i don’t see a cultural struggle for “hearts and minds,” but a material struggle for power. and i wonder if by emphasizing the beliefs of individuals, rather than the heft possessed by institutions, we overlook a different strain of mistrust.

the united states has a record of climate denial –– from the obvious (like president trump telling the secretary of california’s natural resources agency, “i don’t think science knows, actually.”) to the insidious (like big oil crafting curricula to be taught in k-12 schools). yet, even here, 70% of the population believes that climate change is happening, according to this year’s installment of “climate change in the american mind.” the survey even reports that a majority of americans, 60%, think that the trend of “global warming” is human caused! in 2020 the american people elected a president who avowed his belief in science on the campaign trail. he signified that belief by appointing a science advisor to his cabinet. he even had the u.s. rejoin the paris climate agreement –– the international agreement reached at the 2015 u.n. climate conference, which the u.s. pulled out from under president trump.

so, why do climate activists persist? hasn’t majority belief steered us away from the path of catastrophic warming? 

not quite.

in september, u.n. climate change published a nationally determined contributions (ndc) synthesis report; that is, a report that assessed the climate commitments of each of the 191 nations signed on to the paris agreement. when evaluated in conjunction, these plans suggest a path to a roughly 16% increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 as compared to 2010. such a path leads to a global temperature increase of 2.7 degrees celsius by the end of the century –– nearly twice the agreement’s “ideal” goal of 1.5 degrees c.

but the u.s.’s science-believing leadership is holding the line to curb emissions, right? 

well.

this may, the international energy agency published a report finding that to travel the road toward net-zero emissions by 2050 –– the road on which we have a chance of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees c –– investment in “new fossil fuel supply projects” needs to end now. yet, two months later, the associated press reported that approvals for oil and gas permits on public lands were on track to reach year-end numbers unseen since george w. bush’s presidency. despite biden’s campaign promise to end new drilling on public land, the department of interior approved more than 2,100 permits to drill on public and tribal lands in the first six months of biden’s presidency.

protesting outside of the white house this month, veteran water protector joye braun of the indigenous environmental network let the president know that his actions have not gone unnoticed.

“you made promises to the indigenous communities across this land that you were going to uphold,” she said. “but you haven’t upheld those promises. you’ve been speaking with a forked tongue, just like that one that was before you.”

braun directed her words at president biden, but her meaning resonates beyond. nearly 70% of young people say that governments can’t be trusted, according to a recent survey of 10,000 16- to 25-year-olds in 10 countries. across populations, 65% of young people said that governments’ response to climate change is failing them. american youth’s trust in government is the lowest of all.

leaders may believe science, but my generation doesn’t believe leaders.

“build back better. blah, blah, blah. green economy. blah blah blah. net zero by 2050. blah, blah, blah,” greta thunberg said last month at the youth4climate summit in italy. “this is all we hear from our so-called leaders. words that sound great but so far have not led to action. our hopes and ambitions drown in their empty promises.”

these words may sound harsh, but to me they are a sign of optimism. climate organizers know that solutions exist, if those in power have the courage and creativity to implement them. progress is possible, but it’s not guaranteed. 

i am only 23, but i am old enough for the long line of inaction to hit me in cresting waves of deja vu. that tide engulfed me recently as i watched a clip of american student anjali appadurai addressing leaders at cop17 on behalf of youth non-governmental organizations in 2011. ten years ago appadurai told leaders, “you’ve been negotiating all my life.” ten years ago she said, “you’ve failed to meet pledges, you’ve missed targets, and you’ve broken promises.”

“the international energy agency tells us we have five years until the window to avoid irreversible climate change closes,” appadurai, then a student at the college of the atlantic, said. “the science tells us that we have five years maximum. you’re saying, ‘give us 10.’ the most stark betrayal of your generation’s responsibility to ours is that you call this ‘ambition.’”

those 10 years are up. the window to avoid irreversible damage has passed. the time for bold, decisive action has not. as i tune in to the events of cop26, i will be looking for something my peers and i can believe in. i’m not talking about science. i’m talking about leadership.

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about the author:

victoria middleton is a writer, editor, and multimedia producer who serves as planet forward’s digital editor. victoria started at planet forward as an intern in the summer of 2019 –– a semester before she completed her b.a. in journalism and mass communication and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies –– and stuck around to become a full-time member of the team.  she’s most interested in stories that illuminate how climate connects to human elements of life, especially justice, labor, and food. though she loves doing media production work, her favorite part of working at planet forward is engaging with students, seeing them grow as storytellers, and growing along with them.

