Last week, activist and writer Dharna Noor delivered a powerful keynote address to open the Fall ’23 MFAW residency at Goddard College. Noor’s speech, titled “The World We Need,” highlighted the urgent threats posed by climate change and put forth a bold vision for how we can build a more just and sustainable future.

Noor began by underscoring how unchecked carbon emissions and a lack of political will have brought us to the brink of climate catastrophe. Global temperatures and sea levels are rising, wildfires and extreme weather events are increasing, and millions of people, especially in the Global South, are already suffering the impacts.

At the root of the climate crisis, Noor argued, are global capitalism and corporations that prioritize profits over people and planet. Fossil fuel companies exert enormous influence over policymaking, blocking meaningful climate action and perpetuating our reliance on dirty energy.

But Noor’s speech was ultimately one of hope. We should emphasize that another world is possible if people organize and join together. Grassroots activists have a crucial role to play in forcing corporations and governments to adopt bolder emissions reductions targets and transition toward renewable energy.

Noor’s address left the audience energized and inspired. As Goddard students and activists, we have a responsibility to heed Noor’s call and work to build the just, regenerative world we know is possible. There is no time to lose in taking bold collective action on climate change. The future depends on what we do now.