Climate Activist Interviews #4: Cerys Gough

This is the fourth week of a series on this blog where I interview other climate activists. I hope these interviews help connect climate activists around the world, boost the good work they're doing, and give potential activists ideas and encouragement for action they could take to fight the climate crisis!

Today's interviewee is Cerys Gough, a Scottish climate activist and wildlife campaigner.

1. Tell me a bit about you - where are you from, what age are you, and what do you do (climate-related and otherwise)?

I’m from Dumfriesshire in the South West of Scotland and I’m 16 years old. In my town, I helped set up my school’s eco-group and I am a coordinator for strikes here, I also volunteer for a local wildlife organisation aiming to engage people of the town with the surrounding nature. I am a member of SYCS [Scottish Youth Climate Strike] and Extinction Rebellion too.

2. How did you get into environmental activism?

I first became interested in nature at age 4 when I moved out of the city and into the countryside where for the first time, I could see wild animals and roam across beautiful landscapes, even getting a dog made me interested in animals. At the age of 7 I started watching David Attenborough wildlife documentaries with my Dad and was introduced to what seemed like a whole new world, I had never seen such incredible creatures and habitats before, soon I fell in love with Mother Earth and all her wonders. At the age of 8 I started to learn that all these amazing animals were threatened, I learned that some were murdered and parts of their bodies sold, I learned that forests were cut down so their homes were destroyed, I learned that humans were hurting nature. I also began to question why I was eating animals when I loved them so much, it simply didn’t make sense, so I became pescatarian and a few months later, vegetarian. At age 9 I decided I wanted to help these animals, I went on litter picks with my Scout group and asked for my birthday money to be donated to charities. Me and my childhood friends, with the help of my parents, organised a fundraiser for WWF and Shelter too. In school I discovered for the first time what global warming was, we were told we should turn of lights and use less paper to help save the polar bears. I didn’t really understand at the time but gradually my knowledge of the issue grew. At age 11 I started volunteering for a wildlife charity based my town, with them I would help ring birds, go to meetings, carry out surveys on the wildlife in the area and work with groups of school kids to teach them about the outdoors and nature. I still work for this organisation today. For a couple of years, I became more focused other issues instead like poverty, educational barriers and gender equality, I briefly worked with the WE Movement then soon began to focus more on bullying and its serious impacts. I wanted to raise awareness of the issue and this led to me winning a competition to attend a high-profile charity event where I got to meet the wonderful Michelle Obama in the summer of 2018. In December of 2018 my Dad showed me a video of a girl my age speaking at a UN conference, she was fierce and wasn’t afraid to tell world leaders what they were doing wrong, I was inspired. I began to research more on the issue she talked about, it was strange, I had first learned about this serious issue when I was 9 and now 6 years later, it’s still a serious issue, no one had done anything about it. I studied climate change more and began to come active on social media, posting about it, sharing videos and trying make the few people who followed me more aware, it was the least I could do. 

Throughout 2019 I followed the climate movement as it grew and grew and I began to feel a hope I hadn’t felt before, I joined organisations online and watched everything they did. I wanted to join in, but I decided to remain focused on preparing for my school exams instead. During the summer I heard Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, giving an inspiring speech where he asked young people to help tackle climate change. This was when I decided I wanted to dedicate my life to solving the issue. I talked to some friends and together we set up an Extinction Rebellion Youth group for all of Scotland as one did not exist yet. I also helped set up an eco-group in my school, our main aim is to get our regional council to cut plastic completely in the school canteen. I went to my first climate strike on the 20th of September in Edinburgh then organised my first one on the 29th of November. I had planned to attend the Global Rebellion in October and was about to book my train tickets when something came up so sadly, I could not make it. I have now joined the Save Congo Rainforest online strike in solidarity with Vanessa Nakate and I’m always on Twitter annoying people with science and facts. 

3. What are some highlights of what you’ve done so far? 

The Global Climate Strike in September was incredible, I was so excited for the event and I was so proud of how it turned out, definitely a highlight. My main highlight though has to be volunteering, the organisation I have worked with for the past 5 years is amazing. The people are so nice, and I’ve been able to get really close to some of the wildlife that’s always intrigued me as well as find new opportunities and confidence through my work. It’s been a learning opportunity for me and one which has really changed my life. 

