The Green Majority
The full transcript of questions on climate change with Stefan Hostetter. This appeared in the October issue of The Dream Room newsletter.
1. What’s your background in the environmental movement?
I did my undergrad in Environmental Studies and Philosophy, I would say my involvement in the movement began in my third year of University. Highlights of the past ten years include co-organizing the buses to New York City for the People's Climate March in 2014, co-hosting an Environmental Radio Show called the Green Majority for the past six years, and I am currently the Co-Chair of the Toronto Climate Action Network.
2. What has been the single most impactful moment for you personally?
There was a moment during the People’s Climate March in New York, the crowd was so big that we didn’t actually begin marching until some people had finished. All told there were about 400,000 people, which at the time was the largest climate protest in history. There was a moment of silence held for those who had already been lost to extreme weather and climate change, which snaked down from the front to us, and then further down beyond. The crowd was so big you couldn’t come close to seeing the beginning or the end. But for a little over a minute, everyone was silent. Perhaps the most quiet I’d ever heard a New York street. Only a news chopper above could be heard. Then, as suddenly as it began, you could hear a faint roar from ahead, and this cacophony of cheering and shouting rolled down across the protest as we made ourselves heard, and in that moment, with that many people, anything, even this monumental task ahead of us, felt possible.
3. Where do we find ourselves at this moment?
It’s not great. In fact, the more you look at it, the more terrifying it becomes. Currently atmospheric carbon is higher than it ever has been while sustaining human life, we’ve lost approximately 60% of animal populations since 1970, and are careening towards tipping points towards multiple ecological disasters. Getting ourselves out of this hole that we have dug ourselves is our generational challenge, and we must treat it as such.
4. What has to be done to turn this around?
At this point what is required is for society to treat addressing this threat as it would a military one. An all hands on deck push to transform society, replace our antiquated infrastructure, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in every way possible. The good news is that blueprints for what this can look like are available, and it feels like we are turning a corner in regards to national commitment (outside of a few key and very depressing countries) and technological feasibility. What is left, however, is the cultural shift required. We will not be able to buy ourselves out of climate change. We must begin to reassess what should be considered “the good life” and what we as a society prioritize. Without this crucial step, all the other actions may delay our demise but cannot stop it.
5. Tell us about your radio show The Green Majority and where to listen to it.
The Green Majority is an Environmental News Hour that airs every Friday at 11am on CIUT 89.5FM, and is also a podcast that can be found on Itunes, Google Play, Spotify, etc and at our website GreenMajority.ca.