Ça va prendre des sacrifices et ça va prendre une implication énorme pour changer des choses, donc peut être sortir de notre zone de confort sera nécessaire à ce point-ci dans l’histoire. Ce qui est le fun est de regarder tout le passé et l’historique de l’humanité. Cela a pris beaucoup d’efforts pour changer les choses, mais au moins, on a des exemples dans l’histoire qu’en se mettant ensemble on a été capable de surmonter des injustices. Il faut se s’inspirer de ça.
anthony garoufalis-auger, balado conscient, 18 juin, 2021, montréal
Anthony est un organisateur en urgence climatique et un stratège en affaires publiques basé à Montréal. Son travail vise à faire évoluer le discours sur le climat au Canada de l’incrémentalisme vers l’action d’urgence. Il est cofondateur de Extinction Rébellion Québec et l’un des initiateurs de la Coalition Aviation Climatique, une coalition pancanadienne qui milite pour des solutions audacieuses afin de réduire les émissions du secteur de l’aviation. Il siège également au conseil d’administration du Rapid Decarbonization Group et travaille aussi avec le Climate Emergency Unit.
J’ai rencontré Anthony pour la première fois dans le cadre de mon travail avec le cercle de coordination de LeSAUT (Leadership sectoriel des arts sur l’urgence de la transition écologique) en avril 2021. Depuis, nous avons eu de nombreuses conversations sur l’activisme climatique et l’art, dont cette conversation par une journée venteuse dans son jardin à Montréal où nous avons pu approfondir notre échange.
Anthony est une personne très impressionnante et courageuse. J’aimerais qu’on puisse le multiplier 1000 fois ! Il est non seulement un activiste climatique efficace, mais aussi un brillant analyste politique et stratège. Il comprend ce que signifie “l’urgence climatique†et m’a incité à emprunter le chemin le plus court possible vers la voie la plus élevée de l’action climatique.
J’ai été impressionné par plusieurs de ses idées lors de notre échange, notamment :
Les gens autour de moi, la grande majorité, comprennent où on est en rendu avec les changements climatiques. Il y a une complète déconnexion avec la réalité qu’on voit dans notre culture de masse et dans les nouvelles. Ceci n’est pas une réalité construite. Ce que la science nous dit est la réalité. On s’en va vraiment vers la catastrophe.
Je tiens à remercier Anthony d’avoir pris le temps de me parler, d’avoir partagé son savoir en profondeur ders enjeux de l’urgence climatique, son leadership infatigable, ses idées sur la stratégie du secteur des arts et de la culture et sa détermination.
Pour plus d’informations sur le travail d’Anthony, voir https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-garoufalis-auger-474671b2/ et https://rapiddecarbonizationgroup.org/accueil/ .
Lien
- Damon Matthews
- Climate scientists: concept of net zero is a dangerous trap: https://theconversation.com/climate-scientists-concept-of-net-zero-is-a-dangerous-trap-157368
- 10 myths about net zero targets and carbon offsetting, busted : https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/12/11/10-myths-net-zero-targets-carbon-offsetting-busted/
- Rapid Decarbonization Group and Youth Groups Response to New Federal Climate Law: http://rapiddecarbonizationgroup.org/statement-on-extreme-heat-events-and-new-federal-climate-law/
*
(translation)
It’s going to take sacrifice and it’s going to take a huge commitment to change things, so maybe getting out of our comfort zone will be necessary at this point in history. What’s interesting is looking at the past and the history of humanity. It has taken a lot of effort to change things, but at least we have examples in history where we have come together to overcome injustices. We need to be inspired by this.
anthony garoufalis-auger, balado conscient, June 18, 2021, montréal
Anthony is a Montreal-based climate emergency organizer and public affairs strategist. His work focuses on shifting the climate discourse in Canada from incrementalism to emergency-mode action. He is a co-founder of Extinction Rébellion Québec and an initiator of the Climate Aviation Coalition, a pan-Canada coalition pushing for bold solutions to tackle emissions from the aviation sector. He also sits on the board of directors of Rapid Decarbonization Group and also works with the Climate Emergency Unit.
I first met Anthony in my work with the Sectoral Climate Arts Leadership for the Emergency (SCALE) coordinating circle in April 2021. Since then, we have had many conversations about climate activism and art, including this conversation on a windy day in his backyard in Montreal where we were able to deepen our exchange.
