Why you should be a climate activist | Luisa Neubauer

Translator: Mario Cal Reviewer: Xusto Rodriguez

I never planned to become a climate activist.

Non entraba nos meus plans converterme en activista do clima.

But things have changed,

Pero as cousas cambiaron,

and now, standing here as a climate activist,

así que aquí estou diante de vós, como activista do clima,

I ask you all to become one, too.

e pídovos que vós tamén vos fagades activistas.

Here's why,

Estes son os motivos,

and most importantly, how.

e, o que é máis importante, a forma de facelo.

Ten years ago, when I was 13 years old,

Hai dez anos, cando eu tiña 13,

I first learned about the greenhouse effect.

aprendín o que era o efecto invernadoiro.

Back then, we spent 90 minutes on this issue,

Daquela dedicabámoslle 90 minutos a esta cuestión

and I remember finding it quite irritating

e lembro que me irritaba bastante

that something so fundamental

que algo tan fundamental

would be squeezed into a single geography lesson.

se despachase nunha única clase de xeografía.

Some of this irritation remained, so when I graduated from high school,

Parte desa irritación quedou aí, así que ao rematar a secundaria,

I decided to study geography,

decidín estudar xeografía,

just to make sure I was on the right track with this whole climate change thing.

para asegurarme de que non ía descamiñada nesta cuestión do cambio climático.

And this is when everything changed.

Foi entón cando todo mudou.

This was the first time I looked at the data,

Era a primeira vez que miraba os datos,

at the science behind the climate crisis,

as evidencias científicas que hai trala crise climática,

and I couldn't believe what I was reading.

e non podía crer o que estaba a ler.

Like many of you,

Coma moitos de vós,

I thought that the planet wasn't really in a good state.

eu pensaba que o estado do planeta non era precisamente bo.

I had no idea that we are rushing into this self-made disaster

Non tiña nin idea de que iamos directos a este desastre autoinflixido

in such a rapid pace.

a semellante velocidade.

There was also the first time I understood what difference it makes

Foi tamén entón cando entendín o distinto que resulta todo

when you consider the bigger picture.

desde unha perspectiva máis ampla.

Take the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, for instance,

Tomemos, por exemplo, a concentración de CO2 na atmosfera,

the number one driver for global warming.

o principal causante do quecemento global.

Yes, this looks bad.

Si, ten mala pinta.

This looks like we are on a pretty bad track.

Semella que imos por moi mal camiño.

But it's only once you don't just consider the last 60 years

Pero é cando miramos non só os últimos 60 anos

but the last 10,000 years

senón os últimos 10.000 anos,

that you understand how terrifying this really is.

cando entendemos o aterrador que é.

And this is just one aspect of the crisis we're seeing.

E este é só un dos aspectos da crise que estamos a vivir.

I'm not going to get into details here, but let me tell you so much:

Non vou entrar en detalles, pero pódovos dicir isto:

we are in a point of history

chegamos a un punto da nosa historia

that the most destructive force on the planet is humanity itself.

no que a forza máis destrutiva do planeta é a propia humanidade.

We are in a point of history

Chegamos a un punto

that no scientist could guarantee you that you will survive this.

no que ningún científico nos pode garantir que imos sobrevivir a isto.

We are in a point of history

Chegamos a un punto

that humanity is creating an environment

no que a humanidade está a crear un medio ambiente

that's not safe for humans anymore.

que xa non é seguro para os seres humanos.

Yeah, there I was,

Si, aí estaba eu,

first year of geography,

primeiro ano de xeografía,

and felt pretty overwhelmed.

e bastante anguriada.

But ...

Pero...

there was good news.

non todo eran malas noticias.

The very same year I first learned about all this,

Aquel mesmo ano no que me decatei de todo isto,

leaders from across the globe came together in Paris

líderes de todo o mundo xuntáronse en París

to decide on the common target to limit global warming to below two degrees.

para acordar o obxectivo común de limitar o quecemento a menos de dous graos.

