Activist Olivia Mandle: "Governments aren't acting. They talk a lot, but then do very little."
Madrid, July 24 (EFE).- Olivia Mandle has been running nonstop lately. So much so that when she logs on for the interview with Efeverde—which had to be moved up because it clashed with her next commitment—the first thing she does is apologize for being late and, the second, admit that she's constantly on the go.
Born in Barcelona 18 years ago, this young activist—who was initially compared to Greta Thumberg—has made the oceans her "life mission," for which she has been fighting since she was 12 years old and for which she calls for more action.
"Overall, there's very little action at all levels," says Mandle, who focuses particularly on governments and the private sector, with "a lot of 'greenwashing' and 'bluewashing'."
"I think governments are like giant dromedaries. Or worse than that. Governments aren't acting. They're very entrenched, talking a lot, but then doing very little," says the young woman, who demands: "If we don't do anything now, when are we going to?"
The key is in the citizensIn his opinion, faced with the immobility of governments and large corporations, "the key lies in the citizens," who are the ones who must step forward through their own decisions.
"From the citizenry itself, we have to raise awareness and change the way we do things, because ultimately we have to create a chain of consciousness that can truly change the world," he asserts.
To this end, he considers it "fundamental" to implement environmental education in the school curriculum, so that future generations are aware of climate change and can act accordingly.
"I believe we still have to act. Governments, the private sector, science, citizens... We all have to join forces, put everything aside, and put the planet at the center of our decisions. We all have to come together, symbolically join hands, and act together, because together is when we truly have the power," he says.
In this regard, he asserts that if he were facing the President of the European Commission (EC), Ursula Von der Leyen, he would ask her to act, raise awareness, and implement a strategic plan to mitigate the climate emergency: "Not so much weapons, but climate emergency."
"Let's get to work, start making real decisions, decisions that really count, and say: 'But what worse situation could we live in than this?'" the young woman says, before asking politicians to listen to science and scientists.
Working for the oceansOlivia Mandle, who completed the International Baccalaureate in science this year and plans to study Marine Biology in the United Kingdom, considers the Mediterranean "her second home," where she has also noticed the rising temperatures.
"Temperatures kill. They destroy everything. They kill the coral, they kill all the ecosystems that aren't used to high temperatures," he says, after explaining that last year he was already "shocked" when he realized his diving watch was reading 32 degrees off the Costa Brava.
For this reason, he celebrates Spain's ratification of the United Nations (UN) Global Ocean Treaty last February, which he considers "a very important and extremely necessary step," but calls for its full implementation so that it does not remain a mere piece of paper.
Protect the dolphins"It can't be like the marine protected areas, because otherwise it remains on paper and isn't implemented. If it isn't legislated, it won't serve any purpose in the end," he continues.
In her fight to protect the environment, Mandle has made dolphins the center of attention. The young woman, whose face lights up when talking about them, launched the "No Country for Dolphins" campaign a few years ago and in 2023, she submitted more than 150,000 signatures to the Congress of Deputies to call for a ban on their captivity.
"Spain is the largest dolphin prison in all of Europe and the sixth largest in the world after countries like the United States, Russia, and China. It's a terrifying fact," says the young woman, who calls for the closure of dolphinariums in Spain and calls for an end to what she calls "the terrifying triangle," which is capture, trade, and entertainment.
"If you cut one, you'll end it all. It's a lot of work, it's not easy, but I think in the end it's something that will fall under its own weight," he continues, before sending a message of hope in the face of climate change, because "there's still a small window, according to scientists, but it's closing."
By the way, Olivia Mandle has three minutes to spare before her next appointment. She has a UN meeting ahead of her.
efeverde
