If you've ever felt like environmental issues are a luxury concern -something to think about after dealing with rent, bills, and daily struggles- you are not alone.
Actually, politicians have been using that same argument to delay, undermine and even stop climate action, pushing it to the bottom of their to-do list.
In the new episode of the SystemShift, Greenpeace podcast that explores how we can move from a world that serves the economy to an economy that works for people and the planet, co-hosts Carl Schlyter and Joycelyn Longdon talked about this with Nala Amirah, climate activist and founder of Green Welfare Indonesia.
Worried about the end of the month or the end of the world?
When paying the rent, finding a decent job, or putting food on the table are at the top of your concerns, climate change seems to be something for somebody else to solve, isn't it?
Housing, for instance, is already an uphill struggle for millions of people. It is also linked to job instability. For example, more than two-thirds of Koreans aged between 25 and 34 either live with their parents or lack economic independence while in the MENA region, the youth unemployment rate is now almost double the global average.
Just as housing and jobs are deeply linked, those two are connected to the environment. One example is that the cheapest housing options are often the most vulnerable to pollution and extreme weather hazards. Low-income communities are often pushed into areas with poor infrastructure, limited accessibility, and higher risks, such as danger or death zones in the Philippines.
These are all signs that our quality of life is not following the curve of the economic growth that governments are obsessed with. An increasing GDP was supposed to be positive for all, but on the contrary, living costs are increasing, and the air we breathe is getting more and more unhealthy, while the super-rich are becoming richer.
What about politicians and the rich?
This is not by coincidence. "It's by the banking and financial systems across the globe that creates these social and environmental problems, extremely negatively impacting people's general daily lives and their possibility to afford decent housing," Carl said in the podcast.
Those with political and economic power have a fundamental role to play. Politicians ought to put the wellbeing of people and the planet at the core of reforms and policies, while the super-rich must pay their fair share of taxes.
"You could have afforded that food, you could have paid your rent, you could have paid your electricity bill if these extremely rich people had paid their taxes", Carl clearly stated in the first podcast episode of the season.
From individual despair to collective hope
"It's very easy for us to experience climate anxiety or climate despair, just feeling that, whatever action we take, it's not really going to matter. Of course, from an individual point of view, that is true," said Nala when asked about the youth perspective.
Here's the good news: history has shown that when people organise, change happens-often faster than expected. Community-driven solutions are already making a difference. "And that's why we say that we need collective action," Nala added.
Back to housing, positive examples of collective, wellbeing-driven initiatives include cooperative housing, people-led programmes and green solutions – all of which aim to provide affordable, safe housing while reducing environmental impact.
What's our role as individuals? What can we do?
It's easy to feel like you're not "doing enough" for the planet. But if you're making any effort, no matter how small, you're already part of the solution. Here are some concrete things you can do:
- Listen to the podcast that inspired this text on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or watch it on YouTube with multilingual subtitles.
- Ask governments to put wellbeing at the centre by signing the Wellbeing for All petition.
- Urge governments to #TaxTheSuperRich now.
- Check out your area and attend a community event or initiative. Chat with your neighbours about ways to overcome social and or environmental issues.
- Support local businesses.
- Consider volunteering for a cause you care about in a local group or organisation. It could be Greenpeace or any other you like!
- Set up or join a protest or other types of civic activities in your city or town
Maybe you can't or are not able to do any of this, and that is okay. Remember these words from Sarah Marques, a community leader from Recife, Brazil: "Our contribution is to live, to resist".
