Will we be able to prevent the climate crisis at all? What will happen when we run out of resources? Is there going to be a stop to the ever-growing human population? The Hungarian youth is troubled by the outlook that is presenting itself to them, and thus the Game On! project laid down a picnic blanket last 4 September at #Kiserdőfeszt to get to listen to the voices thinking about everyone’s tomorrow.

Alexandra Molnár, for instance, is a 19-year-old student of maths and informatics in Budapest, and one of her main fears for the future is the inevitability of climate change. “I am scared because so many people don’t do anything to prevent it and there is a lack of information on the topic,” she explains. Alexandra came to #Kiserdőfeszt — which stands for ‘Woodlands Festival’ — to discuss her concerns with young activists and passers-by.

“Many people are missing the necessary information, but it is also more convenient to just go on like always,” Alexandra added. On her daily livelihood, she indicates that she tries to be as climate-friendly as possible by using public transport or her bike and that she also worries about our consumption of plastic: “I don’t use disposable bags or plastic bottles and try to convince my parents to do the same, but it is difficult because they don’t really understand the issue.”

Alexandra and her hopeful message from the future: “I would like to thank all the organizations that have worked in tree and forest protection!”

Climate Expressions

Alexandra is not alone in her standing towards the climate crisis. Game On!’s Climate Picnic invited all passers-by to also share in a blackboard their thoughts, fears, hopes, calls for action, and solutions. Alexandra’s approach to life and our common crisis was shared by many. A big shout-out was for more moderate lifestyles, as well as a shift of values that can take us away from anthropocentric worldviews and towards a more sustainable approach to everyday life.

But beyond the call for individual action, there was an ever-present appeal to address a shift in the social fabric and the political system. Opinions and sentiments included the need for more information to be given about the issue, as well as on the urge to come up with financial incentives and alternatives to conservative practices.

From “the effects of overconsumption” to “net-zero emissions”, passersby shared their thoughts, and Game on! put them all aboard.

Finally, aiming to highlight the urgency of immediate action, participants at the Climate Picnic were also invited to send a “Thank You from the Future” to the people of today. In these messages, they credited specific actions towards climate mitigation and environmental protection that will hopefully have taken place by 2050.

All of these expressions have been collected by the project and will be addressed in the near future with policymakers through the project’s planned advocacy meetings to be held in the eight participating countries — namely, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovakia — as well as in Brussels. These voices need to be heard; we all need to push for a sustainable EU. Alexandra’s and everyone’s actions can make it happen. It’s #GameOn!

Comedian Balázs Máté Szabó, from Dumaszínház, also participated to the festival with Game On!’s Green Stand-up Comedy show.