This Concerns Everyone - Naomi Klein and and the Climate Generation

Naomi Klein’s stirring call-to-arms on climate action, This Changes Everything, lays out the realities that we face in “decade zero”, the period of time that we currently have left to make significant changes to the way we live in order to prevent a climate catastrophe. In matter-of-fact terms, it lays out the science, details the myriad obstacles that humanity must overcome in order to avert a crisis, and then highlights many of the actions that every one of us can take to change the current trajectory of ecological breakdown and pollution.

Perhaps most interestingly, it details the most pressing concern for climate activists (and those of us who want our planet to remain habitable for generations to come): the absolute necessity of changing the current mentality of neoliberal, de-regulated, growth-at-all-costs capitalism that pervades nearly every culture and country on Earth.

Our economies require permanent growth in order to remain viable. Company share prices are often not based on the current earnings of the product or service they provide, but the potential for the company to grow and earn in the future. Extractive industry players like fossil fuel companies determine their worth not by the amount of oil they are currently pumping, but by the amount of dirty fuel that sits in land they own, waiting to be extracted and refined. Shell and BP are not absurdly wealthy because of the barrels of oil they create today, but because thanks to their reserves they are guaranteed to be able to keep producing for the next thirty or forty years, even with no further discoveries of new oil fields. And still, they're digging. Renewable energies be damned.

So the calls for climate action represent a very real threat to the future of Big Oil, but also the economy as a whole. If we cannot continue to churn out new phones every year, wear cheap clothing made in factories half a world away, buy seasonal foods all year around, or transport goods to our doorsteps via dirty ships and dirtier aeroplanes, it seems as though our whole world will collapse. We are all complicit in the hubris of humanity believing that we can do whatever we want, whenever we want, with no consequences.

For those who make a killing on polluting and extractive industries, the words and deeds of climate activists may therefore seem like an existential threat. In reality, ignoring those words and deeds will be the nail in the coffin for our current way of life.

But that won’t stop those who have invested so much in neoliberal capitalism from defending their cause to the grave.

Like a cornered animal, they will snarl and snap back at those that threaten them. Which is why Brexit campaigner Arron Banks sits at home and tweets gleefully about the possibility of an "accident in the Atlantic" that might befall Greta Thunberg on her journey to the UN, or Julia Hartley-Brewer can respond to Thunberg's informed and well-articulated arguments with the sort of petulance you might expect from a schoolchild. The science is accurate. The international community are finally waking up to our new climate reality. And the climate deniers and free-market preachers are absolutely terrified. 

As the elite often do when their power is threatened and they sense their time is drawing to a close, they will double down on the extractive, polluting activities that have made them rich over the previous decades. Much like the European powers’ spiteful slash-and-burn campaign that crippled Africa during decolonisation, the climate deniers will squeeze the system dry while they still can, not just for profit, but also for revenge. Jair Bolsonaro will burn the Amazon to the ground, and ravage the Indigenous people that stood against his heartless pro-business policies. Donald Trump will attack Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez's "Green New Deal" as economically impossible whilst his own policies send the US debt spiralling to new heights. Neoliberal converts will continue to denounce socialist agendas as global austerity continues and inequality continues to widen. 

This is the vicious bite of a dog that doesn't want to admit that it's scared. The ideology that built the modern world is now killing it, and those that benefitted most from the way things are don't know what to do anymore. As Klein puts it, we have a choice; overhaul our entire political and economic system in order to prevent a global climate catastrophe or wait until that catastrophe does it for us. 

Which is the key message in this debate. “Green new deals” and shifts to renewable energy are not revolutionary acts against the status quo. The status quo is going to change. The question is whether we want to do something about it now, as key UN institutions, global governments, and increasing global grassroots movements are urging us to do, or whether we want to stand back and watch the world burn until the flames reach our doorsteps.

People don't like change. Especially change that forces us to reconsider everything we believe in. But change is necessary if we are to avert a world-threatening crisis.

The global dominance of the current free-market Neoliberal thinking since the collapse of the Soviet Union has led many to believe there is no other possible option for healthy, and wealthy, societies. But our economic and political systems change constantly. For a proletariat worker in 1950s Moscow, the possibility of another form of economic or political system in the USSR would be unthinkable. For a medieval Parisian peasant, the feudal system of landowners and serfs was just the natural way of life.

But the Berlin Wall came down. The French revolution overthrew a feudal monarchy and ushered in a modern Republic. Even our comparatively stable western Liberal systems transformed from socialist and Keynesian economic prospects built on Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal and Clement Attlee's Post-World War Two drive for social security (which included the creation of the much-lauded NHS, at the time supported by those on all sides of the political spectrum) into systems of free-market, deregulated hyper-capitalism. Ideologies and economic doctrines came and went, fought wars for supremacy that were supposedly resolved, and the so-called “end of history” never came. 

