image of the rally. taken by Saumya Monga

Last year, I had the incredibly opportunity to speak at a climate change rally. In front of about 500 people, my friend and I gave a speech on how climate change impacts South Asian countries and why we need to start addressing the inequality present in the very ways in which we address climate justice.

Here is an excerpt from that speech:

“Similarly, there has been extreme flooding in Mumabi, a city in India. For many people, this may just be another report on a weather disaster. But for me, it means that my family that lives in Mumabi is facing an incredibly difficult situation. This year, there has been unprecedented rainfall in Mumbai. It is at an all time high and the month of September was record breaking in rainfall. I always think about how I am here in the United States, in California especially, dealing with droughts and unprecedented fires and thinking about the privilege I’ve had to access masks, stay out of smoke on the worst days, but so many in our homelands and here in low-income communities do not have the same privileges. We need all our governments, at home, and abroad to take the climate crisis seriously. And western countries especially, through colonization and advanced capitalism, having caused so much of the problem, should put their money where their mouth is and act on our behalf!”

Climate change continues to be a very real issue and we must recognize that many countries such as those in South Asia have faced far more than Western countries. As Americans, we must recognize the inherent privileges we have and begin to start supporting countries that are facing the worse of the worst.