Signe Wenneberg
Women we admire
Signe Wenneberg
Signe Wenneberg
JOURNALIST, EVERYDAY ACTIVIST
What thoughts do you have about balance in the world?
Being concerned about sustainability, the climate crisis, and the biodiversity crisis means being concerned about the imbalance that has arisen in the world and in nature. Because for the first time ever, one species has consumed in a way that has affected all other living things. That's an imbalance. And we need to find a way to restore balance. There is nothing I care more about.
How can we get better at putting it on the agenda?
When I give talks about sustainability and balance, I usually explain it this way: You can do four things, at four different paces.
First, you do something YOURSELF. Perhaps you sort your own waste. Or you start consuming more sustainably. It makes a small difference.
Phase 2: You start doing something that matters to more people than just yourself. Perhaps you become the person responsible for an initiative in your building, so everyone can sort their waste. That makes a bigger difference.
Phase 3. You start communicating what you do to others, so they can be inspired to do the same. Then everyday activism grows even more, more people join in, and it spreads like ripples in a pond. If one person brings ten people along, and each of those ten brings ten more, then many people will end up understanding sustainability and balance.
Phase 4. You influence from the bottom up - you influence politicians, who can create huge changes from the top down, and you influence organizations, organize demonstrations, create movements. That's when things really happen. We are in the midst of a huge positive mobilization of everyday activism, and I see that as something very positive and constructive. I try every day to do something to influence many people. That's also why I spend a lot of time on Instagram.
"When I give talks about sustainability and balance, I usually explain it this way: You can do four things, at four different paces.
First, you do something YOURSELF."
- Signe Wenneberg