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Jonathan argues that climate discussions need to move from experts to the various diverse communities, questions why so many urban young people feel disconnected from the environmental space, emphasises the need to normalise the talk about the environment and brings examples of making talking about climate trendy.
Jonathan Nobrega is an environmental advocate and sustainability educator based in London. He is best known for his work as a Youth Project Coordinator at the London Wildlife Trust, where he focuses on making nature recovery more inclusive for underrepresented and diverse youth. His journey into nature began with the realisation that the sector lacked diversity — it didn’t feel right that the organisations leading nature recovery often felt exclusionary. Motivated by this, he has founded WIld Collective, a youth-led nature society, contributed to academic and non-curricular teaching, and built partnerships between environmental organisations and youth-focused institutions.
NOTES
4:10: Sustainability as the second least diverse sector in the UK - in the discussions we should be involving entire communities that get affected by climate change
6:02: WWT - Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust: https://www.wwt.org.uk/
London Wildlife Trust: https://www.wildlondon.org.uk/
Own initiative: Started Wild Collective, my own grassroots movements while I was at University
7:28: Why people from diverse backgrounds feel excluded from environmental discussions
7:48: exploring how Amerindians think about space, in contrast to middle age, white people
9:40: Why the export lens alienates people from getting involved
10:40: dissertation about how young people in London could be better engaged in environmental discussions
13:36: feeling powerless in front of climate change. It seems like a huge mountain to climb and feel so disconnected for so many young people. Also they feel it is not for them
16:05: Society applauds money, power, wealth, while environment and living frugally is not appreciated in the modern age
16:35: Climate anxiety stems from the education
17:00: how social media presenting a false image about oneself leads to detachment of our roots
18:10: having the things of what society expects you whilst being environmentally friendly at the same time, it seems to be a trade-off.
19:00: Launching the Wild Collective at the University of Roehampton for getting students out of the classroom and connect with nature
21:00: the role of big nature organisations in normalising the discussion about nature
22:22: how to combine love of sports with immersion in nature
23:50: the idealistic picture of Platon talking with his students under a giant fig tree
25:18: Hopes related to recently launching the Natural History GCSE and have nature connection within the classroom
25:45: the importance of the University of Roehampton offering interdisciplinary classes in environment and climate change
27:20 The London Wildlife Trust offering diversity traineeship for young people, and the Keeping it Wild Collective for running free events for young people in London to get involved with nature
28:40: reducing the barriers of entry to engagement with nature
29:44: about the importance of diversification within the large environmental organisations
31:10: competition or collaboration between the small and larger environmental organisations?
32:00: Encourage young people that they have the power to make change. One should not be afraid of asking for advice or being a disruptor
33:50: Rapid fire quiz:
- Oxygene - for an environmental humanities perspective what matters is who has the most oxygen to speak and exercise power
- Overconsumption - we are all guilty of that!
- Oceans - wetland and waters are most powerful! The best way to think about oceans is to engage with them - go, observe and interact
39:50: about green careers, making a living in sustainability - massive opportunities exist
40:45: If it is the fastest growing sector, then why is it so difficult to get jobs in green industries? Many of the jobs require a lot of hours, sometime non-paid
42:00: how to find funding opportunities for green jobs?
43:32: how volunteering helps your career - it can help you set you apart from everyone else
46:20 My utopia is to help changing our thinking by looking at the impetus our decisions make
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This was Gabor Sarlos, with Ready, Steady, Green!
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