63
plans center on restoring initiatives begun
during Barack Obama’s presidency, short
of what climate scientists say is neces-
sary, and she has described natural gas
as a “transition fuel,” to the derision of
environmental campaigners.
When Harris visited Russell’s farm in
mid-August, it was clear that the Califor-
nia Senator was more comfortable dis-
cussing run-of-the-mill agricultural issues
than the specifics of the policy Russell
suggested. “Farmers are innovators,” Har-
ris responded when Russell talked about
farmers capturing carbon with their agri-
cultural practices. “As they say, farmers’
almanac. But really, it’s about you who
are so close to the ground really having
an understanding of what it tells us and
knowing how to then use all these natural
elements in a way that is maximizing pro-
ductivity.” (Harris later released a com-
prehensive climate plan.)
Many Democrats, especially in Wash-
ington, believe bread-and-butter issues
like health care and the economy should
remain at the core of the party’s message.
That may be why members of the Dem-
ocratic National Committee rejected re-
quests from activists and candidates to
sanction a debate focused entirely on
Hindou
Oumarou
Ibrahim
INDIGENOUS ACTIVISM
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim,
from the Mbororo
pastoralist community in
Chad, has spent the past
10 years working to bridge
the gap “between the
international decisions [on
climate change] with the
reality on the ground,” she
says. “I want to tell people
what it is like in my country.”
Traveling the nation
to meet with indigenous
groups, she kept hearing
how much the environment
was changing. “Each year
I am seeing resources
shrinking, and my people
are struggling for survival,”
says Ibrahim. Leading up to
the historic 2015 climate-
change meetings in Paris,
she was a key leader among
indigenous groups that
successfully lobbied to have
their rights recognized, and
she was selected to speak
at the signing ceremony
of the accords. Indigenous
communities are among
the most vulnerable to the
impacts of climate change,
but they can also offer
solutions, says Ibrahim.
“The traditional knowledge
of indigenous people, that is
centuries old, can help the
world adapt.”
ÑJennifer Duggan
CLIMATE OPTIMISTS
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JUSTIN SULLIVAN—GETTY IMAGES; CHARLIE NEIBERGALL—AP; MANDEL NGAN—AFP/GETTY IMAGES; MARK KAUZLARICH FOR TIME; ILLUSTRATION BY JACQUI OAKLEY FOR TIME
