Why do you care about climate change?
"I care about island nations being swallowed up by rising waters, about species disappearing from the earth forever on our watch, and the general precarity of human existence. Climate change is just the most potent and existentially fraught problem in an entire bucket of intersecting issues. We need a fairer, freer, more equal world, and we won’t get there if climate change gets us first."
How did you first get involved in the climate movement?
"Super slowly. I was a worried climate lurker for YEARS before I got the courage to get involved. I started doing design and graphics to support climate organizations I liked, and it just grew from there. Eventually, I realized I had to work on climate full-time."
What role do you think art and writing play in the climate movement?
"Everything! Well-meaning climate communicators get so into the work they forget that most humans don’t speak in GHG/PPM/1.5 DEGREES. Through no fault of their own, most people didn’t grow up with any climate education. Art and clear writing help share what is going on in a way that can resonate with a much wider swath of the population. Art is a climate translator - distilling all the wonderful research and policy into stories and emotions that will help people get on board. When in doubt, make a silly graphic that renders the complex funny and understandable."
What advice would you give to someone interested in getting more involved in the climate movement?
You are wanted, you are welcome, you are needed! This is an all-hands on deck sitch, and there is so much you can do. It can sometimes be hard to figure out where your particular skills will most be of use, but you’ll find your place! The amazing Bill McKibben says, ‘organize organize organize!’ But I get overwhelmed by organizing from scratch. You can also just look for the people doing the work and ‘join, join, join!'"
"Join, join, join!" indeed! Interested in Sarah's work? You can find her newsletter here: https://www.mvp.ist/ and her Society6 art here: https://society6.com/sarahlazarovic
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