The Big and Small Conversations Change Everything When It Comes to Climate Change

The Big and Small Conversations Change Everything When It Comes to Climate Change

By Molly Peek, Becca Dudek, and Octavio Cruz

Naomi Klein’s “This Changes Everything” opens by introducing how climate change alters everything. More than that, our response to climate change has the power to rewrite the world into a new society.

 

Collective action is the only way that we can solve climate change, but it is also one of the main villains to those who are devoted to capitalism. Our current world system is built on capitalism and the idea that individual power is the highest form of achievement and we live in a system of consumption and individualism. Such materialistic values directly counter the changes that need to happen to reduce CO2 emissions and mitigate climate change. As products of our society, we have grown up with those capitalistic ideals embedded in us. When we are able to see how we have been stubborn against progress, we start to see the ways that others are stubborn as well and can learn to work together toward a more collaborative and collective future. 

Breaking free of societal barriers surrounding climate change is a challenging concept overall, especially when we attempt to change the discourse with those closest to us, such as family members. Personally, I have found that individuals are more likely to change or welcome new opinions if given alternative futures that can bridge them from their current investments in society to new potentialities. To elaborate on an example in class, my father was not interested in designing or integrating environmentally sustainable alternatives in his practices as an architect, despite working in positions of privilege in his field. I have been working on showing him the value of sustainable alternatives by attempting to bridge into his own field in languages he understands, by discussing building projects in terms of sustainability of materials, long-term investments, legacies and social reflections through architecture and ultimately the legacy he would leave behind or perpetuate. It takes a long time, I believe, to change the opinion of anyone, but I think taking the time to listen is critical. Forming discussion points that are attainable to your audience, and continuing to push for your ways of knowing, when you are sure that there are improvements to be made by those around you is crucial in instituting viable long-term changes in the worldview of others.

Talking to others about climate change is a stressful notion, especially since we live in a society ruled by capitalistic ideals. These capitalistic ideals butt heads with the environmental movement constantly, as capitalism is built on the exploitation of the environment and the systems within it; however, the fact that people can change views is still powerful enough to motivate climate change activists to continue on their path in attempting to force corporations to take responsibility for their actions. But how did these activists come to be? Some are raised in a household that supports the movement and thus are a product of said household, but others are ones who have changed their mindset after being raised in a household full of ‘true, old-fashioned American values.’ Not only are they changing, but activists as a whole keep evolving their values to draw more inclusion from the movement. Intersectionality is becoming a more common discussion point and more people are realizing that social issues directly tie into the environment. That being said, it is always important to look back at your past and current self to observe possible changes you may have made on the journey to where you are now. Essentially, though we try hard to get people on board with the movement, try to also look at yourself and see how far you’ve come. Analyze how your values have changed. For example, I came from a very conservatively republican household and didn’t really learn about the climate epidemic until 2016 and even then it took me till 2017/18 to learn about and understand that social issues go hand-in-hand with environmental issues. Since then my values are still changing (only minor tweeks, but still changing nonetheless) as I learn more and more about the movement. Thus I think it’s important to not only keep up with those outside of the movement, but to check in with yourself and maybe even tune-in to what changed (or shaped) your mind and apply it to other people or situations!