Show Notes – Julie Moreno

Degree in environmental science – friends working in environmental fields.  Heard they were having some problems coming to terms with their jobs.  You are trying, and are so passionate about it, and people don't share that passion, and don't back you up.  It can make you feel a bit down about the future.

As a teacher she has to be careful that the kids don't get too down about things.  After some lessons you can see their faces, like there is no hope.  So now she tries to end each lesson with solutions, something more positive.

The more you know about the problems, the more you see the statistics, it can be scary to think about the future. 

A lot of the social media information about the environment is provoking feelings of powerlessness. 

The pollution in Jakarta is so bad that you have to put it out of your mind sometimes otherwise it can become overwhelming.

The growth of ethical investments.

Ubud Writers Festival – talk by Tim Flannery.  Cautiously optimistic.  New exciting technologies that really good improve our future: seaweed farming, solar energy, desalinating seawater.  There are a lot of good things going on around the world.

Danger that people think technology will solve all our environmental problems.  We need to do both – we also need to reduce our emissions.

Don't just get caught up in debates about climate change being manmade, there are so many other problems as well including pollution. 

There are two reasons that pollution is so bad in Indonesia: a lack of rubbish removal infrastructure and education about littering. 

All the little things do make a difference and you are also being a role model for others.  Take your own cup to your local coffee shop. 

Tim Flannery said we need to empower our students to be leaders, to be politically active.  They need to understand politics.  Learn to be activists.  Taking part in a climate change march.  Get involved in an NGO. 

Their school is involved in their local community.  Work with the local community centre.  Also work with two refugee schools that are nearby.  Work with some animal shelters.  They see that they can actually make a difference. 

The community helps make us more resilient to the possible futures we might face.

They look at the science of climate change.  But they also look at it in humanities.  Why didn't the USA sign into the Paris Agreement?   Look at it in economics.  It is frustrating for the students to see that.

They do have some students who don't believe that climate change is manmade. 

There is a feeling among students of having to work with the mess that our generation has left for them.  They are having to work with the consequences. 

Surge of students trying to make a different.  There is a big growth in veganism in the school.  They think they are making a real difference in regards to greenhouse emissions.  Some conflict about this.  Now it is more low key; a reduction in the amount of meat they eat rather than total veganism.   They do lessons on nutrition to learn how to get the right nutrients even with a vegan diet.

A lot of our students are well educated on global issues because of their international backgrounds.  They learn critical thinking.

There are a good percentage of the students who are very aware, who want to make changes and will make a difference.

Julie maintains her resilience by trying to make changes herself.  She tries not to use plastic.  She takes all the wrappings off in the supermarket and leaves them at the counter.  She tries to teach her own children about global issues.  She rescues animals.  Sometimes seeing the big difference you can make to an animal.  They grow food plants in the garden and connect with nature in that way.  Because it is hard in Jakarta to connect with nature.  She gets an energy boost connecting with nature.  Everything makes a difference and you have to believe that.  She's like to be closer to a forest.  But whenever she gets into a forest she sits on a rock and meditates and keeps a picture in her head to come back to that when she needs to.