For many it was shocking to watch the Debate on climate and forms of action on news last Thursday, but in a way I am very happy that climate activist Joachim Skahjem, formerly of Stopp oljeletinga, was present and was honest in his view. The environmental movement, myself included, definitely does not share Skahjem’s view on power, but he has (I hope) finally started a debate that we badly need. For years, young people and the climate movement have been talking, shouting and screaming that something is wrong, but the Norwegian state has refused to take the situation and our future seriously. It is only when someone starts talking about violence in the climate fight that some people open their eyes and say that we may have to listen to the frustration and desperation of young people in the face of what is an enormous, global crisis. A crisis that will cost lives and health, and which the governing authorities do not take seriously. Those in power MUST listen, and they must act. I don’t understand how they can let it go. The consequences of the climate crisis do not only affect the unfortunate citizens of Pakistan: they will soon come after you and me too, and many already know rightly that the future is unsafe. Normally, when climate activists have resorted to civil disobedience in desperation and hope that something will happen, or tried to get attention for the issue in other ways, the media coverage and angle is not satisfactory. This time I think few have missed what was said during Thursday’s debate. That is why I am grateful that Skahjem came forward with his view, because now people must be aware of what kind of feelings are brewing in the heirs of the future, and where they come from. The government must realize that they can no longer get away with saying big, beautiful words and doing just a little bit. Norway’s government is a coward. Not only the Støre government, but everyone who has ruled the country in all these decades has known what will happen, and who has pushed unpopular solutions away in the hope of being re-elected in the next round. It is no wonder that trust in the authorities is weakened, when time and time again they lie to our faces with empty promises and solutions that can hardly be called ambitious. It will take enormous courage and political will to turn the situation around, but the world’s climate scientists tell us that it is possible. The government says that they are still following the 1.5 degree target (which realistically is now dead and buried), but the action plan does not reflect these laws. Phasing out of oil and gas is necessary, but not even during COP27 did the politicians have the power to set this as a goal. The solution to the climate crisis will be unpopular, and it will require sacrifices and changes in our grotesquely comfortable and luxurious lifestyle. If we are to have a real chance, we must protect nature, adjust the economy and leave the oil alone. Climate scientists and reports tell us this repeatedly. Nevertheless, we build marshland to drive faster on the motorway, we sacrifice national salmon fjords for “socially beneficial” mining and we have awarded 53 new prospecting licenses on the Norwegian continental shelf this year. Equinor has even said they want Norway to remain as the world’s last supplier of oil and gas. When the oil company’s sponsorship deals and greenwashing propaganda permeate Norwegian society as it does, it is almost understandable that people think we cannot live without oil. But I can, and soon I must. It is high time that the government took courage and did everything they could to ensure a livable environment and a future for the people. Everything else is a violation of every human being’s right to life and safety. If the government is worried about a new generation of radical climate activists, the best solution is to take the climate crisis seriously.
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Desperation must be taken seriously – Statement
