Sweltering Cities spoke to Marlene Baquiran to discuss heat in Western Sydney, grassroots activism, and inclusive environmental advocacy. Marlene grew up in Western Sydney and is the co-founder of Climate Writers– a monthly gathering where climate advocates can write to their elected representatives and learn about climate solutions in an accessible manner.
Formed in 2022, Climate Writers have written over 330 letters to policymakers that tell personal stories about the impacts of the climate crisis. The group has successfully met with a wide range of politicians, including Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, demonstrating the power of community-led climate action.
What was it like growing up in western Sydney, and how has that shaped your thinking about climate change?
This answer includes excerpts from Marlene’s upcoming essay titled ‘Treading Water,’ which will be featured in issue 170 of the Island Magazine.
Summers were sticky where I grew up. My childhood suburb was home to the rapid development meant to accommodate a quickly growing immigrant population; many Filipinos like our family, and a broader class of people excited by the prospect of owning a massive lawn and double-story house in a rich country. Unlike the Sydneysider dream of dripping gelato and salt spray, Western Sydney summer was stagnant, never-ending, and harshly lit with blinding white pavement.
It’s been 10 years since I last lived in western Sydney and now that I have lived in places such as Bondi and the Inner West, I realise how different the west is in terms of temperature, tree coverage, and how the air feels. The oppressiveness of the heat in Western Sydney almost makes it feel like it is world’s apart. I remember my summers being so intensely hot and having to brace through the heat without air conditioning at home or at school. Summers in Western Sydney were for reading, television, or sitting in the air-conditioned car on the way to somewhere else, because even thinking of moving was tiring.
How do you think heat impacts people in Western Sydney ?
Summers at school really stay in my mind because that is when the biggest exams of the year were. I remember struggling with studying at home during the heat because I was unable to think straight and would get really sleepy and drained. I used to work really hard to secure an internship over the summer during university just to avoid the discomfort of the heat at home. I would do this so I had the privilege of sitting in an office with air conditioning, which, now, is so crazy to think that having that sort of cooling is a privilege for so many people. The difficulty to move around during the heat, for example by having to wait at an unshaded bus stop, hampered my ability to take part in social activities and extracurriculars. My experience of the heat now isn’t nearly as punishing to my mental wellbeing.
What was your inspiration for co-founding Climate Writers?
My co-founder, Eezu Tan, and I were originally volunteering with Climate for Change and they really encouraged people to start their own MP engagement groups. What inspired us to keep going was just how great everyone felt at the end of our sessions. Our first meeting with a politician really solidified this. It allowed our group to share their individual stories and concerns, and was a huge leap for us in transforming our small efforts into a grounded and powerful climate action. Our goals then felt a lot more actionable and we knew that we had a voice in driving us towards a better future.
Climate Writers at a recent event
Why do you think Climate Writers has been such a success? What is drawing people to come along and maybe take action for the first time?
We really pay attention to the experience of our attendees and take in any feedback we receive. We have also added other elements, such as sessions on using your climate superpowers or helping people get connected to and learn from industry experts. We’re very deliberate about making climate action as easy and accessible as possible, whether that be writing to an MP or doing something simpler such as composting. 80% of our members have never engaged with an MP before so it’s important that the process is simplified in terms of who to contact and the exact series of steps they should take.
In your experience, how can environmental organisations empower multicultural communities to take an active role in climate change advocacy and decision-making?
It really comes down to making the effort and thoughtfully including the lived experiences of multicultural communities, and other groups that are often marginalised from climate change policy-making. This is especially important for advocacy on urban design and local policy, for example, because this is directly going to impact frontline communities. Statistics and reports are enlightening but in environmental advocacy, it is vital to contextualise that data and include the details of the lives of people. This can only be done by being willing to get your feet on the ground and talking to local community members from a lens of understanding. It’s obviously a lot more difficult to do this if you are coming into this space as an outsider, but making that effort will help engage diverse communities in climate action.
In our experience, both Eezu and I are people of colour from different parts of Sydney so we tend to attract people from diverse backgrounds. Our multiculturalism is something we’re proud of because it can be hard to get multicultural communities engaged with politics. A lot of the decision makers in politics don’t exactly look like them or seem to have their best interests at heart. Empowering people who have never interacted with the political system before makes way for authentic, community-powered activism.
You can go Here to find out more about Marlene’s incredible work and climate activism!