Anthony is a very impressive and courageous individual. I wish we could clone him 1000 times! He is not only an effective climate activist but also a brilliant policy analyst and strategist. He understands what ‘climate emergency’ means and has inspired me to take the shortest possible path towards the highest road of climate action.
I was impressed by many of his ideas during our exchange, including:
The people around me, the vast majority, understand where we are with climate change. There is a complete disconnect with the reality that we see in our mass culture and in the news which is not a constructed reality. What science tells us is reality. We are really heading for disaster.
I would like to thank Anthony for taking the time to speak with me, for sharing his deep knowledge of the climate emergency, his tireless leadership, his insights into strategy for the arts and culture sector and his determination.
For more information on Anthony’s work, see https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-garoufalis-auger-474671b2/and https://rapiddecarbonizationgroup.org/accueil/
Links
- Damon Matthews
- Climate scientists: concept of net zero is a dangerous trap: https://theconversation.com/climate-scientists-concept-of-net-zero-is-a-dangerous-trap-157368
- 10 myths about net zero targets and carbon offsetting, busted : https://www.climatechangenews.com/2020/12/11/10-myths-net-zero-targets-carbon-offsetting-busted/
- Rapid Decarbonization Group and Youth Groups Response to New Federal Climate Law: http://rapiddecarbonizationgroup.org/statement-on-extreme-heat-events-and-new-federal-climate-law/
———-
About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer
The conscient podcast / balado conscient is a series of conversations about art, conscience and the ecological crisis. This podcast is bilingual (in either English or French). The language of the guest determines the language of the podcast. Episode notes are translated but not individual interviews.
I started the conscient project in 2020 as a personal learning journey and knowledge sharing exercise. It has been rewarding, and sometimes surprising.
The term ‘conscient’ is defined as ‘being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts and motivations’. My touchstone for the podcast is episode 1, e01 terrified, based on an essay I wrote in May 2019, where I share my anxiety about the climate crisis and my belief that arts and culture can play a critical role in raising public awareness about environmental issues. The conscient podcast / balado conscient follows up on my http://simplesoundscapes.ca (2016–2019) project: 175, 3-minute audio and video field recordings that explore mindful listening.
Season 1 (May to October 2020) explored how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French and 15 in English. The episodes cover a wide range of content, including activism, impact measurement, gaming, arts funding, cross-sectoral collaborations, social justice, artistic practices, etc. Episodes 8 to 17 were recorded while I was at the Creative Climate Leadership USA course in Arizona in March 2020 (led by Julie’s Bicycle). Episode 18 is a compilation of highlights from these conversations.
Season 2 (March 2021 – ) explores the concept of reality and is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. The first episode of season 2 (e19 reality) mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from simplesoundscapes and from my 1998 soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. One of my findings from this episode is that ‘I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist’, without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way’. e19 reality touches upon 7 topics: our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, ecological anxiety and ecological grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The rest of season 2 features interviews with thought leaders about their responses and reactions to e19 reality.
my professional services
I’ve been retired from the Canada Council for the Arts since September 15, 2020 where I served as a senior strategic advisor in arts granting (2016-2020) and manager of the Inter-Arts Office (1999-2015). My focus in (quasi) retirement is environmental issues within my area of expertise in arts and culture, in particular in acoustic ecology. I’m open to become involved in projects that align with my values and that move forward environmental concerns. Feel free to email me for a conversation : claude@conscient.ca
acknowledgement of eco-responsibility
I acknowledge that the production of the conscient podcast / balado conscient produces carbon. I try to minimize this carbon footprint by being as efficient as possible, including using GreenGeeks as my web server and acquiring carbon offsets for my equipment and travel activities from BullFrog Power and Less.
a word about privilege and bias
While recording episode 19 ‘reality’, I heard elements of ‘privilege’ in my voice that I had not noticed before. It sounded a bit like ‘ecological mansplaining’. I realize that, in spite of good intentions, I need to work my way through issues of privilege (of all kinds) and unconscious bias the way I did through ecological anxiety and grief during the fall of 2020. My re-education is ongoing.
Powered by WPeMatico