 into the skies, into the water and into the soil. We say that we own this land, but we don't. We came to this land not so long ago and took it from the indigenous cultures that once lived here. Our government has a willful ignorance of what it's doing to the planet and what that may lead to our demise. It ignores the signs in favor of money and favor of power. And I refuse to stand silently anymore. The situation that our species has found itself in is grim, but it's not without hope. Every single one of us here is proof that we can get through this and that there is a chance that we can do this. We may not have long to right our wrongs, but we still can. Without all of us here today, we would have no hope. And to be silent is to give that up. We don't have the privilege to give that up. It's like the capitalist system. All it really wants to do is eat us up and spit us out. And so my hat is off to all of you, especially you young folks who are here, who are young activists who are doing your darndest to make this earth a better place with the food you buy, the food you grow, the people you talk to, the actions you take. I've dedicated my whole life to the earth and you guys are more at the start of your lives. And I hope that we can fix it for you and not have it continue to decline and to degrade and have less bugs and less birds and less amphibians and, you know, and less diversity. So keep doing what you're doing and we can turn it around together. And thank you so much for having me here. Take care. We have to speak about the intersectionality between climate justice and racism. And in thinking about the intersectionality between racism and climate catastrophe, we must remember that black and brown nations are being the most affected by this issue right now. We must remember that their lands have been occupied, cultures destroyed, resources ravaged by western capitalists who have mined and stolen precious minerals and oil from their soils. We must remember that the perpetuation of the one story, the white Eurocentric story, has perpetuated the belief in young minds for centuries that the ways of the rich elite white people is the right and only way to live. If we are honest with ourselves then we know that industrialization and capitalism are fueled by the one story. That the belief that we can do whatever we want to whomever we want as long as it makes a profit makes sense. That profit is the bottom line while now we are paying the consequences. The cultures that have lived so close to the land and in harmony with the land forever are paying first. As this crisis continues, more and more people are going to start moving north. What will our response be? As more and more people seek Vermont for water and land and shelter, what will your response be? As more and more brown and black people migrate here, what will your response be? Will you meet them with guns and militias demanding that this is your land? Will you learn about how to dismantle racism now? Will you learn to share now? Learn how to open your arms now so that when this comes, we will be prepared with love and generosity for humanity. Learn now, don't wait. Remember what Indigenous people have been saying all along. You can't eat your money. Remember that they are the original climate activists. We must honor their wisdom and honor and lift up the Indigenous youth, water and land protectors and guardians who are speaking out now. We must repent for the sins of this nation. We must be courageous enough to weed out racism, sexism, greed, selfishness, and all other ways that we deny others their full humanity. And let us dismiss the myth of pulling yourself up by your bootstrap. How the hell are you supposed to pull yourself up by your boots or straps when they got washed away in a hurricane or burned in a fire? Please tell me that. So right now, what I would like to do is lift up the names of some Indigenous folks, youth who are fighting as we speak, and some from India and Africa. So I want to lift up Jasselyn Charger, who is from the Cheyenne River Sioux. She is a water protector, and she started a youth council at Standing Rock. Autumn Pelletier, 14, Anishinaabe, Clean Water and Keevins-McMack language activists. Ridma Pendi was nine years old and filed a lawsuit against the Indian government for failing to take action against climate change. What I'm saying is Greta Thunberg is amazing, but we need to remember the voices of brown and black people that are not being held up. I hope that the point here is really obvious. One movement, all of our issues are connected. We better build the soil. We better resist the imperialism and resource bores that we'll feed to deal with and really support the people who are fighting for a more just education for our communities and in our communities. Again, thanks so much to everybody.