Waste Hater: Zero Hour
Waste Hater is a monthly series where we interview friends in the industry doing interesting and awesome work to reduce all kinds of waste, food or otherwise. This September, for Hispanic Heritage Month, we spoke with the youth-led activist organization Zero Hour, a network of diverse youth coming together to take on the climate crisis.
When it comes to the future, the old adage suggests we should ‘keep watch,’ as neither the day nor the hour of doom can be predicted...until it can.
In approximately 8 years, 105 days, 10 hours, 32 minutes and 38 seconds (of this posting), the world will succumb to the climate crisis. At least that’s what the organization Zero Hour believes.
“The name Zero Hour is meant to instill a sense of urgency in people about climate change,” Salma Eldeeb, global outreach representative of Zero Hour, tells Replate. “There's no more time to keep pushing environmental justice to the side and delaying it until later because we are running out of time. The countdown is telling us how much time is left before the damage we do to Earth’s climate will become irreversible.”
Zero Hour is a youth-led activist organization dedicated to countering climate change, and supporting frontline communities across the globe that have been disproportionately impacted by the crisis. Founded in 2017 by Jamie Margolin, Nadia Nazar, Madelaine Tew, and Zanagee Artis, the group aims to move faster and work harder than elected officials, and to involve people of all backgrounds in their mission.
They march. They lobby. They do their research and make demands. And they won’t stop till their voices are heard.
“Unfortunately, it will be our generation and future generations that face the brunt of the climate
crisis,” Eldeeb observes. “We simply just cannot afford to wait any longer for adults to protect our right to a clean and safe environment and the natural resources we need to survive.”
From Eldeeb’s perspective, the greatest contributor to the status quo is lack of accountability and regulations on large corporations and industries. Research shows only 100
companies are responsible for over 70 percent of global emissions, and without robust policy, these businesses are unlikely to mend their ways.
That’s why Zero Hour fights aggressively - they’re loud, proud, and relentless. The organization’s current work centers around environmental justice, and educating people on how capitalism, racism, sexism, and colonialism impact the crisis. Specifically, they advocate for the Green New Deal, a Congressional act that lays out plans for the U.S. to eradicate the use of fossil fuels and guarantee jobs in clean energy industries.
To reinforce the effort, Zero Hour launched a project they’ve dubbed Operation2030.
“We want youth organizers to mobilize to achieve all-electric transportation, 100% renewable energy in a zero-emissions economy, and regenerative agriculture to ensure a livable future,” explains Eldeeb. “Throughout this work, organizers will demand accountability for industries who have caused the climate crisis.”
Zero Hour hosts dozens of chapters around the world, and provides documents, research and calls-to-action to support their various initiatives. There are templates for those who want to write representatives, talking points for speaking events, and guidelines for putting together marches and other lobbying events.
The roots of Zero Hour wind deeply into the soil of America’s distinct and unique communities. With Hispanic Heritage Month in mind, Eldeeb notes the plight Latinx and other minority communities face in the grips of climate disruption, and the importance of including these voices in the movement for change.
“Climate justice is not only climate justice, but social justice,” she says. “The climate crisis is closely intertwined with health, racial, and economic justice. By providing a system of support for Hispanic climate activists and uplifting their voices at our events, we are able to ensure that awareness is brought to the difficulties faced by the community without overshadowing their voices.”
Often these communities see solutions others are blind to, and offer creative and thoughtful traditions that are more in tandem with the Earth’s resources.
Eldeeb adds, “We believe that those closest to the problem are also often closest to the solution. These communities have been actively working to create just solutions and transitions.”
And when it comes to waste, such a mindset becomes all the more imperative. Americans may be some of the most wasteful people in the world - the United States accounts for about four percent of the world’s population yet generates 12 percent of the planet’s garbage - but there are cultures among us whose approach to waste diverges from the norm. They may be our saving grace.
“Waste is an inevitable part of life, however, we can limit the amount of waste created,” Eldeeb points out. “We can take inspiration from groups such as the Hispanic and Native American communities for how to be more resourceful. At the end of the day though, it is important to remember that while limiting personal waste is important, pressure must be put on large industries that are creating the most harmful types of waste.”
Educate yourself, educate others, says Eldeeb. Time is of the essence.
For more info on Zero Hour and how you can get involved, visit their website.
You can learn more about Replate and our work here.