Pictures went around the world,

As fotos deron a volta ao mundo,

and I was told that history was made that day.

e dixéronme que aquel foi un día histórico.

How relieving, right?

Que alivio, verdade?

Except ...

Só que...

something didn't quite work out about this.

algo non saíu como se esperaba.

After this agreement was signed,

Despois de que se asinase ese acordo,

things didn't really get better.

as cousas seguiron sen mellorar.

Actually, they got much worse.

De feito, foron a moito peor.

Decision makers and industries, leaders and politicians,

Os dirixentes e as industrias, os líderes e os políticos,

they went back to business as usual,

volveron ás andadas,

exploiting our livelihoods like there is literally no tomorrow,

explotando o noso medio de subsistencia coma se literalmente non houbese un mañá,

building coal power plants again and again,

construíndo centrais de carbón unha e outra vez,

even though we know that needs to stop,

aínda que sabemos que iso ten que parar,

according to the Paris Agreement.

segundo o Acordo de París.

So while there are also good developments, of course --

Así que, aínda que por suposto melloran certas cousas

there are installations of wind and solar energy all over the globe, yes --

--si, hai instalacións de enerxía solar e eólica por todo o planeta --

but these positive changes are slow -- too slow, in fact.

estes cambios positivos son lentos --lentos de máis, de feito.

So since the Paris Agreement was signed,

Dende a sinatura do Acordo de París,

climate graphs keep racing to the top,

os gráficos sobre o clima seguen seguen disparados cara ao cumio,

smashing records every year.

batendo récords ano tras ano.

The five hottest years ever recorded

Os cinco anos máis calorosos rexistrados ata hoxe

were the previous five years,

foron os últimos cinco

and at no time have global emissions been higher than today.

e as emisións globais nunca acadaran o nivel actual.

So there I was,

Así que aí estaba eu,

seeing and understanding the science on the one side,

observando e entendendo os datos científicos por un lado,

but not seeing answers, not seeing the action, on the other side.

pero sen ver respostas, sen ver acción polo outro.

At that point, I had enough.

Nese punto, farteime.

I wanted to go to the UN Climate Conference myself,

Quixen ir eu mesma á Conferencia sobre o Clima da ONU,

that very place that was created to bring people together

ese preciso lugar que se creou para que a xente se xuntase

to fix the climate --

para amañar o clima

except not really, apparently.

--só que polo visto non o fan.

This was last year.

Iso foi o ano pasado.

I traveled to the Climate Conference and wanted to find out

Viaxei á Conferencia sobre o Clima para saber

what this is really like, what this is about.

como é realmente, de que vai.

For political realists, this might be no surprise,

Aos realistas políticos pode que non os sorprenda,

but I found it hard to bear:

pero eu atopeino difícil de aturar:

that fossil fuel industries and political leaders

que as industrias dos combustibles fósiles e os líderes políticos

are doing everything, everything to prevent real change from happening.

están a facer absolutamente todo o posible para que non se produzan cambios reais.

They are not keen to set targets that are ambitious enough

Non teñen o menor interese en fixar obxectivos abondo ambiciosos

to put us on a below-two-degree pathway.

que fagan viable o máximo de dous graos de aumento.

After all, these are the only ones who benefit from this climate crisis, right?

Despois de todo, son os únicos que se benefician da crise climática, non?

The fossil fuel industry generates profits,

A industria dos combustibles fósiles dá beneficios

and political leaders, well, they look at the next election,

e os líderes políticos, en fin, eles pensan nas seguintes eleccións,

at what makes them popular,

no que lles dá popularidade,

and I guess that's not asking the inconvenient questions.

e supoño que non é precisamente facer preguntas incómodas.

There is no intention for them to change the game.

Non teñen intención de cambiar as regras de xogo.

There is no country in the world where either companies or political powers

Non hai ningún país no mundo no que as empresas ou os poderes políticos

are sanctioned for wrecking the climate.

sufran sancións se destrúen o clima.

With all the strangeness and the sadness about this conference,

Malia a estrañeza e a tristura que me provocou a conferencia,

there was one someone who was different,

houbo alguén diferente,

someone who seemed to be quite worried,

alguén que parecía bastante preocupada.

and that was Greta Thunberg.