4. Can you introduce me to what Extinction Rebellion do and your involvement with them?

Extinction Rebellion is an organisation aiming to create radical and necessary change to our societies and laws that will prevent climate breakdown, it intends to do this by pressuring the Government to act through mass non-violent civil disobedience. I am a member of Extinction Rebellion Youth, I helped set up the group for Scotland and co-ordinate the social media. I was intending to join the Global Rebellion in October and was about to book train tickets when something came up and unfortunately, I couldn’t attend. 

5. What have you learned through your activism?

One of the most important things I have learned is that politicians can be bad people. When I first started learning about politics I assumed that world leaders would be generally good people and even if they made mistakes, they still deserved respect as their main intention is still to do good. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Activism has taught me to look at the world in a new perspective, it taught me that evil people aren’t just in fairy tales but can actually be the leaders of a nation. It taught me that I should be angry, and I should voice that rage at the people who have caused it. I learned that most politicians don’t even deserve the smallest amount of respect. I have also learned the importance of climate justice when it comes to creating change and the importance of listening to the voices of Indigenous communities as their voices matter the most and need to be heard if we’re going to tackle this crisis.  

6. The UK has just had an election that ended up revolving around Brexit. How do you think we can encourage a focus on the need for climate action?

I think we need to ramp up the pressure, we need more and bigger strikes. We need to also start doing other things too, not just strikes. We need to support grassroots organisations and local projects that help make change, even if it's small. We need people to campaign locally and nationally for change. We need to engage more with small, rural communities to see what changed can be made that is still good for them. We also need to be determined, unforgiving and angry. Politicians can’t ignore us forever and so many people across the UK have already woken up to the crisis yet there are so many people who still haven’t, we need to make sure that everyone is aware and then change will follow. 

7. What are your goals for 2020 for climate action in Scotland and the UK?

I aim to school strike more throughout the year and do digital strikes too. I am also helping launch a new project called ‘SOS Saturdays’ which will hopefully be a success. The idea is that people demonstrate every Saturday by the sea, loch or river then share it online, it’s sort of like the Digital Strikes but focuses on the oceans and marine life. Our aim is then put pressure on the Scottish Government to take real action to protect our waters and the life within it. This year COP26 will be held in Glasgow in Scotland so that will definitely be the most important thing that happens this year. It will require a lot of work and time but hopefully it won’t be a failure like the other COPs and real change can be made. I also hope to attend to next Global Rebellion but maybe not get arrested.

8. What’s something or someone you think more people should know about? 

I think people sometimes don’t realise the power our oceans have when it comes to tackling climate change. The world’s oceans suck in huge amounts of CO2 and help regulate global temperatures, if the oceans were protected, its habitats restored, and marine life given a chance to recover it would help fight climate change as effectively as all the world’s rainforests would. We need to reduce carbon emissions and plant more trees, but we also need save the seas, it is necessary to fight this crisis. 

9. What frustrates you?

Zoos. I don’t like them at all. I understand if animals are kept in captivity for breeding programs to save the species, that I can support, but animals being kept in cages for entertainment is wrong. Nature does not belong to us; it should be free. Keeping these creatures in cages just so we can look at them should be a crime. It takes all the life out of the animals, they just become animated puppets, they should be wild. 

Politicians also frustrate me because they say they care then set stupid targets with no plans, they lie and it costs lives. A lot of things frustrate me actually, the broken electorate system, racists, society in general, a lot else too.

10. What gives you hope and keeps you going?

Seeing millions of people take to the streets gives me hope that change will be made, it shows that the world is waking up and soon there will simply be too many of us marching to ignore. Also, if all these millions of people changed their lifestyle to be more environmentally friendly and reduce their carbon footprint it could have a huge impact, so I hope they do. Seeing how important the climate was in the recent election, even though it wasn’t important enough, gives me hope that people genuinely do care and will vote for change eventually even though it’s needed sooner than that.

11. How can people join or support your work? 

People can follow me on social media if they want however, I’m not the one that needs supporting. People should support Indigenous activists and listen to their voices because theirs matter the most. I’m a white and middle-class, if you are going to support anyone it should be the people who are usually ignored and forgotten, the people who really need their work to be supported.

12. Do you have any advice for fellow or potential climate activists?

If you want to join in then just go for it, don’t wait. If it gets to stressful then it’s okay to take a step back and relax, your mental health is still really important. Be angry, you have every reason to be and you should be apologetic for your emotions.

Thank you so much, Cerys, for your time and your action!

And to those reading this: Happy #FridaysForFuture! For next Friday, find your local strike point, or start one, and join us!

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Answers in these interviews are lightly edited for formatting/grammar/spelling and clarity.