My experience as a climate justice activist

I think some part of me has always been a climate justice activist.

When I was younger, I didn’t know the terminology for ‘climate activist’ yet, but I felt committed to fairness, being kind and looking after nature. I remember a phrase my nan constantly repeated: “It’s nice to be nice.”

A lot can come to mind when we think of an activist, but for me, it’s always meant caring so much about a cause that you want to help the world be a better place. I believe climate justice relates to everything we do and everyone who walks this earth.

How I began my journey as a climate activist

I’ve always been driven and directed by the notions of right and wrong. I was, and still am, curious and eager to learn new things. My mam is a librarian and passed onto me the love of reading.

When I was around 8 years old, I started picking up more (and more) feminist books. This led me to ask questions about the world beyond me and the causes I could be involved in. In primary school, I was part of the Green Schools Committee where we encouraged students to turn off lights and the tap- habits which I later connected to climate change.

I’ve also loved being in nature since I was a girl. I felt part of nature in a way that we’ve been so discouraged to feel. I adored climbing trees, picking blackberries and going to the woods. My grandad, pretty much since I learned to walk, helped me grow my own vegetables, from peas to potatoes to carrots.

Furthermore, I cared deeply for friends and family from a young age. These relationship ties were always integral to my life, who I am and who I became. Love and respect for others is the basis for how I interact with others in the world. I had a foundation of simply caring for humanity and the planet which is all you need, I think, to begin making a difference.

Where I found climate activism opportunities

When I joined my Cork County Comhairle na nÓg, one of the local youth county councils in Ireland, I couldn’t wait to begin taking action for my community. Through Comhairle, I was offered amazing opportunities to go to environmental events, consultations and the National Youth Council of Ireland’s (NYCI) Future Generations project.

I was in an NYCI group, online, with 5 other young people when I first learned the term ‘climate justice’. To me, it means connecting the climate and environmental crisis to people, particularly the most vulnerable people. We can’t separate human rights from this issue, and using that human rights lens is most important to how we tackle global warming and climate change.

That’s when we started the ‘Sustainable Sleepover Club’ podcast. The show was designed to be an accessible way for listeners to learn about the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals in a relaxed, friendly, chatty environment, and being part of this podcast has shaped so many of my viewpoints today.

During the making of the podcast, I was able to dig deeper and delve into the harsh reality of injustice, poverty, biodiversity loss, natural disasters and global warming. One of our guests I had the opportunity to interview, Mitzi Jonelle Tan, an activist from the Philippines, described the consequences of the environmental disaster people in the Philippines are dealing with.

She talked about the devastation of frequent flooding, the fear she feels for her family’s safety, the lack of resources to adapt to the changing climate and the danger that goes with protesting in her country. It’s a conversation I will never forget and a huge influence in my commitment to trying, in any small way I can, to ensure human rights are upheld.

I have since been part of Fridays for Future, attended COP26 in Glasgow as the Friends of the Earth Ireland delegate and volunteered for Girl Up International, which is a UN initiative to empower girls worldwide. I’ve also worked with Youth Against Racism and Inequalities and served a two-year term as the National Executive for Cork County Comhairle na nÓg. I helped to write, compile and design the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) UN Children’s Report and present it to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva, Switzerland.

I’ve spoken at the Cork Intergenerational Climate Conference, been a part of the NYCI’s Young Voices and volunteered with organising and speaking at Beyond Limits, the OCO’s annual event for children with disabilities. I’ve also utilised my love for writing to raise awareness and attention to different issues with spunout, RTÉ, Cork Echo, Greenpeace International, UNICEF, Sustainable Baddie NYC, Friends of the Earth and my local newspaper, The Avondhu.

I’ve learned from my activism that we are stronger together

There is so much injustice in the world today that has been caused and been worsened by the climate crisis. You can, and should, join the climate movement.

You may want to write, give speeches, make posters, organise protests and so on. Alternatively, you could vote, research more about these issues, engage in the news, spark conversations about our planet, donate, or volunteer. You could try to eat less meat, take public transport more, recycle, rewild some of your garden, plant something or re-wear your clothes. There are many roles and actions anyone and everyone can do.

Please remember that it is your love and care, not hatred, greed and bitterness, that is needed in this modern day. I started my activism journey as a child by caring, and so can you. Because little me simply cared, I paved a way for myself to be a part of creating a just world. I hope to keep enacting positive change in any small ways I can and I encourage you to join me.

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