How Iggy Fox inspired me to take action

By Rachel White

After experiencing burnout in 2018, I took time out from a stressful job and as part of my recovery, in June 2019 I travelled to France to walk the Camino Frances. After completing this five-week solo trek across northern Spain, I returned to the UK very much a changed person. I had learnt to be grateful for the trees that shaded me from the sun, for the company of the birds, bees, mice, butterflies that were always found alongside me daily on the stretches of paths, where there were no other humans in sight. Walking in nature for hours before reaching sight of a town became my norm. I slowed down, I became grateful for the cool breezes at the top of a steep hill, for the sunshine that would dry my hand washed clothes, and the rain when it came, for refreshing me and cooling my aching joints. I also learnt to appreciate the quick connections I made with those who offered a friendly smile, a warm welcome at the end of a long day, and for those who shared their food and offered words of encouragement and love in whichever language it was spoken.

On my return to the UK, I noticed quickly that the life I had known before my travels wasn’t working for me any more. There seemed to be so much traffic, pollution, people rushing around, a life geared towards consumerism and waste. I now had to search out the green spaces and the birds. Why were there so few in the sky? And where were all the butterflies and flowers? They were harder to find now. Why had I never noticed this before? And where were the friendly smiles and easily-made connections now? I now felt a little ashamed to be a human: a little angry I could not just slot back into my old way of life. But my eyes had now been opened, and there was no going back. I would stare at my wardrobe, with so many clothes, accessories and shoes, so much stuff to choose from. I felt guilty and overwhelmed by so much choice. So many unnecessary purchases, that I had been led to believe could bring me satisfaction and happiness.

It was in this state of mind that I found myself in Trafalgar Square on 7th October 2019 looking up a group of brave young XR activists locked on to a scaffold tower, at my first ever protest, listening to a young man speak his truth in a speech so inspiring that it led me on my own unexpected path to become a climate activist.

In the tower I noticed he looked anxious, his face pale, palms sweating, trembling a little, as the police scaled the tower to arrest him, but I also noted that he also looked calm, peaceful, resilient, resolved to the job at hand. This young activist had joined XR the year before, as part of their media & messaging team. As a wildlife biologist he had specialised in tropical animal conservation and travelled, and worked alongside many indigenous communities in Ecuador, Mexico, Bolivia & Brazil and had seen first-hand what happened to those individuals who stood up to ecocide in their countries, who often lost their lives in doing so …he was also confused as to why the mainstream media were not reporting on these crimes/murders of these people trying to protect their lands.

I later learned that like me, this young man was reluctant to become an activist, but felt compelled by the circumstances he found himself in to do all he could to oppose and prevent greater crimes of ecocide and genocide, and so he chose to take part in an action where he splattered paint on the Brazilian Embassy in London to raise awareness of the Brazilian Governments crimes against its people and lands.

Sadly, at the start of 2020, I heard the shocking news that this 25-year-old activist had collapsed and died suddenly, as the result of an undetected heart condition. So saddened by the news, I travelled to London (just before the pandemic struck) to attend his vigil organised by fellow activists, friends and family who all attended to remember, honour, mourn and celebrate together his life cut short far too soon.

When attending an XR fundraiser a few months earlier, I had briefly seen Iggy in the crowd, dancing with his friends, and had felt suddenly compelled to speak to him, to tell him how much he had inspired me to take the step to join XR, and how grateful I was for all he had been doing to raise awareness of the destruction of brazils lands and those indigenous communities affected. I will always be grateful for having had that chance to meet him if only for a few moments to be able to say thank you.

After Iggy’s death, an edited version of the speech he had planned to give at his trial was published in which he admitted he had no intention of denying that he had vandalised the Brazilian embassy, but pleaded in his defence that he had only carried out this act to raise awareness of the Brazilian government’s own crimes: crimes far greater than paint splattered on a wall carried out through love, rage and compassion.

