Let's talk about Climate Action

Interview with climate activist and recent MEP candidate Daze Aghaji

As a student in the UK, I’ve been experiencing first-hand the actions of young people fighting for the climate and raising awareness to this pressing matter, which not only affects our health, but the future of our planet altogether. It is groups like Extinction Rebellion that have followed in the steps of Greta Thunberg, who started the Fridays for Future movement, where teens and youngsters went in front of Parliament and demanded action in the face of climate change. Extinction Rebellion is a non-violent group whose three demands include the governments telling the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, halting biodiversity loss through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025 and finally, organising a citizen’s assembly for climate and ecological justice.

Back in May, Scotland became the first country to declare a climate emergency and on June 20th, the UK government announced that a citizen’s assembly on climate change would take place, addressing two of the demands of the activist group, although members are still concerned about the legitimacy of this decision.

Emision Cero presenter Ricardo Fraguas and Conchita from the Earth Youth Project at the studios of Radio Internacional de España.

Last week, I had the chance to speak to an inspiring individual who, at only 19 years old put herself forward as a Climate and Ecological Emergency candidate in Parliament for the European Elections. This was one of my firsts attempts to begin connecting with the active youth fighting for the future of our planet and showcase them in the platform titled the Earth Youth Project, destined to sharing stories related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), defined by the United Nations back in 2015.

Daze Aghaji, a History and Politics student residing in London is also a member of Extinction Rebellion, and she opened up about her trajectory in climate activism, sending an inspiring message of empowerment to the youth and future generations. I had the privilege to interview her alongside radio host and sustainability expert Ricardo Fraguas Poole of Emision Cero at Radio Internacional de España, who also joined in and engaged in our discussion about climate action.

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Conchita (C): In the midst of what is happening right now in the UK in terms of climate activism and how it’s now expanding to other countries around the world, what pushed you to become a climate activist?

Daze Aghaji (DA): I think it really stands out of feeling somewhat helpless because we forget that the climate crisis is such a heavy-weighing topic, and instead of becoming really disempowered, the midst of our changing climate, I decided to do so much more, and that’s when I became really active in climate activism, which led to my work as a coordinator for Extinction Rebellion. 

C: That’s amazing. So, from that starting point where a lot of us have stood, of feeling helpless as a result of seeing the lack of response from our governments when it comes to climate action - how did you start taking action and begin your journey defending the climate?

Pictured, Daze Aghaji. Photograph by Talia Woodin.

DA: “Before working with Extinction Rebellion, I used to work with Amnesty International and I see the amazing work that they do just by simply inspiring people, where each person feels that their actions can create massive change. I’ve seen it work before personally as a History student, where I’ve studied it working; I’ve studied it working with the LGBTQ community, I’ve studied it working in the civil rights communities as well. So truth being that, I see something really special, they make everyone feel so important and make everyone feel like their actions are worth it and that overall, that can amount to a larger change. We’ve seen it happening here in the UK, we’re the first government to declare a climate emergency. And that’s not where we’re going to stop, we’re going to continue to make noise, continue to be active, and through there, that’s how we can get the legislation in place to actually help the Earth rather than destroy it”.

Ricardo Fraguas (RF): Daze, isn’t it also fantastic, that we can go faster, but we are doing things. On our way to the studio today, we listened on the BBC a story about the first gay marriage in the 1970s in the United States, something that was against the stream and now it is legal in every state, 40 years later. We can go faster also with the production of clean energy, we know we can produce all our resources out of renewable energy, and everywhere, and decentralising its production and use it also to our transport, preserving life on planet Earth, and we have to go faster- perhaps that’s why we need you, Daze?

DA: 100%, There’s a real need for urgency at this point, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) investigation basically said we have around a decade to really make change in the face of climate change, and that’s the kind of change that we need to demand for, because we do forget that the governments are meant to be working in our favour, they are meant to be representing us and our values, and if we show that this is something we truly care about and that needs to be done, they have no choice but to almost, coming to the point where is no longer voluntary, is quite forceful almost, and we need dramatic change and make sure that they know that.

"We can see a future where we see renewable energy at common, we can see a future where we see a zero waste, plastic-free lifestyle is possible, and it’s breaking through and young people leading the way and pulling the rest of society along is what needs to be done"- Daze Aghaji

RF: The wind blows in the right direction, also, with this fantastic possibility of universal interconnection and communication because, and we feel it here talking to you, we are closer than ever to feeling like one human family with a common destiny and we can work together to preserve life on planet Earth and make it possible for everyone to exercise their human rights.

