The Next Eco-Warriors (40 page)
Read The Next Eco-Warriors Online
Authors: Emily Hunter
Thus, for our movement to be victorious, we must seek past individual pursuits and past our own egos, desiring something greater than ourselves. Only when we sacrifice to be part of a greater collective and for a greater cause can we begin to connect with one another and with this revolution. But bridging ourselves will probably be the biggest test of our time. For we all may have varying issues, missions and tactics—our diversity, after all, is one of our strengths—but we must unify ourselves on some level, otherwise we are weak and divided. In the age of climate change, we have that possibility. But just as we may have an opportunity within our own revolution to unify, we must create the same opportunity outside the revolution. We cannot engage only with the millions who are a part of this movement already; we must engage also with the billions who aren't, bridging ourselves with the many who are unaware the battle we face even exists.
Only then can a truly global movement exist, not just local or national contingents. Only then can autonomous individuals network to be part of a collective with others. Only then can we begin to build a system based on more than selfish
progress
. Only then can the fire of this revolution become a phenomenon. And only then can we keep life, as we know it, alive.
Until then, a few select politicians, a few select elite, a few select individuals on the top of the power pyramid hold a tyranny over us. Let's make no qualms about it, they will slice the wrists of this world open and bury us alive in our own grave for the pursuit of short-term gains. And as we all come dangerously close to the edge, this is our moment, perhaps our last, to fight.
The time is now to become our own eco-warriors. Not praise the ones out there or fantasize about our own internal eco-warrior. Instead, let's cross
the lines, choose our tactics, and dive nose-first into the chaos. Coming out finding ourselves nearer to the world we are aching for. For only when we take up the battle is there ever truly a fighting chance for that world.
This is
our
chance.
This is
our
moment.
This is
it
.
—EMILY HUNTER
For more of
The Next Eco-Warriors
, visit us:
If you want to learn more about how you can become an eco-warrior, these websites will teach, connect, and inspire the beginning of your own story.
ACTIVIST NETWORKS
Changents
Ecological Internet
Independent Media Center
It's Getting Hot in Here
Riseup
GROUPS AND MOVEMENTS
350.org
African Youth Initiative on Climate Change
Beyond Pesticides
The Black Fish
Black Mesa Water Coalition
www.BlackMesaWaterCoalition.org
The BLK ProjeK
www.TheBLKprojeK.wordpress.com
Earth Hour
Global GreenGrants Fund
Green Is the New Red
Greenpeace International
Huon Valley Environment Centre
Indigenous Environment Network
The Mischief Makers
POWERleap
The Ruckus Society
Save Japan Dolphins
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Sharkwater the Movie
The SolarCycle Diaries
Surfers for Cetaceans
SurvivaBall
Tasmania's Southern Forests
www.stillwildstillthreatened.org
We Animals
World Wildlife Fund
The Yes Men
Zoocheck
ECO-WARRIORS IN THIS BOOK
Hannah Fraser
Emily Hunter
Ben Powless
Joshua Khan Russell
http://joshuakahnrussell.wordpress.com
Conari Press, an imprint of Red Wheel/Weiser, publishes books on topics ranging from spirituality, personal growth, and relationships to women's issues, parenting, and social issues. Our mission is to publish quality books that will make a difference in people's lives—how we feel about ourselves and how we relate to one another. We value integrity, compassion, and receptivity, both in the books we publish and in the way we do business.
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Emily Hunter,
daughter of Greenpeace's founding president Robert Hunter, is a journalist and environmental activist herself. Over the past eight years, she has battled on the high seas of Antarctica to save whales; was held hostage in her attempt to protect the Galapagos Islands from illegal poaching; put a spotlight on the Canadian tar sands (the second largest oil project next to Saudi Arabia) with a TV documentary she hosted for MTV Canada; and stood on the protest frontlines at the Copenhagen climate summit. Emily was also one of the characters in “Whale Wars,” the top-rated show on Animal Planet. Currently, she works as a freelance environmental journalist, occasionally hosting and producing TV documentaries. Visit her at
www.emilyhunter.ca
