Sarah Ott spent years as a climate change sceptic - now she's an advocate for clean energy.

I spent years doubting the science of climate change and spending time with people who didn’t believe in the science either.

When I realised I was wrong, I felt really embarrassed.

To move away from those people meant leaving behind an entire community at a time when I didn’t have many friends.

I went through a really difficult time. But the truth matters.

I’m the granddaughter of coal miners in Pennsylvania and my family moved to Florida when I was young.

We have a Polish Catholic background and we attended church regularly, but at the same time we were very connected to science because my mum was a nurse and my dad sold microscopes and other scientific equipment.

  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    I agree, but I don’t think we have to be jerks to them to make them understand that saying sorry and trying to change isn’t enough to counteract what they’ve already done, and they owe society a lot more than that. That’s not being jerks, that’s being real.

    If they can’t handle that measured critique, it’s because they refuse to take any kind of self-responsibility, which speaks to them still being on the wrong side of history.

    • girlfreddy@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      but I don’t think we have to be jerks to them to make them understand that saying sorry and trying to change isn’t enough to counteract what they’ve already done

      Who gets to decide what’s enough? You? Me? Never mind the fact that the article says what she’s done.

      How about we let those people who turn their beliefs around decide what’s enough instead.