In 2013 your organization, Urgenda filed a lawsuit against the government of the Netherlands demanding a 40% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020. Even many of your friends said the odds of winning were slim at best. So you developed a tactic called crowd pleading. In the end almost 1000 people joined us as co-plaintives and they were with us all the almost eight years that we had to go to courts.
Making the necessary changes to address climate disruption will take massive collective action. But sometimes, a single individual can make an extraordinary difference. At age nine, Nalleli Cobo, suffering headaches, heart palpitations, nosebleeds, and body spasms, became an activist, driven to fighting to shut down the local oil well responsible for her ailments. Separately, Marjan Minnesma brought a historic lawsuit holding the Dutch government accountable for its failure to protect its citizens from climate change. For these activists, addressing climate disruption isn’t just about preventing future harm, it’s about instigating change now.
Guests:
Nalleli Cobo, Cofounder, People Not Pozos
Marjan Minnesma, Founder, Urgenda Foundation
For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org.
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