So, you know, this human built environment of the salt flats have become this protected area for the flamingos. The flamingos particularly have had a hard time. The thought on that, although it hasn’t been yet completely scientifically proven, is that there have been episodes of sargassum. Sargasso is a kind of seaweed that blooms in the Caribbean. And runoff from agriculture, which is putting more, you know, nitrogen and more fertilizer into the oceans, combined with the warmth, increasing warmth of climate change, is creating these great, big sargassum blooms. And there is some connection between that and the problems with survival amongst flamingo babies, and it could be a problem.
MC: By spending a lot of time talking to various nature organizations and things like that, then suddenly people were interested and they did want to have those conversations.
LA: In March 2020, from what I gather, you spoke with Greta Thunberg at the Bristol Youth Strike.
Greta Thunberg: Just look at Bristol as an example. The other week, the plans to build, to expand the Bristol Airport were canceled, and that’s thanks to climate activists. And of course, this is far from enough, but it shows that it does actually make a difference. Activism works. So, I’m telling you to act.
LA: What was that experience like, sharing a platform with her in front of so many people? I think there was, what was it, like 40,000 people there?
MC: Yeah, 40 or 50, which, or 60. I don’t know, they weren’t sure. That was such a crazy day. It doesn’t … For a few reasons. Like I think Greta only announced that she was coming, ’cause Bristol’s my local city, and she only announced that she was coming maybe a week before. And so they only contacted me like a few days before, and they’re like, “Can you speak?” And I was like, “I mean, yes, but,” and I spent like a few days-
LA: No- no pressure, right? Like just [laughs].
MC: No, like has to be perfect. Like I’m, like Greta’s coming to Bristol. And it was just such a crazy day, I think for a few reasons. Like just the sheer number of people turned up, it felt like the whole of Bristol had … Or no, more than that. Like the whole of Bristol was full of people visiting, coming to see her. And it was such a vile day as well. It was absolutely pissing it down rain, and it was the kind of thing where normally on a normal monthly youth strike, they would’ve really struggled to get people there, and yet tens of thousands of people were showed up. And there was just such an atmosphere in the air.
GT: If you look throughout history, all the great changes have come from the people. We are being betrayed by those in power, and they are failing us, but we will not back down.