Interviews with Vic students
On Friday September 27, 2019, millions of people all around the world participated in the Global Climate Strike to take a stand for the future of the Earth—and send an important message to politicians: “The climate crisis won’t wait, so neither will we.”
In Toronto, hundreds of students, children, adults, and even dogs gathered at Queen’s Park for an inspirational rally before taking to the streets with their powerful signs and even more powerful voices.
The Strand spoke to a number of Victoria College students, including Caffiends’ Sustainability Director Meghan Henderson, and Arts Director Eleanor Aston; VUSAC’s Sustainability Co-Chair Leila Tijang, Academic Commissioner Lucy Faria, Vice-President External Vibhuti Kacholia, and Equity Commissioner Massoma Kisob; and finally, a student representative on the Board of Regents, Ally Johnston. Here is what they had to say about the climate crisis.
Disclaimer — These are their own opinions as students, and as such, do not reflect the official positions of Caffiends, VUSAC, or the Board of Regents.
The Strand: Why are you participating in the Climate Strike today?
Meghan: *sighs* So many reasons! Well, I mean, I’ve been passionate about climate change literally since before I could talk *laughs*. It just seems like we’ve known about climate change for so long, there’s absolutely no excuse why there hasn’t been any action on it […] We just don’t have any more time left, so it’s really frustrating that there’s all this about how, “We have to put the economy first, that’s why we can’t focus on climate.” But, the economy is rooted in climate change, and if we don’t address this issue, then the economy’s gonna — I don’t know if I can swear — but it’s gonna go to shit. I’m just really frustrated by the lack of action, and it’s going to be our generation that is affected by this, so I guess we’re going to have to stand up and actually fight for it.
Eleanor: The world is dying, we’re out of time, and nobody is listening to us; we just need people to start listening and paying attention. It seems like a lot of people are behind [the Climate Strike] so hopefully it will make a difference.
Leila: I think this issue is most prevalent to young people because when we’re talking about climate, we’re talking about the future of humanity, and it’s young people’s responsibility and job, essentially, to take climate leadership into our hands. Clearly, older generations have failed us, so it’s our time to go out and speak out.
Lucy: I’m engaged in different activities that are very passionate about the Climate Strike; I’m an executive within Caffiends […] I think it’s hard not to be engaged with [climate justice] because it directly affects all of us.
The Strand: You mentioned earlier that you’re doing some low-energy activities related to the Climate Strike with Caffiends, can you speak to that?
Lucy: So, the idea behind this initiative was that we understand that there might be communities and students who want to get engaged within climate justice, but the Climate Strike might not necessarily be the right environment for them. It could be an accessibility issue, or it could just be the issue of big crowds, so we want to cater to [different groups] and make sure that everyone has a chance to get engaged because you don’t necessarily need to attend climate strikes to be engaged within climate justice.
Vibhuti: I think it’s really important for us to take a stand to show our government and institutions that we are serious about the climate crisis. It’s important for us to come out, close our institutions, and show the government that we want to see change.
Massoma: I’m participating because I think that when it comes to government policy, it’s really easy [for politicians] to not do anything if they don’t see that people care. It’s really important to get as many people as possible to just [show them that] this really matters to us, and to demonstrate that amount of solidarity.
Ally: I think it’s important to show both our school administration and our political administration how many people care about what’s happening to our planet, and also to show that this is our future, children actually do pay attention to the political aspect of the world, and these are the voters of tomorrow. So, [politicians] should adapt to our views if they want to stay relevant.
The Strand What does sustainability mean to you or look like to you?
Meghan: I think sustainability means acknowledging that, again, the economy is rooted in the climate, and that we can’t just treat our environment like we can take anything from it and not keep in mind that our resources aren’t going to last forever […] I really want to create a cyclical economy where we’re not just throwing away plastics every other day because it’s the easiest option. So, to me, [sustainability] looks like everyone coming together and acknowledging that economic growth isn’t the most important thing, but rather, it’s having a future that our kids, our grandkids, our great-grandkids can enjoy. It’s just being mindful that our actions now have great implications for the future.
Eleanor: [What] sustainability means to me is, in every way possible, trying to live your life as fully as possible, but doing it with awareness of the planet and how your actions are hurting [the planet]. Trying to tailor your actions, as much as possible, to not hurt or further hurt the environment.
Leila: *laughs* That’s the big question! To me, sustainability in today’s context, means systematic change to the way that humans interact with our natural world. I think there’s a big tradition — particularly in Western society — to treat the land like it’s a resource, like it’s something to be exploited for our profit, and I think that very fundamental ideology of our society has to change in order to be sustainable. And, ultimately, that kind of is the definition of sustainability: to create that systematic change.
Lucy: I think sustainability means trying to conciliate between growth and development and careful maintenance of the environment and our societal conditions; it’s trying to find a balance between those two.
Vibhuti: I think it’s both at a personal and institutional level. Individually, it’s important to make choices that are sustainable; using less single-use plastic, as well as cutting out things like fast fashion out of your life. But I think it’s also pushing our institutions to make sure that they are making sustainable changes at a higher level. So, not only should we work as individuals to make the world a better and more progressive place, but we should also have these institutions working to do so as well.
