Reality Roundtable 13
Future Council: How Children are Responding to our Planetary Crises
Show Summary
It is frequently true that those who will inherit the greatest consequences of our climate crisis – today’s youth – have the least voice in shaping what happens next. But if given a seat at the table, what would these children have to say about creating a more sustainable path forward?
In this Reality Roundtable, Nate sits down with documentarian Damon Gameau and three young activists featured in his documentary film The Future Council, to discuss their experiences grappling with the complex challenges of transforming a system that is actively harming our planet and what they think should be done to save humanity from itself.
What do kids think about the actions of the most powerful and wealthy individuals and corporations in our global societies? How would they act differently if they had children sitting in their boardrooms? Finally, what would the world look like if we incorporated the hopes and fears of the youngest amongst us into our decision-making for the future?
About Damon Gameau
Damon Gameau is an Australian film director, speaker and author. In 2015, he turned to activism with his debut feature documentary ‘That Sugar Film’, which sold to 25 territories and received numerous awards. Damon then directed the climate solutions feature documentary ‘2040’ and authored an accompanying book ‘2040: a Handbook for the Regeneration’. Both films sit in the top 10 highest grossing Australian documentaries at the domestic box office.
Damon then co-founded Regen Studios with Anna Kaplan where together they work with philanthropists and partners to build comprehensive impact campaigns for their films, raising money for ecological solutions and awareness in classrooms, boardrooms, and Parliaments around the world.
About Skye Neville
Skye lives near Fairbourne in North Wales. This village has been described as the doomed village and its residents are destined to become the first climate refugees of the Western world. For the past few years Skye campaigns against the plastic rubbish on kids’ comics and magazines. Skye is a massive fan of sailing but has a genuine dislike for plastic wrap magazines.
About Clemence “CC” Currie
She is the founder and current CEO of CCs Plastic Pick-up Crew, where they clean up local beaches in Scotland. She has a particular passion for the ocean, plastics and the climate crisis. CC loves hiking with her Dad but has no time for chocolate cake.
About Joaquin Minana
Joaquin is our straight shooter! Joaquin is from The Netherlands and has worn hearing aids since he was an infant. He speaks multiple languages and wants to use these skills to speak about the injustices of the world, as a writer or lawyer. He hates math but loves the first sound he ever heard.
In French, we have a motto that says that a simple drawing is often better than a long explanation. Jean-Marc Jancovici Carbone 4 President
That’s very understandable because with left atmosphere thinking, one of the problems is that you see everything as a series of problems that must have solutions. Iain McGilchrist Neuroscientist and Philosopher
We can’t have hundreds and hundreds of real relationships that are healthy because that requires time and effort and full attention and awareness of being in real relationship and conversation with the other human. Nate Hagens Director of ISEOF
This is the crux of the whole problem. Individual parts of nature are more valuable than the biocomplexity of nature. Thomas Crowther Founder Restor
Show Notes & Links to Learn More
00:00 – Damon Gameau, Future Council
01:03 – Superorganism paper
03:12 – 2040 film
12:45 – Climate anxiety in children and young people
13:20 – Skye’s journey
15:32 – Greenpeace
21:25 – The benefits of eating local + more info
21:30 – Food miles
23:27 – British Petroleum created the first carbon footprint calculator
24:35 – Decathlon implements childrens’ suggestion: Decathlon is planning to start including the Future Council’s idea for multiple ‘name tag spaces’ on a single piece of clothing to encourage re-use and hand-me-downs. Decathlon has not made a public statement about this yet.
26:26 – A barrel of oil is worth 4.5 year of human labor Section 4.3
26:28 – We use 100 billion barrels of coal, oil, natural gas, which equates to 500 billion human laborers
27:12 – New York high line and climate science fair
43:47 – Campaign to ban plastics from childrens’ magazines
48:12 – Military expenditure image
