Heir Brains - Alysia Garmulewicz

I first became passionate about climate change on an expedition to Antarctic in 2002, when I was 15. Growing up with a very supportive environmental family, this was the catalyst that led me to organizing the Canadian Youth Climate Change Conference (YC3). My vision was to bring together youth and give them the skills, support, and empowerment to lead the challenge of mitigating climate change. After high school I spent a full year getting YC3 off the ground, and it came together this past July. Eighty-five youth from across Canada, plus Britain and the United States, joined youth and adult speakers, including the Canadian Minister of the Environment Stephane Dion, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, and other leaders.

YC3 presented climate change in a holistic model, with workshops, discussions, action planning, and keynotes exploring the issue from perspectives of politics, science, economics, social justice, health, technology, and education. Intergenerational partnerships were a huge focus, as adult mentors connected with youth and shared their expertise, while the youth delegates shared and debated new ideas. Intergenerational partnerships that infuse long-term vision and inspire hope are crucial, for youth need to take the best current leaders have to offer, work with them, and build on cutting edge action with further direction.

YC3 also reflected the need to move from issues to ideas...a shift to rethink our ways of doing things instead of fighting the current reality. Climate change touches every aspect of society. Through career development in whatever area of interest, there is the potential to shape our future in the direction of sustainability. Through YC3, the big picture of societal change was the focus, with career development and new ideas paramount.

I’m currently working to shape the vision and define the next initiatives of Changing Climates. The following guiding philosophy and actions reflect the ideas and direction that resulted from YC3.

• Redesign society through systemic change powered by youth action. I am really interested in the potential of models such as Natural Capitalism, with its concepts of biomimicry and a new economic paradigm. In addition, the work of William McDonough and Braungart with "The Next Industrial Revolution" in design and rethinking industrial processes, is fantastic in its innovative and large scope. Our economy can work elegantly to mimic and work within the natural systems that support us.

  I also believe that putting a human face on climate change, with such peoples as the Inuit of the North and those of small island states, is extremely important in breaking climate change out of its current perceived science-political box. Through the YC3 website, we are building a Career and Further Learning Resource centre as an online tool, to highlight the opportunities for youth to get involved in leading such cutting edge work.

• Use climate change as a lens through which to collaborate across borders, generations, and sectors of society - we need everyone’s help and energy! With Changing Climates we are putting in place a mentorship program to link youth to current leaders in sustainability and climate change. Through we hope to build dynamic relationships to inspire lives and careers of exciting positive change.
• Re-envision – we need a new vision of our future! There is a great quote by Buckminster Fuller:

  "You never change things by fighting against the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete."

  Creating a new model is critical in addressing the root causes of climate change n every area of society: politics, economics, social justice, education, science, technology, business, and health. We can redesign our societal systems so that ecological solutions make economic and cultural sense. This way, actions on a small scale can be interwoven into the tapestry of a larger societal shift. Hosted through our website, we are developing a discussion forum that will bring together youth and adults from around the world to debate and discuss new ideas.

• Inspire change through a positive and passionate youth voice. In moving away from the doom and gloom viewpoint, climate change needs to be seen as a challenge that gives us the incentive and opportunity to design a dynamic, sustainable, and equitable future. Changing Climates will be profiling inspiring youth who are taking positive action to motivate further change.

Along with other YC3 youth, I was also part of the Canadian Delegation at the 11th Conference of the Parties and the first Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP11/MOP1), which brought together 189 countries and a huge array of key organizations from around the world. This United Nations Climate Change Conference took place November 23rd - December 9th. It was a unique opportunity to learn from and collaborate with leaders from all over the world, in seeking to create a new map for our future. Although slow moving and complicated, I found the UN process fascinating. I like the way that the multilateral system overrides the often short-term timeframes of nations (governed by election terms), or business goals -- creating a space for long-term vision and worldwide collaboration.

In the future I am planning to build a career around climate change, both by understanding the science of the reality of the changes that are occurring, and also acquiring the skills in the political world for making the necessary social changes. I plan to continue to work with youth and adults alike, and would love to broaden my experience to working in other countries to witness other perspectives, policies, and changes that are occurring. I truly believe that climate change presents the challenge of a generation and the opportunity of a lifetime to bring about positive change.