The drive towards global democracy and liberalism that was promised in the 1990s is now under serious threat, as western countries see the return of authoritarian beliefs and regimes, African and Asian states fail to transition to the European model (as the liberal system expected would happen), and global movements of cooperation such as the EU stumble and falter. History isn't over, and for the first time since the ordinary people of the world decided that they wanted that iron curtain torn down, we are once again gearing up to exercise our will. The climate crisis is the most important issue we face today. And, as Klein expertly outlines, it has the potential to be a rallying cry for a new system that works for everyone, not just the few. 

Change cannot come unless we change everything. That means being more aware of our own habits and changing our behaviours where we know we can do better. But more importantly, that means changing the system so that it is forced to work for us. The political elite and the invisible hand of the market won't drop everything to reduce inequality, limit carbon emissions, or offer workers a fair wage and social security net unless we force them to. The current state of affairs is proof enough of that. 

We are more informed, more connected, and therefore more empowered today than at any other point in human history. We are also at greater risk of disaster than any generation before us.

We are all implicated in the self-mutilation of our only home. But we know how to create an economic and political system that benefits all of us, one that does not fetishize growth at the expense of wellbeing and community. The very things we need to do to stop the destruction of our natural resources and slow pollution, are the things that can benefit those of us who are struggling right now.

Climate change will affect the global rich and poor in vastly different ways, and if you care about those less fortunate than yourselves, you care about this. Neoliberalism built the modern world we stand in today. It made the rich much richer whilst widening inequality across the board. It moulded us into individuals whilst stripping away the community and family ties we once held dear. It allowed humankind to, briefly, play God with the natural environment in the name of economic growth. And now it stands to tear down the very temple it built.

The fight for the climate is not just about scientific fact and an abstract, dystopian future should we not act responsibly. It is about every issue we face in the modern world. Human-made climate change is the result of the way we humans act towards each other and towards the Earth right now, so that is what we have to address.

If you're angry at the destruction of rainforests, coral reefs, and wildlands in the search for more fuels to burn, join the climate fight.

If you're angry at small-scale farmers and fishers around the world losing their jobs to global industrial megaliths with which they cannot compete, join the climate fight.

If you’re angry at the treatment of thousands of economic migrants and refugees trapped in camps in the Mediterranean, at the US border, and across the world, join the climate fight.

If you’re angry at the massive number of homeless people struggling on the streets of your town, join the climate fight.

If you’re angry that CEOs can receive millions of pounds in bonuses when their workers don’t receive a living wage, join the climate fight.

If you don’t want to see Indigenous peoples, refugees, the urban poor, workers, poor youth, and minority groups discriminated against and marginalised, the you must join the climate fight.

The ideological battle for the planet starts now. 

Read Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything for an excellent analysis of where we are at in terms of climate change, how we got here, and where we might be going depending on how we respond right now. For examples of individual changes you can make to lower your own environmental impact, see here. To help the change the system to help benefit all of us, follow the lead of Greta Thunberg’s School Strike for Climate and the Extinction Rebellion, make your voice heard and stand up for the planet. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours.

The People at the Heart of Change in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is a Southern Indian state of phenomenal natural beauty and vibrant cultural heritage. From the bustling mega-city of Chennai, where the land meets the turquoise sea of the Bay of Bengal, to the rolling hills that give way to rural in-land villages, you will find people who are welcoming, friendly, and living colourful and interesting lives even in sometimes difficult circumstances.

Me with some of the students at St Antony's.

But Tamil Nadu is also a state that faces many significant challenges. Successive dry monsoon seasons have resulted in a serious drought that has led Chennai, the state’s largest city, to run out of water. The city’s 10 million inhabitants are now dependant on government deliveries of water from neighbouring areas, but across the state the water crisis is deepening, and rural, more sparsely populated areas should not expect the same government response to their need. Widespread corruption and mismanagement, both at the state and national levels, has left vast swathes of Tamil Nadu with little faith that they can count on any support as they struggle to find clean drinking and bathing water, or grow crops and feed livestock, on their parched land. Whilst the state’s economy is rapidly growing, this is at an uneven rate and inequality is rising, leaving many – particularly those in rural areas – behind.

One of Chennai's four main reservoirs - completely drained of water due to several weak monsoon seasons. Photo credit: The Independent.

As the environmental crisis unfolds across the state, community leaders are standing up to educate and advocate for those individuals that the system has forgotten. Ordinary people are making real change at the ground level every day, and through my role as a trustee of The Kanji Project, I was fortunate enough to meet some of these community leaders over the last two weeks as we celebrated the 25^th anniversary of St Antony’s Matriculation School. Founded in 1994 by Maria Rayappan and now run by her nephew Lourdusamy Michael, the school has grown from a two-room building with 3 teachers and 40 students to a campus that now educates over 1,500 students from surrounding villages and employs over 100 local people as teachers, drivers, cooks, groundskeepers, and more. St Antony’s Foundlings (SAF), the charity responsible for the school and for Shanti Lumin Children’s Home, run by Maria and now home to 40 girls, many of whom are orphaned, also provides meals to local villagers who are unable to support themselves, and has taken its mission to educate outside of the school walls and into the streets.

