{"id":176695,"date":"2025-03-11T13:27:27","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T12:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=176695"},"modified":"2026-02-10T16:30:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T15:30:12","slug":"waiting-until-everyone-is-on-board-is-like-swatting-an-elephant-to-death-with-a-cotton-bud-then-burying-it-with-a-teaspoon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/03\/11\/waiting-until-everyone-is-on-board-is-like-swatting-an-elephant-to-death-with-a-cotton-bud-then-burying-it-with-a-teaspoon\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Waiting until everyone is on board is like swatting an elephant to death with a cotton bud, then burying it with a teaspoon\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medical student Dieuwertje Wallaart (23) is president of the Youth Climate Movement (Jonge Klimaatbeweging). \u201cIt\u2019s important for the university to be a place where young people learn about sustainability. The climate should be a topic in every degree programme.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Dieuwertje Wallaart leads the Young Climate Movement.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPien D\u00fcthmann<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

First of all, what does the Youth Climate Movement do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Youth Climate Movement aims to build a bridge in the climate debate between young people and politicians in The Hague. We organise numerous events for young people, such as a youth summit in the House of Representatives last November, which saw a hundred young people negotiating climate policies. We also teach climate classes in secondary schools. At the heart of our organisation is the Youth Climate Agenda: our vision of a sustainable 2040. That vision has been endorsed by more than seventy different youth organisations (including Erasmus Verbindt, eds.<\/em>). We travel around the country with it, including to The Hague.\u201d<\/p>\n

What exactly is your role as president?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the face of the organisation. I\u2019m the spokesperson, I speak at events. I\u2019m also responsible for the organisation itself: I make sure the board functions well and the volunteers are having a good time. Last but not least, I\u2019m highly involved in politics. We now have a government that \u2013 for the first time in the Youth Climate Movement\u2019s existence \u2013 wants to do less about the climate than the previous government. For me, that was an extra motivation to become the president. I thought it would be a very interesting and important challenge to keep the conversation going.\u201d<\/p>\n

How did that work out?<\/p>

\u201cWith the previous government, the agreement was that we would meet with the Minister every six months. We weren\u2019t sure if the new minister wanted to do the same. Immediately after the new government took office, we sent a letter saying \u2018this is us and this is what we think\u2019. We received an invitation to visit very quickly. At least the door isn\u2019t closed, so that\u2019s something.\u201d<\/p>\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018It is important that the climate is put on the agenda, and that works very well through the actions of Extinction Rebellion. But after that there is still a lot of work to do\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

You say you think that keeping the conversation going is an important challenge. From that perspective, how do you view Extinction Rebellion\u2019s demonstrations on the A12?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we always say is: they kick the door open, we step through it. It\u2019s important for the climate to be put on the agenda, and Extinction Rebellion does that well. But once that\u2019s done, there\u2019s still a lot of work to do. My reservation about their actions is that they don\u2019t leave much room for conversation. They scare people who are less concerned about the climate, and many protesters refuse to come to the table until their demands are met. In short, I\u2019m not against Extinction Rebellion \u2013 I think all voices need to be heard \u2013 but having conversations is ultimately the biggest part of the transition.\u201d<\/p>\n

What role do you see for the university in the fight against climate change?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for the university to be a place where young people learn about sustainability. The climate should be a topic in every degree programme. I\u2019m now studying for a master degree in Medical Humanities in Utrecht. In that programme, I\u2019m looking at ethical issues surrounding the health effects of climate change. I didn\u2019t find that combination here in Rotterdam, where the focus is more often on the economic perspective. I do think that\u2019s a barrier to giving more attention to the climate \u2013 or at least to the ethical side of things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chair of the Executive Board Annelien Bredenoord claims it is difficult to get everyone on board with giving more attention to the climate \u2013 especially students.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWaiting until everyone is on board is like swatting an elephant to death with a cotton bud, then burying it with a teaspoon: it takes forever. Scientists have identified huge problems, but in the climate debate those insights are often questioned. I think you have a duty as a scientist to actively speak out and say: guys, maybe we should move in this direction. Especially on your own campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the one hand, you argue that it is important to keep the conversation going, but on the other, you say we should not wait until everyone is on board. That sounds contradictory.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a great believer in the small steps that lead to a big result. We might not be able to make the entire campus vegan, but right now there\u2019s no menu anywhere at EUR that doesn\u2019t have vegetarian options. That used to be unimaginable.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople often believe that if they want to do something for the climate, they should become vegetarians or protesters. But I want to encourage people to think: what are my life skills and how can I use them to benefit the climate? Say you\u2019re really good at organising events or creating Excel files; there\u2019s a massive need for both in the climate movement. Every little bit helps, and you\u2019ll find that it\u2019s the things you\u2019re best at that help the most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t