DA: Exactly, I feel that one of the most forgotten human rights is to be able to breathe clean air, to be able to live in an Earth which won’t try and kill you haha. So yeah, we have to remember, it is a human right that we’re fighting for. The technology is out there, is not like it isn’t, it is made to be understood, and this is when we actually have to start putting our money where our mouth is, embracing renewable energy sources, and make sure that that’s what we’re using instead of fossil fuels.

C: I liked what you just mentioned- the technology is here- this isn’t a sci-fi fantasy dream, of us wondering what if we had renewable energy, what if we had sustainable mobility, we have electric cars, different means, the technology is here, and now we just have to move towards that; knowing that polluted air is killing so many people every year, we know the science is real and it makes you wonder why it is that we aren’t heading towards there fast enough. We have to shift to that, and move away from comfortable and harmful lifestyles when we know how detrimental things like the use of fossil fuels can be for our planet. And like you’ve said, it is up to us to be vocal about this.

We need regulations for EU, we need a shift in our regulations- what was the main reason for you running?

DA: Yeah, I think, the main reason for me to be running; because especially in the UK, this election wasn’t meant to happen because of Brexit, so I was really scared that we wouldn’t talk at all about the climate crisis and it would just be covered over by Brexit. So me, running, and the other candidates, running as Climate and Ecological Emergency Independents led to there having to be a space, and having to give voice to the climate crisis during the whole elections. Obviously the EU, especially in the UK has actually made

Extinction Rebellion climate change protestors march along London's Embankment. Photograph by Kevin J. Frost/Alamy Live News

most of the environmental legislations, but at the same time there is still so much more that we can do. It’s the large corporations that are creating so much of the pollution, and we need to make sure that they know that it’s not okay to promote ecocide all across the world, and it’s kind of putting that pressure on, by showing that young people can stand up. If I have the right to vote at the age of 18 why can’t I stand, why can’t we be represented in the EU and it’s highlighting these issues so now I know that I created the space of where other people can do the same thing and really act within that democracy.

Doctor Jesus Valle, advisor in research development and innovation for the program then commented on our previous chat, spreading a message of hope for our young yet active generation.

Jesús Valle (JV): I am really amazed about the things you are talking about here today, to have these very young people pressing all the world to change, for me it’s really wonderful. For me it’s really inspiring to hear how they are promoting all of these projects. Give us information about the future, how do you think the future will be? From a political point of view, what can we expect? As you are the generation of the future, the future of humanity I’m interested about what you think will happen.

DA: I think young people have to lead the way, especially when talking to really young people- one of the youngest extinction rebellion members is in London- she’s only 10 years old and she’s a climate activist! It’s that urgency to know that we are going to be the ones that will have to make it out of this mess if it continues, and that leads us to really wanting change now rather than later. We can see a future where we see renewable energy at common, we can see a future where we see that zero waste and a plastic-free lifestyle is possible, and it’s breaking through that with young people leading the way and pulling the rest of society along the way is what needs to be done.

RF: We all want that future, we believe in it and we have to collaborate to bring it sooner.

As the last remarks of the program, I asked Daze about an upcoming event she would be organising the following afternoon, tackling the global issue of fast fashion and so she opened up about this issue and what the event would include.

Pictured, a swap market in Umeå, Sweden. Photograph by Isabela Martinez.

DA: The event is called F*ck Fast Fashion. It’s designed for young people under their 30s mainly. We’re meant to bring clothes, have swap shops, I’ll be doing embroidery and tidying, and it’s about making sure we understand what fast fashion does to the planet. Fast fashion is the second biggest pollutant after agriculture, this means that it’s something we really need to tackle head on, we need to promote slow fashion; the act of reusing and re-mending, recycling and up-cycling our work. With less of an emphasis on recycling and more on reusing and reducing buying the products in the first place. F*ck Fast Fashion will take place in Stratford, the first event that we’re gonna have. And hopefully it kind of spans around the world and can be taken up by other people to organise their own events inspired by this one, helping to spread awareness so people aren’t buying something that’s detrimental for the Earth.

As the radio program drew to a close, the presenter of the show and myself exchanged looks and smiled. It had been a good show, I could tell. Not only had we done something innovative there today, by allowing the world to access and listen to the program in English instead of Spanish, but the topics we had discussed that day reassured me even more that I was headed in the right direction, that my voice did matter, and just like Daze, I was ready to take my ideas into action and defend our right to live in a thriving planet for all. And just by talking about these topics, we were opening up a space for thought and a shift in mentality, contributing to create positive change.

The full radio show is available here, feel free to listen to the full podcast of the program.

Words by Conchita Fraguas Bringas