In June 2020, after more than 30 years of activism for the environmental cause, Karel Mayrand bowed out, leaving his post as director general of the David Suzuki Foundation for Quebec and the Atlantic.
The most cynical might believe that the activist had lost hope, was quitting a cause condemned by an economic system that served the interests of a few powerful people, eaten away by powerlessness and resigned to sinking with all of humanity into the precipice that it struggles to dig for herself.
“It’s true that I was very tired. I had the impression of carrying the world on my shoulders for twelve years, and of only taking snail’s steps, affirms the main person concerned, reached by telephone by The duty. I was no longer able to tell people that we must act to avoid the worst, when we have already crossed all the red lines. I’m tired, but I haven’t lost hope. The youth is there, strong and united. »
When hundreds of thousands of people took part in the Great Climate March in Montreal in 2019, Karel Mayrand knew it was time to pass the torch to stronger, more radical voices. “For the first time, we had before us a generation that we did not know how to protect from the impacts of climate change. By standing up, the young people showed us that they were ready to create the world of tomorrow. »
It is to water this seed of hope that the activist accepted, on the initiative of Kata editions, to write an essay dedicated to young people to transmit to them the tools and lessons learned during his years of activism. In Letter to a young person environmentalistKarel Mayrand offers readers arguments and ways to fight indifference and eco-anxiety, take action and fight for fundamental change in society.
“I encourage young people to be ambitious and radical in their ideals. Moderation is no longer enough to accomplish the deep, systemic changes needed to turn the tide. We must absolutely aim for the moon, otherwise we will not succeed. »
A fairer and greener world
In the first chapters, the ecologist explains why techno-economic solutions – electrification of transport, investments in renewable energies, carbon tax – are no longer enough to hope to achieve the objective targeted by the Paris Agreement, namely that of limiting global warming at 1.5°C compared to the industrial era. From now on, the changes must be of a political and social nature.
“It was the young people who made me realize the importance of intersectionality in the debate. When we dig into the roots of what is not working in the world, we always come back to colonialism, which allowed a minority to monopolize territories and resources to enrich themselves. To justify this, we have created ideological models in which men and women are not equal to each other, and in which Indigenous peoples and racialized people are deprived of their rights. This infrastructure also explains our governments’ lack of action on climate change. Everything is interconnected. From the moment we accept that the human being dominates nature and other living beings, we also accept that a human being can dominate another. »
Karel Mayrand therefore calls on young people to transform the system by using the levers of power at their disposal. “You have to speak up, demonstrate and, above all, make your voice heard during the elections. Currently, those aged 18-34 vote half as much as those aged 70 and over. It is certain that the political parties are not interested in them. In contrast, companies that sell running shoes and beauty products take their interests into account. Where young people exercise their power, companies and elected officials must adapt. »
Convince the older
In his essay, the activist sets out several pitfalls to avoid when choosing to commit to a cause. Among these, social networks, which contribute to indifference and the illusion of commitment. “We’re not going anywhere with a like “, he recalls. Not to mention the challenges posed by the trolls and misinformation that abound on these platforms.
In addition to giving them tools to detect fake news, know how to recognize credible sources and limit confirmation bias, he reminds us that the main objective is not to change the minds of conspiracy theorists or libertarians. “By giving attention to the radicals, we give them legitimacy. The real fight is to convince the 80% of people who are reasonable, who are aware that there is a problem, and to show them that the sacrifices they will have to make will allow them to access better quality of life. »
Given the magnitude of the task, it is also essential not to give in to defeatism, even less to lose ground in front of those who would call us idealists. “Don’t doubt that you can do it,” he insists on the phone. If our institutions are incapable of responding to the emergency, they must be changed. We cannot change the laws that govern the biosphere, but we can transform human inventions. It’s been done in the past. The boomers turned society upside down. They established universal education and health systems, nationalized electricity, overthrew the power of the Church. They demanded a fairer society and gave themselves the means to achieve it. »
The real fight is to convince the 80% of people who are reasonable, who are aware that there is a problem, and to show them that the sacrifices they will have to make will allow them to access better quality of life.
To the oldest, Karel Mayrand asks the question: will you have the courage to be the allies, rather than the adversaries of your children? “A country dies when it stops listening to its youth. Right now, I’m very afraid for Quebec. Who carried out the Quiet Revolution? The youth, who gave their support to visionary elected officials. Together, we can move mountains. »