Massoma: I think sustainability means recognizing that we’re not just here to consume […] We need to find ways to live that can exist within a cycle, not ways that end in disaster — not ways that are linear. I think we have a very linear way of thinking, linear economic system, linear [view of] the environment, and we need to be living cyclically, so that we can continue on for generations.
Ally: For me, it looks like a concerted effort to address fossil fuel emissions, and also to create an equitable space for sharing our land.
The Strand: What would you say is one action that students can take to combat the climate crisis?
Meghan: As students, we have enormous power, [in] that we give money to UofT, and we know that the University of Toronto has not done particularly well with addressing climate change. They refuse to divest, they refuse to get off fossil fuels. So I think that as students — and we’re almost essentially paying customers to the university — we can stand up with our voices, with our money, and say, “Hey, we’re paying you, and you are not taking our future.” Almost saying, “You work for us.” So, I think we can use our voices in that regard.
Eleanor: If we demand change, and show that the climate is something that really matters to us, and that we won’t support the university if it continues to do things like investing in fossil fuels, then they will listen because we are the ones who pay their salaries. But, it has to be collective, and it has to be explicit.
Leila: Well, it’s a little late for this *laughs* but participate in the Climate Strike! Another thing would be to really just get involved with your local organizations. There are tons of different organizations that are involved in this sort of thing; there’s the Extinction Rebellion, 350.org, Fridays for Future, and the larger Global Climate Strike network. And there are a lot of youth that are still out there forming groups to mobilize even after the Strike; they kind of see the Strike as a point from which they can start to begin to create actual, real, legislative change. There are a lot of online databases that show where all these different groups are, so get involved politically and in your community; that’s the big thing that I think people can do. And please vote in October, if you can! Registration deadline is October 15th *laughs*.
Lucy: Only one? Don’t get in airplanes. Greta Thunberg went to the UN General Assembly this year by boat because one of the worst things we can do for the planet is getting on international flights. You can actually calculate your carbon footprint and it can become 1.2 times higher if you take an international flight two times a year, which a lot of people do in Canada.
Vibhuti: One thing is to reduce your own personal waste; things like composting, and just cutting out single-use plastic is a really good starting point to making those changes in your life.
Massoma: I think, as students, definitely go to events where you are able to share your voice and share your concerns, again, so that we’re not just pushed under the rug. [The Climate Strike] is a big event to show solidarity, but there are other opportunities and places to go where you can actually speak about what specific policy change you think should happen. So, I think seeking out those kinds of events, going to them, and really sharing is important. Also, even just getting educated on what current environmental policy looks like and what better environmental policy would look like. So, once you have a better understanding of these things, then you can go on and talk about what you think should change
Ally: Taking action on campus is really important. There are a lot of overhead politics that we’re not aware of, and this is a huge university, I mean it is the size of a small town, so our administration does have very big pull in our broader community
The Strand: Is there anything else you’d like to say about environmental issues that you haven’t gotten the chance to say yet?
Meghan: I would say that, with the upcoming election, it’s more important now than ever to use your voice and actually vote, because I know so many friends, so many students even, that don’t think their vote’s going to make a difference; that it’s going to be either Liberal or Conservative, and there’s no way out of that cycle. But, you know what? Look at the platforms, research into what you want, and vote because that’s the only way politicians are going to take our generation seriously. So far we haven’t voted, so they think that they can just disregard our rights, what we want, and our futures, and I think that’s contributing to the cycle of disregarding climate change. So use your voices, show that they actually have to act on behalf of our interests, and that way, we’ll get more change.
Eleanor: *laughs* Just come out today, have fun, and be safe!
Leila: It’s a little late, again, but when I’ve been talking to people about their reasons for why they would not want to come [to the Climate Strike], it’s typically because they have prior commitments, but what I would like to say to [them]… is that this is a once in a lifetime experience. And, it sounds really dark, but if you don’t get out, speak out, and make actual change in policy, in systems, and in our society’s overall ideology, then there will be no point in studying for school because our society will be completely overwhelmed by the horrible effects of climate change.
Lucy: *At this point, someone asked us to gather for a group photograph with our Climate Strike posters, so that marked the end of my interview with Lucy!*
Vibhuti: You know, fuck Doug Ford and fuck politicians who aren’t listening to young people because we’re gonna vote you out of office and it’s gonna suck.
Massoma: Something super important is recognizing that the environment, like most issues, is intersectional. There’s a lot of rhetoric that sometimes further marginalizes specific communities. So really checking that and making sure that you do your research to make sure that you’re not contributing to the marginalization of, say, people with disabilities or racialized communities because a lot of times, the rhetoric surrounding the environment can be harmful to those communities.
Ally: Just that I’m very happy to see that [climate change has] become more of a prominent topic in recent years, and I’m very happy to see everyone showing up [at the Climate Strike].
These interviews have been edited for length and clarity
