SOPHIA MATHUR
KIM FRY: Can you tell me about yourself and how you first got involved in climate activism?
Sophia Mathur: When my mom was pregnant with me she decided to join the climate justice movement because she wanted me to grow up with a liveable future. When I was seven and my mom went to lobby in Washington, my dad and I used to go to the zoo instead. I asked “Why can’t I go? It’s my future too” and I started lobbying with my mom. I developed a passion for this movement. In the sum- mer of 2018, I saw a video of Greta Thunberg starting her strike for the climate and I just knew it was a thing I had to do.
SOPHIE PIC
KF: What do you think is behind the success of the youth climate strike movement and why do you think Greta Thunberg has resonated with so many people?
SM: I feel like the movement is successful because we are youth. The climate movement has always been strong, but the impor- tance of youth is that it is our future. Our voices in this movement are really powerful. The movement started by Greta Thunberg really just empowered youth, including myself, and it turned into this massive movement with millions of kids all around the world and adults joining in. The entire point of the Fridays for Future movement is that we
are trying to get politicians to do something and rallying and strik- ing is not the only way. People can go to lobby their politicians and talk to their local representatives to get them to take action on the climate crisis. They can work with their municipalities, like we did here in Sudbury, to declare a climate emergency. There is lots you can do through politics.
KF: You are part of a group of young people working with EcoJustice to sue the Ontario government. Can you tell me more about this action?
“THE ENTIRE POINT OF THE FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE MOVEMENT IS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET POLITICIANS TO DO SOMETHING AND RALLYING AND STRIKING IS NOT THE ONLY WAY. PEOPLE CAN GO TO LOBBY THEIR POLITICIANS AND TALK TO THEIR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES TO GET THEM TO TAKE ACTION ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS.”
22 ETFO VOICE | SPRING 2020
SM: I started working on this case secretly in November, 2018. I want to be a lawyer when I grow up. I was excited for legal action because I had heard about the case where youth were suing the federal govern- ment in the U.S. and I saw the impact it was having on the government and how it was showing the world what youth can do. We are suing Premier Doug Ford because he isn’t doing enough to protect our fu- ture and he is putting our future in danger. I think this is an awesome way to bring forth this problem. He has to do something because we are in a climate emergency and I am excited to continue this lawsuit.
KF: What is your biggest wish for this first year in a new decade? What would you like to see the government do? What change would you like to see in 2020?
SM: I would like to see politicians listening to climate experts, which means the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Paris agreement, the 1.5 ° report about global warming, Noble Prize-win- ning economists and more. I want politicians to take science-based actions on the climate crisis because we are in a climate emergency. We need to listen to those experts and politicians need to cooperate and not make this a party issue. The house is on fire and we need to do something now.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SOPHIA MATHUR
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