These two weeks spent in Scotland radically change the way of fighting for the young woman’s climate cause. After five years within Youth for ClimateSarah hangs up the crampons. “”I had the impression that peaceful demonstrations no longer had meaning. We spent a lot of time as volunteers, without our work bearing fruit. And then, I also realized that the environmental struggle was nested in the anti -racist and anti -capitalist struggle“.
“We tried everything”
Subsequently, she continues to engage, otherwise. And send a message to the political class. “”I find it cheeky when they criticize the violent movements linked to the climate, when we started to fight at 16, doing everything possible to get things done. We tried everything“.
For several months, Marie participated in these “school strikes for the climate” organized by Youth for Climate. “With a girlfriend, we had heard of these demonstrations, and, noting that nothing was organized in our secondary school, we went to see the director to ask her for authorization to go to Brussels“The two girlfriends reiterate the experience for several months.”I started to be interested in ecology after a geography class, during which we had viewed a documentary on the jeans manufacturing process in Bangladesh“.
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“These few gestures have become usual”
Shocked by what she learns, Marie decides to change her habits: she limits her consumption of plastic to the maximum, while turning to zero waste. “”These climate steps allowed a collective awareness of what was going on“. Six years later, Marie has come a long way: she no longer takes the plane, is a vegetarian and goes to work at work.”I don’t even have the impression of making a lot of effort, these few gestures have become usual.“
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Laura, for her part, launched a zero waste kit with her friends when she was in secondary school, in parallel with her participation in these climate marches. If she had the impression that these events had an impact? “”It is true that plastic straws are now prohibited within the European Union“However, Laura does not have the impression that strong political measures in the matter have been taken.”We rather see greenwashing on the part of companies, which try to attract young people with a greener image“.
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