La Jornada: Creating awareness without taking futile action in the face of the climate crisis: Pablo Montaño

Juan Ibarra

La Jornada newspaper
Sunday, July 2, 2023, p. 5

The climate crisis is becoming more visible and worrisome all over the world. Despite awareness campaigns and individual measures taken, global warming has not stopped its rise. For climate activist Pablo Montaño, who coordinates Climate Communications, Raising awareness without action is useless. Letting people know that the world is in trouble, that it’s falling apart, doesn’t help much.admitted in an interview.

previously recognized National Geographic As one of 15 Latin Americans who have done the most to inspire others to learn about, care for, and protect the environment, and recipient of a Wayfinder Award, Montaño is convinced that telling people about the problem This is not enough, it is an important task, but it cannot stop there. Any climate change communication exercise must call for us to get organized and act. So one of the most important characteristics of the work we do is looking for communities in which to launch things.said the activist.

Climate Connections, which Pablo leads, emerged during the COVID-19 health crisis as a project that seeks to provide solutions to issues such as food, education and health. I saw the need to understand this other dimension of the huge challenge we face. Hunger, to me, is a sign that there really is a capacity to respond to a crisis with an emergency mindset, and what has been seen in these two years of the global response to coronavirus is unprecedented.I confess.

Since then, Climate Connections has been dedicated to connecting with people of all kinds who are interested in ecosystem defense from local, scientific, social, or heritage defence, among others. What we aspire to do is create links between those of us who come into contact with territorial advocacy and human rights organisations, who find their connection to the state of the climate and how they can participate.shown.

Among the achievements of the organization is the production of a documentary series entitled the topicLed by Yasnaya Aguilar and Gael García Bernal. We put this documentary in a lot of places and also ended up doing a lot of tie-ins, all weather related.Montaño admitted.

The short stories focused on ecosystems threatened by the climate crisis in different parts of Mexico, dealing with topics such as: water, in Chihuahua; air in monterey; coal in Coahuila; oceans in Cozumel; energy in Tabasco; and food in Chapala. In each episode, visions, strategies and actions are intertwined in order to propose a possible future with a climate vision that is part of the country’s political agenda.

This is how allies of all kinds have been added, from territorial advocates, educators, reef protectors, mothers defending air quality for their children, human rights advocates and many more. From many sides and regions, you can work around the climate and the need to respond to this climate emergencyhighlighted Montaño, who is also studying for a master’s degree in environment and sustainable development at University College London.

For Pablo, climate change cannot be addressed or combated from an individual perspective. This is not a crisis caused by individualism and by the straws we consume. The planet does not leave us there, in larger and more complex systems, which make decisions about our lives every day, and if we do not organize ourselves, there is no possibility to change them.detained.

Although combating climate change can often seem like it’s against an imaginary enemy, Montaño believes it’s possible to focus efforts so that they make a real impact. We are fighting an economic model that aims to continue to grow without borders on a planet that has finite resources. From the beginning we make mistakes, we cannot continue to grow infinitely. This expected growth from the economy must come from somewhere in the living worldvery important.

Through Climate Links, it was possible to reach local struggles, into communities facing specific problems ahead of the people and concerns they have already identified. Y por eso es importante la lucha enfocada en los territorios y en lo local, porque ahi tu sabes, pensando en un pueblo, sabes quiénes son los que estan talando el bosque, o quiénes estan buscando desarrollar lo que queda de ecosistema a las afueras de City. We keep that in mind and it allows us to actHe said.

Likewise, the activist sees a change in our behavior and consumption patterns as necessary before it is too late. If we don’t plan this transition against this system, it will happen, and it will act like a crisis. There will come a point where we will not be able to continue to extract fossil fuels, whether you are left or right, there will come a point where this will happen.alerted.

In the face of a depressing panorama, he also proposes abandoning our idea of ​​hope towards a more energetic concept. It is finding a path where I can work, give everything, give all my effort, abilities, and time, and add those of others so that we can have a chance to look for that change that we know needs to be achieved. We have the science, we know what we need to do, what we’re doing wrong as a society, and what can’t be done, we have to start exploringdetained.

I don’t have anyone else, I’m my dad. I’m doomed to hope, I’m a father of two, and I want to be able to see my kids in the future and tell them: We’ve all done it.