Sarah Ott spent years as a climate change sceptic - now she's an advocate for clean energy.

I spent years doubting the science of climate change and spending time with people who didn’t believe in the science either.

When I realised I was wrong, I felt really embarrassed.

To move away from those people meant leaving behind an entire community at a time when I didn’t have many friends.

I went through a really difficult time. But the truth matters.

I’m the granddaughter of coal miners in Pennsylvania and my family moved to Florida when I was young.

We have a Polish Catholic background and we attended church regularly, but at the same time we were very connected to science because my mum was a nurse and my dad sold microscopes and other scientific equipment.

  • @[email protected]
    3•7 months ago

    I don’t even know what my grandparents did for a living.

    I mean, if it was your great grandparents that’s different, but your grandparents?

    Honestly that’s a little bit sad that you don’t even know that much about them.

    Also, you not knowing or caring doesn’t mean that’s the case for everyone…though it does shed light on why you may not understand the significance of coal mining on the coal region of the US.

    It was more than simply an occupation.

    • @[email protected]
      2•7 months ago

      lol, no. Continuing to not support actual science because of some bullshit reason like my grandparents had a job like 70 years ago is ignorant plain and simple. There is no amount of culture or tradition that can justify that.