Copenhagen, Dec 1 (EFE) .- The urgent need to curb climate change was the main message heard this Wednesday at the award ceremony of the so-called Alternative Nobel of the Swedish Foundation Right Livelihood, in Stockholm
“Now is the time to transform society rapidly to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change, phase out fossil fuels and not allow other dangerous technologies such as nuclear to develop,” said Russian environmental activist Vladimir Slivyak.
Slivyak, awarded with his Ecodefense organization for his commitment against the coal and nuclear industries in his country, criticized the “strong pressure” of the Russian authorities to his work, as well as the lack of resources and support from society.
“We are all very aware of climate change, but it is the people who represent the change we need. We cannot trust politicians and governments to make the change for us, we must all be a part of the change,” said Canadian Freda. Huson.
Huson was recognized for her defense of the Wet’suwet’en people, encouraging indigenous people to reclaim control and to demand decision-making power over construction projects that cross their territories, such as gas pipelines.
The founders of the Legal Initiative for Forests and the Environment (LIFE), Ritwick Dutta and Rahul Choudhary, also emphasized the importance of defending the environment and highlighted that in India, their country, every day 100 hectares of forest area are lost.
“India has the largest population dependent on forests, more than 250 million depend directly on them for their livelihood, that’s more than the entire population of Brazil, Argentina and Australia combined,” Choudhary said.
LIFE has been honored for legal work to help Indian communities protect their resources in favor of environmental democracy.
“Every (degree) centigrade, for every forest that we can preserve is worth fighting for,” Right Livelihood director Ole von Uexküll said in his speech.
This year’s fourth winner, Marthe Wandou, from Cameroon, stressed that the award reminds her of her origins and the “challenges” faced every day by women and girls, special victims in her region.
Wandou has been honored for her fight to build a community model to protect children from terrorism and gender-based violence in the Lake Chad region and, like the other winners, she takes 1 million Swedish crowns (100,000 euros, $ 115,000).
The Right Livelihood Award, as this award that distinguishes the social work of people and institutions around the world is really called, was instituted in 1980 by the Swedish-German writer and former MP Jakob von Uexküll. EFE
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The Alternative Nobel vindicates the need to combat climate change