German idiocy for export: Luisa Neubauer
We are on the brink of nuclear war, widespread inflation, an uncertain future, but none of that matters. A bunch of idiots in Germany are worried about "the climate crisis".
How connected is the climate movement with other social movements?
In large parts very well, because everything is connected. The climate crisis is also a direct consequence of colonial, racist and patriarchal patterns of exploitation. The climate crisis is a crisis that is disproportionately affecting women and children . The climate crisis is also a social crisis that affects the poor more than the rich – globally, but also locally. Who can afford to move away from dirty, noisy streets or not having to work in hot summers? At the same time, we see that the climate crisis is a blatantly discriminatory crisis when it comes to generations. It discriminates against young people much more than older people because we have to endure the consequences the longest.
The roots of the climate crisis lie in the power hierarchies of men over women, of white people over people of color, of men over nature
The Bangladesh-born climate activist Tonny Nowshin recently criticized that the climate movement has a racism problem because she could not be seen in photos of a demonstration against the Datteln IV coal-fired power plant. Is she right?
She's absolutely right. I said that on Twitter and also wrote to her personally. I thought it was very important that she wrote this post. It's very thought provoking and I wish it wasn't necessary. I wish we were wider and more reflective when it comes to racism and discrimination.
But as a climate movement we have a lot of catching up to do, to learn, to listen and to question. Voices like Tonny's are so important. However, we must not leave the processing of racist patterns to the blacks and PoC, but must consider for ourselves which roles we take on.
Why are mainly white young people from good backgrounds involved in Fridays for Future?
Fridays for Future is comparatively white, that's true. But that doesn't mean that we're not diverse in other areas. There are a lot of volunteers who come from very difficult backgrounds. You don't see that directly from the color of your skin, you only understand it when you take a closer look.
How can the movement become more diverse and accessible?
I wouldn't blame Fridays for Future for a general lack of diversity , but we're very white, that's true. First of all, it's great when privileged people get involved and use their privileges. But that's not enough. The questions we keep asking ourselves is: Who isn't in the room? And why not? We always have to keep this in mind and ensure that access to movement is made easier, that we address and include realities of life with a wide variety of backgrounds. That we create a place with the movement that picks people up from everywhere.
Compromise and lack of narcissim.
How far along do you think you are ?
It's a very long process, but I'm very grateful and happy because I see how much is being done to tackle structural racism in the climate movement and to ensure diversity.
There is not only a lot of discussion about racism at the moment, but also about the meat industry. Do you eat meat yourself?
No, I don't eat meat, I eat mostly vegan. Incidentally, I don't think that climate activists can be expected to eat vegan. This is also a privilege and has great cultural implications. Vegan nutrition is relatively complex, you are practically in constant resistance to the animal industry, which sprinkles something from the animal into every conceivable product, and that can sometimes be expensive. At least if you don't like to cook yourself.
Source: Watson
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