During May 2023, a group of climate activists gathered outside the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, to demand that governments and corporations in Africa do more to lessen their carbon emissions and promote a just transition away from fossil fuels.
Continuing their efforts, the activists staged a strike outside BlackRock's headquarters, the world's largest asset manager, in June 2023. They urged BlackRock to halt its investments in fossil fuels and switch its portfolio to renewable energy. The strike was a powerful statement to the financial industry that it was time to prioritize sustainability over profits.
In September 2023, climate activists once again took to the streets, this time outside Shell's headquarters, a major oil and gas company. They demanded that Shell cease investing in new fossil fuel projects and move towards a cleaner energy future. Their message was loud and clear: the time for action is now, and we cannot wait any longer to address the climate crisis.
The strikes are also having an impact. For example, in the wake of the strikes outside the Africa Climate Summit, the Kenyan government announced a new plan to reduce its carbon emissions by 30% by 2030. In the wake of the strikes outside the COP27 climate summit, a group of world leaders pledged to provide $100 billion in climate finance to developing countries. Individual communities are also fighting back against institutions that are profiting off and funding climate degradation.
One way that communities are doing this is by supporting community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs. These are food system models that connect consumers directly with farmers. CSA members pay for a share of the farm's harvest weekly or biweekly throughout the growing season.
They're pretty cool. Basically, they're a way for us to support sustainable farming practices and cut down on our carbon footprint. There are two types of CSAs - direct-membership ones where we pay the farmer directly and pick up our share of the harvest at the farm or a designated spot. And aggregator ones where a third-party group handles the distribution.
The produce we get from CSAs can be organic, biodynamic, or regenerative, and we get a variety of things like fruits, veggies, herbs, flowers, and even eggs. But the best part? By reducing the distance that food travels from farm to table, we're lowering greenhouse gas emissions and supporting farmers who use sustainable practices like crop rotation and integrated pest management. Plus, it's a great way to meet other people in our community and learn more about sustainable agriculture. Pretty neat, huh?
In addition to these benefits, CSAs can also be seen as a form of passive resistance against institutions that are profiting off and funding climate degradation. By supporting CSAs, consumers are choosing to support a more sustainable food system and reduce their reliance on ‌institutions that are contributing to climate change.
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