Esa persoa era Greta Thunberg.

I decided right there that everything else seemed hopeless

Nese momento decidín que todo o demais era inútil

and didn't seem to make sense,

e carecía de sentido,

so I joined her climate strike right there at the conference.

e uninme á súa folga do clima na propia conferencia.

It was my very first climate strike ever

Era a miña primeira folga do clima

and an incredibly strange setting,

e o contexto era incriblemente estraño,

just me and her sitting there at this conference hall,

as dúas alí soas sentadas naquela sala de conferencias,

surrounded by this busyness of the suit-wearing conference crowd

rodeadas de xente ben traxada

who had no idea what to do with us.

que non tiña nin idea de que facer con nós.

And yet, this felt more powerful

E, con todo, isto semellaba moito máis potente

than anything I had expected in a very long time.

do que esperara en moito tempo.

And it was right there that I felt it was maybe time

E entón sentín que se cadra chegara o momento

to start striking in Germany.

de comezar a folga en Alemaña.

I was now certain that no one else was going to fix this for us,

Agora estaba segura de que ninguén ía amañar isto por nós,

and if there was just the slightest chance that this could make a difference,

e se había unha mínima esperanza de que isto tivese impacto,

it seemed almost foolish not to give it a go.

parecería unha idiotez non intentalo.

So I --

Así que --

(Applause)

(Aplausos)

So I traveled back to Berlin.

Así que volvín para Berlín.

I found allies who had the same idea at the same time,

Atopei aliados que tiveran a mesma idea ao mesmo tempo,

and together we thought we'd give this "Fridays For Future" thing a go.

e xuntos decidimos intentar isto dos "Venres polo futuro".

Obviously, we had no idea what we were getting into.

É evidente que non tiñamos nin idea de onde nos metíamos.

Before our first strike, many of us, including me,

Con anterioridade á primeira folga, moitos de nós, eu incluída,

had never organized a public demonstration or any kind of protest before.

nunca antes organizaramos manifestacións ou protestas de ningún tipo.

We had no money, no resources

Non tiñamos cartos nin recursos

and absolutely no idea what climate striking really is.

nin a menor idea do que implica poñerse en folga polo clima.

So we started doing what we were good at:

Así que comezamos facendo o que se nos daba mellor:

we started texting,

comezamos a enviar mensaxes de texto,

texting en masse, night and day, everyone we could reach,

mensaxes en masa, día e noite, a todos os que podiamos,

organizing our first climate strike via WhatsApp.

e organizamos a nosa primeira folga polo clima por Whatsapp.

The night before our first strike, I was so nervous I couldn't sleep.

A noite antes da nosa primeira folga, estaba tan nerviosa que non durmín.

I didn't know what to expect, but I expected the worst.

Non sabía que podía esperar, pero esperaba o peor.

Maybe it was because we weren't the only ones

Se cadra foi porque non eramos os únicos

who had been longing to have a voice in a political environment

que devecían por ter voz nun contexto político

that had seemingly forgotten how to include young people's perspective

que parecera esquecer como incluír a perspectiva da xente nova

into decision-making, maybe.

na toma de decisións; pode que fose iso.

But somehow this worked out.

O caso é que, dalgún xeito, funcionou.

And from one day to the other,

E dun día para outro,

we were all over the place.

estabamos por todas partes.

And I, from one day to the other,

E dun día para outro,

became a climate activist.

convertínme en activista do clima.

Usually,

Normalmente,

in these kind of TED Talks,

nestas charlas TED,

I would now say how it's overly hopeful,

agora diría que é demasiado optimista,

how we young people are going to get this sorted,

que a xente nova vai resolver isto,

how we're going to save the future and the planet and everything else,

que imos salvar o futuro e o planeta e todo iso,

how we young people striking for the climate

que os rapaces que nos manifestamos polo clima

are going to fix this.

imos amañar isto.

Usually.

Normalmente.