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editor’s note: please check back every day, leading up to the beginning of cop26 on oct. 31, for new pieces from climate leaders in the planet forward network.

the western world in this context refers to the portion of the world usurped by colonizers, like much of europe and north america, which has generally placed economic vitality above all. it’s astounding that it took until 1970, only 50 years ago, for many people in the americas to start acknowledging the importance of the environment. what was happening before then? those not in the western world, and those whose cultures persisted prior to the time when colonization and globalization usurped their lands (often people of color), generally acted as though every day was “earth day.”

these cultures understand the concept of only taking what is needed from the earth and playing an active role in contributing to their ecosystem’s health. these cultures see the world as common personhood inseparable from the individual, rather than a distinct entity from which resources are to be extracted.

for example, in their daily routine the kashia band of pomo indians, a native american group of california, have traditionally used native species for foods, sustainably use their local natural resources to create tools like baskets, manage the land through controlled fires, and “only take what is needed.”

another ancient culture that still exists today, which also emphasizes living in-sync with the environment, is that of many hindu people. hinduism has at least 90 holidays each year celebrating various aspects of life and nature including changing seasons, certain animal deities, and harvest times demonstrating that some cultures have literally performed a celebration of the earth at least two days a week on average. many hindus today have very modern lifestyles, heavily influenced by the western world, yet still maintain environmentally friendly aspects of their culture like practicing vegetarianism, using herbal remedies, and using zero-waste clay and leaf containers.

in the amazon, studies have shown that 11.8% of amazonian terra firme forests are sustainably-managed anthropogenic forests resulting from the in-tune management practices of indigenous people over more than five millennia. these people gained vast knowledge over time on how to cultivate and sustainably manage forests to suit their needs while maintaining essential biodiversity. within the first century of european colonization, the amerindian population was slashed by 90% and over time the forests and wilderness felt the effects of their new “caretakers” who promoted unsustainable economic development. as such, between 1970 and 2014, we saw a 60% decline in the size of vertebrate populations worldwide, despite the establishment of earth day.

while earth day was certainly not intended to be a green-washing campaign, it has unsurprisingly turned into one. one day a year, the western world gives tribute to the earth but people fail to take enduring action for the earth’s benefit. the result: false hope that sufficient change is occurring, which leads to continued environmental degradation and catastrophes that affects all of us as people.

we now see the detrimental effects of colonization as the starting point for its even more problematic grandchild: unsustainable economic development. one may argue, “the western world isn’t the one cutting down trees in the amazon and mining in africa,” or “look at how polluted india is.” however, in return we must ask, “what caused this destruction or pollution?” the actual root cause of the destruction and pollution is unsustainable economic development caused by consumer demand in the western world, and with our exponentially increasing appetite for disposable goods that are produced in or use raw materials from those countries.

while the effects of unsustainable economic growth are environmentally detrimental, can we learn lessons through our globalized world from native cultures who are more knowledgeable given their millennia of experience in thriving in-sync with the environment? wouldn’t it make most sense to follow their way of life and their relationships with the earth? while the outlook for environmentalism seems dreary, following the teachings of these other cultures is the solution. these are the people who should be consulted in the conservation movement given their millennia of environmental leadership.

take a moment to think about the top three environmentalists in the media. perhaps people like jane goodall, al gore, rachel carson, david attenborough, or greta thunberg come to mind.

notice, likely none of the people you thought of are non-western or even people of color. upon pondering the idea further, it may even be difficult to come up with the name of a single famous environmental activist who is not from the western world, despite the amount of land historically conserved by non-western people internationally. while these individuals may not be as well-known as jane goodall, they should be.

the western world must put an enduring spotlight on the people of cultures who have had resounding success in environmental conservation since the birth of humanity, often people of color, and learn from them. otherwise, we risk earth day and environmentalism fizzling out as a green-washing fad, without any concrete action taken and — even worse — the destruction of our home planet.

the panel featured: payton head, public speaker, campus inclusion consultant, and recent alum of university of missouri; dr. felecia nave, former provost and current director for faculty development & engagement and chemical engineering professor at prairie view a&m; and dr. nora savage, an environmental engineer and program director for the national science foundation.

here are some highlights from the panelists: 

dr. felecia nave

“if we’re going to get comprehensive solutions, we need comprehensive problem solvers.”

although most universities are majority female, the numbers reverse when you move into the stem fields, where women and minorities are still heavily under-represented. digging deeper, this typically starts in k-12, where women and minorities systematically lack encouragement to join these fields. whether it be due to the lack of representation of similar faces in peers, or the way instructions were provided, many of these minorities ultimately move onto other fields to pursue a degree in. 

nora savage

“i’m an engineer by training and a philosopher at heart.”

building comprehensive solutions does not just require diversity of people, but also diversity of represented fields. the national science foundation (nsf) is interested in broadening participation across all underrepresented groups, including the social sciences, at all levels. bringing different tools together can create ideas that were not possible through one perspective. vibrant communities are key to creating holistic and long lasting solutions.

payton head

“now we’re in a big movement now, and everyone seems to be yelling and fighting and everyone wants something to say, everyone has something to say. i think many times we forget to talk to each other.”

all of these systemic problems we experience are related to not recognizing people in their humanity. in college, head noticed a gap between the student body. he became a member of the asian american association, spent more time in the women’s center, lgbtq groups, and black culture center, and started to learn the other students’ stories. however, he didn’t feel quite at home in the black culture center because there were homophobic things being said, and he didn’t feel quite at home in the lgbtq community because of racist things being said. there was a disconnect between the minority groups themselves. combining the stories of different students from different minority groups through the framework of intersectionality helps to create a new conservation.