So everyone’s heard of climate change…temperatures will rise, natural disasters are going to increase in intensity and frequency, and there’s nothing we can do about it, right? WRONG. Last Tuesday on a freezing November evening, a selection of Platform2 returnees and Brixton locals gathered at the Ritzy cinema to watch Pete Postlethwaite’s rendition of what life will be like in 2055 in the film ‘The Age of Stupid’. He asks the simple question: why didn’t we save ourselves when we had the chance?

This event was about taking advantage of this chance. When Platform2 volunteers return from their 10 week stints working in developing countries like Nepal, Peru and Kenya, they feel compelled to do something different with their lives. This is because they have met some of the people who will be affected the most by the fuel-guzzling and carbon-emitting actions of the West.

After watching this thought-provoking film, we were joined by some climate change experts. Questions flowed and the topic of conversation moved from zero-carbon housing to the positives (and negatives) of vegetarianism to sustainable energy. Christian Aid’s senior advisor for climate change work, Sol Oyuela, gave her professional opinion on the political aspect of global climate deals and emphasised that we can’t focus on past failings but must put pressure on governments in order that fair deals are made in the future.

Duncan Law, the coordinator of Transition Town Brixton, agreed. He told us that “governments should stop living in cloud cuckoo land”, a comment unsurprisingly met with raucous laughter and applause from the audience. He said we should be focusing on the positivity of the green movement, not the unhelpful discouragement of the cynics.

Ordinary young people like you and me can make a difference by making our voices heard. We must not be rebels who oppose organisations and governments but revolutionaries who propose new ideas. This inspirational discussion made everyone in the audience, old and young alike, think about their own lifestyle and contemplate the changes they needed to make.

Ultimately climate change is an issue of social justice; the poorest in this world deserve a better future than the one we’re currently forcing them into. Therefore we must change our behavior in the West.The audience showed they were willing to do just that.

Check out Christian Aid’s climate change campaign here

Find out how you can get involved with Transition Town Brixton here 

Get involved in the UK Youth Climate Coalition’s work by visiting their website here