canadian author Margaret Atwood wrote about a theocratic society that suppresses all women’s rights – plot and hit series “Aia’s Story” -, has already imagined a post-apocalyptic world invaded by genetically modified creatures (“Oryx and Crake”) then showed this same world hit by a massive natural disaster (“The Year of the Flood”).

But, despite the dystopias that made her famous, the writer bets on utopia as a way to build a livable future for the planet. “I’m very optimistic,” Atwood said at the opening of Collision, an innovation and technology festival taking place in Toronto, Canada. “Maybe because I’m old enough. And I remember when the world was worse than today.

For the award-winning author, the climate emergency is the fundamental point that will determine the future. She often says it’s not about “climate change”, it’s about “changing everything”. Despite the grim scenario, Atwood thinks there’s still time to fight. “We are still at a point where it is possible to change the course of history,” he said.

Its project for collecting and addressing climate solutions is called “Practical Utopias: an exploration of the possible”. On a collaborative learning platform, Disco, the author brings together people from around the world committed to finding ways out of the climate crisis. “People are thinking together about how to build a new way of life with what we have now,” he says. “For me, it starts with what people do every day – where they live, how they eat, what they wear.”

According to Atwood, proposals that address practical solutions to climate change are based on three fundamental points: they must be carbon neutral or zero in carbon emissions, they must be accessible and scalable and, finally, they must appear attractive to people. “I was impressed by the amount of solutions that have already been created and already exist”, reinforced the writer.

political will

On how to approach the transformations needed to reverse global warming, Atwood used an analogy from Les Stroud, host of the Canadian reality show “Surviverman,” about survival skills in extreme situations. “He says four things are needed to survive: knowledge, experience, proper equipment, will and luck. You can get out of tough situations if you have at least two of these things. If you don’t have any, you’re lost,” the writer explains.

Today, he says, we have the knowledge and the technology to deal with the climate problem. “What is missing is the political will. And then, yes, it will take luck,” he adds.

*Juliana Causin traveled at the invitation of Siemens