Facing my fears to fight dirty energy
It’s night and I’m trying to sleep on board the Greenpeace ship Esperanza but the waves are keeping me awake. I’m thinking about what tomorrow will look like. All the worst-case scenarios are playing through my head.
Morning comes quickly and my fellow activists start sorting out their climbing equipment on the deck. At that moment, despite the waves making me feel seasick, the adrenaline hit me.
My fears from the previous night vanish because I know that whatever happens, my Greenpeace family will be there with me. I know that we’ll all take care of each other. And, more importantly, I know that what I’m about to do is going to make our voices heard to European leaders. We’re sending them a message to not sell our future to dirty energy.
In the coming months our leaders will make vital decisions that are going to affect our future. Are they going to choose to spend our money on coal that destroys our health, climate and our planet; or on renewable energy that would create a clean and healthy future for us?
It’s 6am when we take a couple of inflatables out into the port of La Coruña. We enter the coal storage facility. How could a country like Spain spend our money on buying dirty coal when they could just make use of the beautiful year-long sunshine they get for free?
I found myself in front of giant yellow tanks containing dirty, polluting fuel. This is where climate change comes from. I was with my fellow activists, determined and ready to block the transit of the trains that were ready to load more coal. And so we did.
For eight hours we stopped the shipments of coal by staying on the train tracks with our banners unfurled.
Everything got even more exciting when I did my very first Facebook Live and felt the support of thousands of people sending me beautiful messages of support from all over the world.
This is how I think change can be achieved: face your fears, and join forces with your friends, because only together can we change the future.
If you think that we all deserve a green and peaceful future powered by renewable energy, show your support here and get your friends to do the same.
Virginia Rabal is an activist and mobilisation coordinator with Greenpeace Spain
