[Author's Disclaimer: I was on the Michigan Tech delegation to COP26 -- the United Nations Climate Change Conference (Oct. 31-Nov. 12, 2021) in Glasgow, Scotland -- but I do not speak for the university. I am part of the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (Y.E.A.H.) network, with funding from National Science Foundation (NSF), but do not speak for NSF.]
Optimism and pessimism; hope and despair; inspiration and anger -- these dualistic emotions characterize the experience of many COP26 participants. Oscillating between moments of empowerment and overcast, student delegates from the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (Y.E.A.H.) reflect on their time in Glasgow with varying degrees of faith in the outcomes of the global climate summit. With gracious funding from the National Science Foundation, the Y.E.A.H. network dispatched student delegations from Michigan Technological University (MTU), Colorado State University (CSU), Vanderbilt University (VU), University of Connecticut (UCONN), and Moravian University (MU) to experience first-hand the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s annual international assembly.**
Ayush Chutani, Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering from MTU, captured the dynamic experience in his description of COP26.
"There existed two worlds in Glasgow -- one inside the fence trying hard to fight with words in order to keep 1.5 degrees alive, and one outside fighting with their voice to keep the future alive," Chutani said.
This complexity existed in participants’ emotional experience and in the collective undertone of the climate summit. Depending on whose opinion you solicit, COP26 is either described as a triumphant and invigorating celebration of the human capacity for resilience, or as a political charade of empty pretenses that our shared goal to keep global warming below 1.5℃ is within reach. To add to this complexity, these sentiments are not mutually exclusive. I return from my escapade in Glasgow with both narratives fighting for precedence inside my head. And in order to authentically serve as a COP26 envoy for Michigan, I must tell the whole of the story -- both the light and the dark. It is the duality of the experience that makes it so rich, impactful and empowering.
We cannot ignore the dismal reality of having to beg world leaders to take action to hastily reverse and repair the environmental and social injustices related to anthropogenic climate change. We also cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that the climate crisis is already devastating communities across the map -- wildfire, drought, crop failure, ocean acidification, sea level rise, desertification and starvation. These are not distant threats but existent truths our brothers and sisters are grappling with. The gathering in Glasgow shone a bright light on the disparate worlds developed and developing nations are living in; and it made clear the varying degrees of capacity, resources and political will nations are bringing to the negotiation table.
Charles Doktycz, Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering at Vanderbilt University, describes this eye-opening experience.
"COP served as a great reminder that not every country has the same motivations coming into negotiations," Doktycz noted. "Climate change has not impacted everyone equally, and that must be acknowledged in sustainable development."
Equitably addressing mass loss, damage and suffering necessitates tangible political action coupled with contributions from big businesses and financial leaders in developed countries -- but from the perspective of a youth observer, these "actions and contributions" can tend to feel more symbolic than substantive.
UCONN Masters student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Amanda Pastore reflects on the need for urgent and authentic action.
"COP26 was an overwhelming, incredible experience that reminded me how much faster humanity needs to act," Pastore told me.
Injustice. Inequity. Loss and damage. Environmental and social disorder. We gathered to ensure that this is not the legacy we leave for future generations. To guarantee a livable future, we must vigorously accelerate the phase out of fossil fuels, increase financial and technological transfer, build capacity for mitigation and resilience, and emphasize indigenous culture and knowledge as critical parts of the solution. There is no time left for discussion and consideration; there is only time for execution and implementation of the provisions laid out in the Glasgow Climate Pact.
Kathleen Brosemer -- environmental director of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, standing board member of Oil and Water Don’t Mix, and Ph.D. student at MTU -- remains weary of applauding the seemingly empty pledges that were made at COP26.
"I am shocked and appalled that world leaders, knowing we must cut emissions 45 percent within eight years, can’t even commit to stop using tax revenues to subsidize fossil fuels!" Brosemer commented. "They’re using our money to kill off humanity!"
But dwelling on the devastation belittles the momentous change bubbling beneath the surface. More than 30,000 individuals gathered in Glasgow to learn from one another’s experience, to devote genuine energy and resources to collaboration, and to devise aggressive strategies for climate action. The raw intention behind these annual gatherings is absolutely commendable.
My colleague Jacob Genuise, a graduate student in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability at CSU, captures the essence of these intentions.
"Gathering thousands of scientists, activists, policymakers, industry leaders, and students in one place in the pursuit of climate solutions and progress creates its own kind of magic," Genuise said.
Eugene Agyei, MTU Ph.D. student in Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture, reflects on the reality of a global gathering convened to respond to the climate crisis.
"It was an unbelievably great experience to see almost the whole world trying to figure out a solution to a critical problem and bringing young people along while doing so," Agyei noted.
Not only do these global climate summits create a kind of "magic," they also make noise, raise awareness, demand attention from the media and the public, and provide participants with a renewed sense of personal agency and a refined ability to advance solutions. This sense of personal agency is particularly salient for youth delegates. We have returned home with an enhanced worldview and a more robust skill set, which we will channel into our work as we are now more capable of leading the next generation of change.
This renewed sense of agency is described by Madeline Allen, a Ph.D. student in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Vanderbilt University.
"I left COP26 with a renewed sense of hope," Allen said. "Hearing from stakeholders and decision makers from around the world has reminded me that an abundance of solutions to mitigating and adapting to climate change already exist, and I truly believe that we are gathering the momentum and will needed to finance and deploy these solutions at scale and keep the goal of 1.5 degrees alive."
So how do we make sense of the contrasting narratives about the climate crisis being circulated by mass media and within our own Keweenaw community?
We must take a realistic orientation towards this wicked problem -- one that is inclusive of both agency and anger. Agency without exposure to the infuriating injustices caused by climate change is naive. Anger without agency is hollow. But agency fueled by anger is transformational. It infuses our actions with a fierce compassion for the suffering of our planet and its people. And it grounds our resolve for change in an aggressive pursuit of justice for all of creation.
"I view this as a catalyst moment for action on climate change post-pandemic," remarked Cody Sanford, environmentalist and creator of the Livable Future podcast from CSU. "I’m very impressed by the way people are catalyzing action in their own communities."
COP26 was a catalyst for government, industry, civil society and youth alike. Whether we lean towards optimism or pessimism in our reflections, one commonality we all share is our reinvigorated efforts to realize positive, sustained change. We have absorbed the COP26 experience into ourselves and are channeling it to create a grassroots ripple effect -- from the individual, to the community level and beyond.
Editor's Notes:
* Guest author Alexis Pascaris is a Keweenaw resident (with no plans to leave) and a recent graduate (Spring 2021) of Michigan Tech University, where she earned a Master of Science in Environmental and Energy Policy. Pascaris, a research scientist, is the founder of AgriSolar Consulting, LLC, through which she is advancing sustainable land use, farm resilience and renewable energy through agrivoltaic solutions.
** To learn more about the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (Y.E.A.H.) visit https://yeah-net.org/.
*** SDGs are Sustainable Development Goals. Alexis Pascaris also attended the COP25 UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid in December 2019. See her 2019 Michigan Tech Research Blog article, "COP25: We Are the Solution."
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