In 2021 I walked to COP26 with the Extinction Rebellion Faith Bridge http://caminotocop.com/. I began my journey on the 17th September arriving in Glasgow on the 30th October. On this journey I carried all my belongings in my backpack and would walk anything from 10 miles to 17 miles a day through, sunshine, wind and rain, sleeping on church floors at night.  At the end of each day myself and fellow activists would take part in outreach events to build alliances and engage communities along our route, to spread the word about the urgency of the need for meaningful action to address the global climate and ecological emergency.  Each night, each walker would tell their personal stories to communities about how they had become an activist. And I spoke about Iggy Fox.

So why did I choose to walk to COP26? Why do I feel compelled like Iggy did, to raise awareness, to enable people to consider the reasons we must all do our part to save all things this planet has given us? Why bother?

I could give you lots of complicated data and facts on the science as to the why we must do something, why government’s must take action etc, but I won’t, because ..I guess if you are still reading this and you have got this far, then you’re probably already feeling something in your gut too. Something that won’t go away, will it? I know what it is, because I feel it too, it’s a feeling deep within me that I believe is rooted deep into my connection to the earth, and its calling me. It’s that simple.

You see, to ignore all those with no voice, all those in the global south already greatly impacted by this crisis, or to not do anything to attempt to safeguard our children and that of future generations futures, just no longer feels like an option. The call is all too clear.

I am a rebel, I am a climate activist, but there is no difference between you and me. I am scared too. I am worried about what the future holds. But despite my fear I am speaking my truth. How did I find my courage to do so? how did I find my voice you may wonder?

It is simple. I saw others do it, over and over again, not letting their fear prevent them, and they have inspired me, because, the importance of the message they bring is far larger than them, greater than any of us.

Fear can often be disabling and can make us feel powerless. That is how I felt when I first realised the full extent of the climate and ecological disaster we face.

But nature has been calling to my conscience for a long time now, and this calling far outweighs any fear that surfaces, because nature needs me, she needs all of us…

The truth is that when I began this pilgrimage with Extinction Rebellion Faith Bridge, I considered myself to be someone of no faith. But during the last weeks of my journey to Glasgow, that belief changed. Now I now know I do have a faith. It’s a faith in people. A faith in the human spirit.

And how could I have not gained this faith when I have spent so much time with those who care and have hope for our sacred earth.

When you live in a community which is founded on mutual love and respect, where all voices are heard, how can you not gain a vision of what the future could look like and have faith in that.

So, thank you for all the conversations, whether they were easy or difficult that were had in all the different towns through which we passed. Thank you, for giving me a faith in humanity. For I now understand the value of faith and its true purpose: to inspire hope in us, for without hope I would easily fall back into apathy, in action and distraction.

The common thread that weaves its way through all of us on this journey from which ever faith or religious background ,is the calling to be in service: service to the planet, service to future generations, service to nature… so that we can achieve a balance again between mankind and the planet.

This kind of service can often feel impossible, overwhelming and too much to ask of anyone. But in each day in putting one front of the other we gain growth, momentum, belief and friendship on that journey, that can push us onwards to deliver a vision of what is possible.

To allow the broken relationship between people and planet to be healed, we all need to step into our own power and act to bring about the changes that are so urgently required.
It is clear that our leaders need to be led, we need to show them that the people have the drive and that we are here and willing. It is time for the people to be heard.

Hope can be a survival trait and it is something that should be put in practice daily for it to become real, as it is hope that leads us to take those first steps into action, and in turn inspire others to do the same.

If you love something you want to protect it… so if you love the beauty of the sky, the landscapes, the oceans, the animals, birds, forests and trees and those family and friends you hold dear, I invite you to allow yourself to have a faith in a future where the changes required will be one in which you will have far more to gain than to sacrifice.

If we are to turn around this disaster we cannot rely on new technology or financial wealth alone, it will be down to us all reaching inside our hearts to care for others, even those we have never met, and even those that are yet to be born.

So tell me, what will you next step be?

Watch Rachel’s speech in the Green Zone at COP26, inspired by Iggy Fox’s dedication to raise awareness.