But this is not how this works.

Pero non é así como funciona.

This is not how this crisis works.

Non é así como funciona esta crise.

Here's a twist:

Hai algo co que non contabamos:

today, three and a half years after that Paris Agreement was signed,

hoxe, tres anos e medio despois de que se asinase o Acordo de París,

when we look at the science,

cando miramos os datos científicos,

we find it's still possible to keep global warming

vemos que aínda é posible manter o quecemento global

to below two degrees --

por debaixo de dous graos --

technically.

tecnicamente.

And we also see it's still possible to hold other disastrous developments

E tamén vemos que aínda é posible deter outros procesos desastrosos,

we're seeing, such as mass extinction and soil degradation --

como a extinción masiva de especies ou a degradación do solo --

yes, technically.

si, tecnicamente.

It's just incredibly, incredibly unlikely.

É extremadamente improbable.

And in any case,

E de calquera xeito,

the world would have to see changes

terian que producirse no mundo cambios

which we have never experienced before.

que nunca antes experimentamos.

We'd have to fully decarbonize our economies by 2050

Teríamos que descarbonizar por completo as nosas economías antes do 2050

and transform the distribution of powers

e transformar o reparto de poderes

that is currently allowing those fossil fuel giants and political leaders

que hoxe lles permite aos xigantes dos combustibles fósiles e aos políticos

to stay on top of the game.

manter o control das regras.

We are talking of nothing less than the greatest transformation

Falamos nada menos que da maior transformación

since the Industrial Revolution.

dende a Revolución Industrial.

We are talking, if you want to put it that way,

Falamos, por así dicilo,

we are talking of a climate revolution

dunha revolución climática

in a minimum amount of time.

nun período de tempo mínimo.

We wouldn't have a single further year to lose.

Non poderiamos perder nin un só ano máis.

And in any case, for any of that change to happen,

E, en calquera caso, para que algo diso puidese acontecer,

the world needs to stop relying on

o mundo ten que deixar de depender

one or two or three million school strikers to sort this out.

de un ou dous ou tres millóns de escolares en folga para resolver isto.

Yes, we are great, we are going to keep going,

Si, somos estupendos, imos seguir adiante

and we are going to go to places no one ever expected us, yes.

e imos chegar a sitios nos que ninguén nos esperou ver ata agora, si.

But we are not the limit;

Pero non somos o tope;

we are the start.

somos o comezo.

This is not a job for a single generation.

Esta non é unha tarefa para unha soa xeración.

This is a job for humanity.

É unha tarefa para a humanidade.

And this is when all eyes are on you.

Neste momento todas as miradas se centran en vós.

For this change to happen,

Para que este cambio ocorra,

we will have to get one million things sorted.

teremos que resolver un millón de cousas.

It's an incredibly complex thing, after all.

Ao fin e ao cabo, é algo incriblemente complexo.

But ...

Pero...

there are some things that everyone can get started with.

hai algunhas cousas polas que todos e cada un podemos comezar.

Bad news first: if you thought I would tell you now to cycle more

As malas novas primeiro: se pensabades que ía dicirvos que usedes máis a bici,

or eat less meat, to fly less, or to go secondhand shopping,

comades menos carne, usedes menos o avión, ou merquedes de segunda man,

sorry, this is not that easy.

síntoo; non é tan sinxelo.

But here comes the good news:

Pero aquí veñen as boas novas:

you are more than consumers and shoppers,

Sodes máis ca simples consumidores,

even though the industry would like you to keep yourselves limited to that.

aínda que á industria lle gustaría que vos limitásedes a ser só iso.

No; me and you -- we are all political beings,

Non, vós e máis eu somos todos seres políticos,

and we can all be part of this answer.

e podemos ser todos parte desta resposta.

We can all be something that many people call climate activists.

Todos podemos ser algo que moitos chaman activistas do clima.

Yay?

Hurra?

(Laughter)

(Risas)

So what are the first steps?

Cales son os primeiros pasos?

