Van Jones to Climate Activist: When I Was Young, We Worried About Nuclear War, Now the Way of Life Could End up Killing Everybody

VILLASENOR Actually that kind ░░░░░░░░ goes on to my ░░░░░░░░ question for you So ░░░░░░░░ in the youth climate ░░░░░░░░ one thing that I ░░░░░░░░ quite a lot was ░░░░░░░░ young people would be ░░░░░░░░ but we would actually ░░░░░░░░ quite a lot of ░░░░░░░░ And not just from ░░░░░░░░ and lawmakers but also ░░░░░░░░ the media And there ░░░░░░░░ be a lot of ░░░░░░░░ I ve seen of ░░░░░░░░ media actually attacking youth ░░░░░░░░ and activists pushing for ░░░░░░░░ who are calling for ░░░░░░░░ action climate justice And ░░░░░░░░ my question to you ░░░░░░░░ you know who is ░░░░░░░░ that And how can ░░░░░░░░ you know push the ░░░░░░░░ there Jones Now when ░░░░░░░░ re talking about the ░░░░░░░░ for young people give ░░░░░░░░ some examples of what ░░░░░░░░ bothered you VILLASENOR Oh ░░░░░░░░ I mean there s ░░░░░░░░ much There s you ░░░░░░░░ from personal attacks to ░░░░░░░░ activists there would be ░░░░░░░░ know even towards Greta ░░░░░░░░ there would be people ░░░░░░░░ would attack her on ░░░░░░░░ appearance Because they had ░░░░░░░░ else to attack Like ░░░░░░░░ Yeah VILLASENOR there is ░░░░░░░░ else really there for ░░░░░░░░ to say about what ░░░░░░░░ were calling for Because ░░░░░░░░ were right when pushing ░░░░░░░░ climate action And so ░░░░░░░░ of the pushback was ░░░░░░░░ on points that didn ░░░░░░░░ really make sense So ░░░░░░░░ their looks to people ░░░░░░░░ youth activists crazy or ░░░░░░░░ So many different ways ░░░░░░░░ misinform the public and ░░░░░░░░ aside our message Jones ░░░░░░░░ I tell you you ░░░░░░░░ see it as a ░░░░░░░░ compliment Laughter You really ░░░░░░░░ You should see it ░░░░░░░░ a big compliment Because ░░░░░░░░ powers that be for ░░░░░░░░ of a better term ░░░░░░░░ don t attack movements ░░░░░░░░ they re weak They ░░░░░░░░ t attack leaders because ░░░░░░░░ re weak They attack ░░░░░░░░ because they re strong ░░░░░░░░ they attack movements because ░░░░░░░░ re strong And have ░░░░░░░░ potential to get stronger ░░░░░░░░ movement has to go ░░░░░░░░ what you re talking ░░░░░░░░ that phase and that ░░░░░░░░ of being laughed at ░░░░░░░░ ridiculed being ignored being ░░░░░░░░ That s a part ░░░░░░░░ it If you were ░░░░░░░░ on something that didn ░░░░░░░░ pull that forward you ░░░░░░░░ not working on anything ░░░░░░░░ If your cause was ░░░░░░░░ want to put mittens ░░░░░░░░ kittens I just love ░░░░░░░░ I want to put ░░░░░░░░ on them Nobody would ░░░░░░░░ a lot of time ░░░░░░░░ you They might think ░░░░░░░░ re foolish but there ░░░░░░░░ nobody that s going ░░░░░░░░ attack you because that ░░░░░░░░ t interrupt anybody s ░░░░░░░░ interest People that like ░░░░░░░░ would be happy People ░░░░░░░░ sell mittens would be ░░░░░░░░ And you d be ░░░░░░░░ popular You just wouldn ░░░░░░░░ have any power wouldn ░░░░░░░░ get anything done of ░░░░░░░░ consequence Once you start ░░░░░░░░ to do stuff of ░░░░░░░░ now you re stepping ░░░░░░░░ somebody s toes Now ░░░░░░░░ who already put a ░░░░░░░░ dollars or a billion ░░░░░░░░ or if you re ░░░░░░░░ about the fossil fuel ░░░░░░░░ a trillion dollars worth ░░░░░░░░ investment in the ground ░░░░░░░░ around the world now ░░░░░░░░ come these kids saying ░░░░░░░░ it all up and ░░░░░░░░ up some solar panels ░░░░░░░░ thank you very much ░░░░░░░░ that s hard to ░░░░░░░░ happy about And so ░░░░░░░░ there might be some ░░░░░░░░ people in the fossil ░░░░░░░░ industry that would say ░░░░░░░░ these kids are right ░░░░░░░░ we re sorry and ░░░░░░░░ s dig all this ░░░░░░░░ up But somebody is ░░░░░░░░ to say hey screw ░░░░░░░░ kids I don t ░░░░░░░░ to hear this And ░░░░░░░░ re going to try ░░░░░░░░ figure out some way ░░░░░░░░ distract That s a ░░░░░░░░ of it But what ░░░░░░░░ know to be true ░░░░░░░░ that over time you ░░░░░░░░ to win these arguments ░░░░░░░░ also over time to ░░░░░░░░ extent that some of ░░░░░░░░ young activists may have ░░░░░░░░ rough edges those rough ░░░░░░░░ tend to get a ░░░░░░░░ bit smoothed out in ░░░░░░░░ that can also be ░░░░░░░░ But the role of ░░░░░░░░ people is to push ░░░░░░░░ it s your future ░░░░░░░░ I was young the ░░░░░░░░ was we thought the ░░░░░░░░ was going to be ░░░░░░░░ by the way that ░░░░░░░░ fought wars nuclear weapons ░░░░░░░░ disarmament That was our ░░░░░░░░ woke up every day ░░░░░░░░ that there was going ░░░░░░░░ be a nuclear war ░░░░░░░░ the U S and ░░░░░░░░ Soviet Union And it ░░░░░░░░ an everyday thing It ░░░░░░░░ a constant it was ░░░░░░░░ over our heads The ░░░░░░░░ that we kill is ░░░░░░░░ to wind up killing ░░░░░░░░ You guys have the ░░░░░░░░ problem It s the ░░░░░░░░ that we live that ░░░░░░░░ going to wind up ░░░░░░░░ everybody But the lifestyle ░░░░░░░░ we have with regard ░░░░░░░░ resource consumption and pollution ░░░░░░░░ climate disruption but it ░░░░░░░░ the same sense of ░░░░░░░░ I can have empathy ░░░░░░░░ you I m in ░░░░░░░░ fifties I m only ░░░░░░░░ to be here for ░░░░░░░░ little bit longer You ░░░░░░░░ got a long way ░░░░░░░░ go And with advances ░░░░░░░░ medicine and cybernetics you ░░░░░░░░ live to be 400 ░░░░░░░░ you know you got ░░░░░░░░ long runway to deal ░░░░░░░░ a possibly ruined planet ░░░░░░░░ some people want to ░░░░░░░░ to Mars and ruin ░░░░░░░░ too So you got ░░░░░░░░ big fight ahead and ░░░░░░░░ can understand why you ░░░░░░░░ feel you know frustrated ░░░░░░░░ the pushback but they ░░░░░░░░ push back against strong ░░░░░░░░ and strong leaders So ░░░░░░░░ would see it as ░░░░░░░░ compliment.”