Through St Antony’s Eco Club, over 100 students have planted more than 1,500 trees in the school grounds and in their villages, as well as engaging in recycling education campaigns and taking part in marches to teach local people about water preservation. Following Cyclone Gaja, which tore through southern Tamil Nadu last year, Lourdusamy used his local and school connections to provide immediate humanitarian relief to the worst-affected villages, driving five hours to deliver food and shelter to those that had lost everything. This was viewed not just as a charitable act for those caught in the storm, but an educational opportunity for the students at St Antony’s who saw several of their teachers heading off to help in any way they could, and who helped to stock the relief vehicle. Alongside their usual English, maths, science, and other lessons, the values of compassion and collective action are being instilled in these remarkable students.

Planting trees is one of the best ways to combat the looming climate emergency that grips Tamil Nadu (and many other areas worldwide)

Down the road in Pudupalayam, another village in Thiruvannaamalai district, about 12km from Kanji, stands the campus of Idhaya College, an all-girls university run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (known colloquially as the Rose Sisters). The Rose Sisters also operate the Sunshine Special School from this campus, supported by The Kanji Project. Providing day care and education to 16 physically and mentally disabled children, the Special School gives its students a chance to grow and to develop, learning not just Tamil but English, as well as learning creative activities and skills that will set them up for regular schooling and to cope with life as they grow up. This support for disabled people from the Sisters extends to the surrounding villages, where they advocate for disability rights, aid individuals in achieving government grants for support, and setting up cooperatives to increase community awareness and connectedness.

This theme of empowerment runs through all of the Rose Sisters’ work, particular through their children’s and youth parliaments, where they organise children and young people from the villages to discuss and act on issues affecting them. As with St Antony’s, tackling the environmental crisis and severe water shortage is of key importance, with children learning about the issues and then advocating in their communities for water preservation, appropriate waste disposal and recycling. The young people also lobby local government to make changes to support their neighbours and friends. In addition to this, the Rose Sisters have set up women’s cooperatives and groups to help vulnerable women to manage finance and learn skills that can make them less financially dependant on men, giving greater opportunities to escape abusive relationships and to survive alone in a culture in which it is in many ways still very difficult to be a woman.

Some of the young people from The Rose Sisters' Children's Parliaments

St Antony’s Foundlings and the Rose Sisters are making real change every single day, with very little resources and with very little outside support. We at the Kanji Project, and our partners in Enfants de Kanji in France, provide what we can to keep these programmes running, but with what is frankly very minimal financial backing, these amazing individuals are not only educating young people and advocating for those who need support, but they are changing the lives of thousands of people across the district.

Every student that attends St Antony’s or participates in the village children’s parliaments, every girl that gets a second chance at Shanti Lumin, and every disabled child at the Sunshine School and adult supported by the Rose Sisters is exposed to new possibilities and a brighter future thanks to a handful of inspirational, humble, and hardworking people.

Community-led projects like these are not just helping young and disadvantaged people. They are building the future. Life in Tamil Nadu has its challenges, and some of them are significant. Not least the environmental degradation, water shortages, government corruption and widespread poverty are all serious obstacles for the people of Thiruvannaamalai district to overcome, but with SAF and the Rose Sisters leading the charge to build a new generation of environmentally conscious, politically aware and compassionate citizens and community leaders, the future of the villages looks bright.

I was extremely fortunate to see first-hand the immeasurable impact that just one or two dedicated people can have on an entire community.

To Lourdusamy, Maria, all of the teachers and staff at St Antony’s and Shanti Lumin, the Rose Sisters and their supporting staff at the Sunshine School and in the villages, and to every single student and community member that welcomed me into their neighbourhoods and homes and told me their stories, I want to say thank you.

Henna drawings on the kindergarten children at St Antony's

It is tempting to see the current state of the world and think that positive change is impossible. What difference can one person really make? But one person can inspire many others, and with a little support that inspiration can build a community, and that community can build a movement. And that movement can change lives, change neighbourhoods, and eventually can change the world.

It was an honour to spend time with such incredible and dedicated people. It doesn’t take a million pounds to make a real difference. It takes compassion, it takes time, and it takes humanity.

This short introduction to my experience in Kanji cannot even scratch the surface of the amazing work being done by our fantastic partners in India. They are truly inspirational. We at The Kanji Project are just a tiny cog in the machine that truly changes lives across Tamil Nadu and is driven by local people working in very difficult circumstances. We want to be able to continue to support their projects as best we can, and for that we need your help. Please check out our website, follow us on Facebook, spread the word and if you can spare anything at all view our donations page (94% of all donations go directly to the projects supported in India). Thank you.