Four first steps that are essential to get everything else done,

Hai catro primeiros pasos esenciais para lograr facer todo o demais,

four first steps that everyone can get started with,

catro primeiros pasos polos que todo o mundo pode comezar,

four first steps that decide about everything that can happen after.

catro primeiros pasos decisivos para todo o que pode vir despois.

So what's that?

Cales son logo?

Number one:

En primeiro lugar:

we need to drastically reframe our understanding of a climate activist,

Temos que revisar completamente o noso concepto de activista do clima,

our understanding of who can be the answer to this.

o xeito de vermos a persoa que pode ser a resposta a isto.

A climate activist isn't that one person that's read every single study

Un activista do clima non é alguén que leu ata o último estudo

and is now spending every afternoon handing out leaflets about vegetarianism

e pasa as tardes repartindo folletos sobre vexetarianismo

in shopping malls.

polos centros comerciais.

No.

Non.

A climate activist can be everyone,

Activista do clima pode ser calquera,

everyone who wants to join a movement of those who intend to grow old

calquera disposto a unirse a un movemento dos que queren chegar a vellos

on a planet that prioritizes protection of natural environments

nun planeta que prioriza a protección dos espazos naturais

and happiness and health for the many

e a felicidade e a saúde da maioría

over the destruction of the climate and the wrecking of the planet

por riba da destrución do clima e a devastación do planeta

for the profits of the few.

para beneficio duns poucos.

And since the climate crisis is affecting every single part of our social,

E dado que a crise do clima afecta a tódolos aspectos da nosa vida

of our political and of our private life,

social, política e privada,

we need climate activists everywhere on every corner,

fan falla activistas do clima en cada recuncho,

not only in every room,

non só en cada sala,

but also in every city and country and state and continent.

senón tamén en cada cidade, país, estado e continente.

Second:

En segundo lugar:

I need you to get out of that zone of convenience,

Necesito que saiades desa zona de comodidade,

away from a business as usual that has no tomorrow.

que vos afastedes dunha normalidade na que non hai mañá.

All of you here, you are either a friend or a family member,

Todos e cada un de vós sodes un amigo, un parente,

you are a worker, a colleague, a student, a teacher

un traballador, un colega, un estudante, un profesor

or, in many cases, a voter.

ou, en moitos casos, un votante.

All of this comes along with a responsibility

Todo iso implica unha responsabilidade

that this crisis requires you to grow up to.

que esta crise esixe que asumades con madurez.

There's the company that employs you

Está a empresa que vos dá traballo

or that sponsors you.

ou vos patrocina.

Is it on track of meeting the Paris Agreement?

Vai na dirección correcta para cumprir o Acordo de París?

Does your local parliamentarian know that you care about this,

Os representantes políticos locais saben que che importa isto,

that you want this to be a priority in every election?

que queres que sexa prioritario en cada elección?

Does your best friend know about this?

O teu mellor amigo sabe algo disto?

Do you read a newspaper or write a newspaper? Great.

Les un periódico ou escribes nun periódico? Xenial.

Then let them know you want them to report on this in every issue,

Entón que saiban que queres información sobre isto en tódalas edicións,

and that you want them to challenge decision makers in every single interview.

e que cuestionen os responsables políticos en cada entrevista.

If you're a singer, sing about this. If you're a teacher, teach about this.

Se es cantante, canta sobre isto. Se es profesor, ensina sobre isto.

And if you have a bank account, tell your bank you're going to leave

E se tes conta nun banco, dilles que vas marchar

if they keep investing in fossil fuels.

se seguen a investir en combustibles fósiles.

And, of course, on Fridays, you should all know what to do.

E, por suposto, os venres todos deberiades saber que facer.

Thirdly:

En terceiro lugar:

leaving that zone of convenience works best when you join forces.

Saír da zona de comodidade funciona mellor cando unimos forzas.

One person asking for inconvenient change

Que unha persoa pida un cambio incómodo

is mostly inconvenient.

é, sobre todo, incómodo.

Two, five, ten, one hundred people asking for inconvenient change

Cando dúas, cinco, dez, cen persoas piden un cambio incómodo

are hard to ignore.

son difíciles de ignorar.

