Exclusive – in conversation with Larissa Pinto Moraes

Larissa: By listening to vulnerable communities because marginalised groups have historically come up with ways to combat the climate crisis that are accessible to all.

We should be combining science with community-based solutions in order to distance ourselves from misinformation. The integration of storytelling with research is really important because it lets everyone use their voice.

 

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Thred: How can we be amplifying the voices of frontline communities and marginalised groups – those most impacted by the crisis – without resorting to tokenism? And, more pressingly, how can we be pushing for better representation and inclusion from a top-down level?

Larissa: The first step is to listen! As the Global North continues to dominate these spaces, we must listen to what frontline communities are asking for and cater to their specific needs. Be an agent of facilitation. How can we support marginalised groups? By doing things with them, not for them.

Thred: Multiple generations of Indigenous Peoples have and continue to live closely with the natural environment. Their knowledge and practices are vital in protecting the Earth’s ecosystems (which they safeguard roughly 80 per cent of) and for the future of people and the planet. What can be done to ensure they are at the heart of climate and environmental action?

Larissa: We have to assess how facilitate their access to funding so they can continue to protect the Earth. And we have to listen to what they have to say because what they’re engaging with aren’t global issues but localised ones. For example, how can we address gender-based violence in these communities? It’s once again a matter of tackling inequality and allowing the needle of change to move from there. We don’t need huge-scale projects to make a difference. We must localise and show Indigenous Peoples that we recognise and care about their basic human rights.

Thred: Gen Z is suffering with a debilitating fear of our climate emergency known as eco-anxiety. How do you involve yourself with this activism without letting it consume you? And how can we go about dealing with this universal – and often overwhelming – feeling of powerlessness in the face of climate change so that our mental health is protected?

Larissa: To cope with eco-anxiety, we need to be promoting collectivity.

When we see it as an issue that doesn’t only affect us as individuals, but us as a collective, we can carry the weight of it together. Find your people. Don’t take this on by yourself. And, of course, find joy in what you’re doing.

Thred: Why is intergenerational collaboration so important and how can we be fostering it?

Larissa: This isn’t a new problem. It’s a problem that older generations have been dealing with for decades. But if we don’t talk to them, we’re always going to assume we’re being innovative and doing things from the ground up.

We should be learning from older generations. Their wins, their losses, and what needs to be done differently. The climate conversation should include us all.

Thred: What do you deem the top priority in the fight against climate injustice?

Larissa: We have to address vulnerability and the conversation around adaptation. When we talk about vulnerability, we’re talking about how colonialisation and imperialism is still impacting marginalised groups today. When we introduce this to the climate conversation, it can seem quite sterile, but if we exclude it, we leave a lot of people out of the solutions. So including it is vital. Vulnerable communities being affected by the crisis isn’t going to happen, it’s happening now.

Thred: Besides the changes we can make on an independent level, what’s the best means of approaching influencing change on a grander scale? Aka how do we shift the focus of the conversation from individual to corporate action (think recycling versus manufacture).

Larissa: Make noise! Once you have everyone’s attention, then you put on a suit and speak with policymakers.

Be present, be seen, and be creative.

How can we talk about something that’s talked about often in a new way that gets the message across and wakes people up to the severity of this?