The more you are, the harder it gets for people to justify

Cantos máis sexades, máis difícil lles vai resultar xustificar

a system that has no future.

un sistema que carece de futuro.

Power is not something that you either have or don't have.

O poder non é algo que se ten ou non se ten.

Power is something you either take or leave to others,

O poder é algo que ou tomas ti ou llo deixas a outros,

and it grows once you share it.

e medra cando o compartes.

We young people on the streets, we school strikers,

Os rapaces que saímos á rúa, que facemos folga estudantil

we are showing how this can work out.

demostramos como pode funcionar.

One single school striker will always be one single school striker --

Un só escolar en folga será sempre un só escolar en folga --

well, Greta Thunberg.

ou Greta Thunberg.

Two, five, ten, one thousand people striking school are a movement,

Dous, cinco, dez, mil escolares en folga son un movemento,

e iso é o que precisamos en todas partes.

and that's what we need everywhere.

No pressure.

Non quero meter presión.

(Laughter)

(Risas)

And number four, finally --

E, por último, en cuarto lugar --

and this is probably the most important aspect of all of this --

probablemente o aspecto máis importante de todos --

I need you to start taking yourselves more seriously.

Necesito que comecedes a tomarvos máis en serio a vós mesmos.

If there's one thing I've learned

Se algo aprendín

during seven months of organizing climate action,

nos sete meses de organización da acción climática,

it's that if you don't go for something,

é que se ti non vas por algo,

chances are high that no one else will.

hai moitas probabilidades de que ninguén máis o faga.

The most powerful institutions of this world

As institucións máis poderosas deste mundo

have no intention of changing the game they're profiting from most,

non teñen intención de cambiar as regras de xogo que máis os benefician,

so there's no point in further relying on them.

así que non ten sentido seguir confiando neles.

That's scary, I know.

Mete medo, seino.

That's a huge responsibility, a huge burden on everyone's shoulders, yes.

É unha responsabilidade enorme e unha carga enorme sobre os ombros, si.

But this also means,

Pero tamén significa que,

if we want to,

se queremos,

we can have a say in this.

podemos ter voz nisto.

We can be part of that change. We can be part of that answer.

Podemos ser parte dese cambio. Podemos ser parte desa resposta.

And that's quite beautiful, right?

E iso é bastante fermoso, non si?

So let's give it a try, let's rock and roll,

Intentémolo, movámonos,

let's flood the world with climate activists.

enchamos o mundo de activistas do clima.

Let's get out of the zones of convenience

Saiamos das zonas de comodidade

and join forces and start taking ourselves more seriously.

e unamos forzas e comecemos a tomarnos máis en serio.

Imagine what this world would look like,

Imaxinade como sería este mundo

where children would grow up,

no que os nenos medrarían

knowing their future was this one great adventure to look forward to

sabendo que o seu futuro é esta grande ansiada aventura

and nothing to be scared of,

e non algo que mete medo,

what this world would look like when the next climate conference

como sería este mundo se a próxima convención sobre o clima

is this great happening of people who come together,

fose un gran encontro de persoas

who had heard the voices of millions,

que escoitaron as voces de millóns

who would then roll up their sleeves, ready to create real change.

e se arremangaron dispostos a crear un auténtico cambio.

You know,

Sabedes?

I dream of this world

Eu soño con ese mundo

where geography classes teach about the climate crisis

no que nas clases de xeografía ensinan que a crise climática

as this one greatest challenge

foi ese gran desafío

that was won by people like you and me,

que superaron persoas coma vós e coma min,

who had started acting in time

que comezaron a actuar a tempo

because they understood they had nothing to lose

porque entenderon que non tiñan nada que perder

and everything to win.

e todo que gañar.

So why not give it a go?

Así que por que non intentalo?

No one else will save the future for us.

Ninguén máis vai salvar o futuro por nós.

This is more than an invitation. Spread the word.

É máis ca unha invitación. Correde a voz.

Thank you.

Grazas.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)