Whoever thinks environmental activists are always young has clearly never heard of Grandparents Climate Campaign, the Knitting Nannas or For Our Grandchildren – groups made up of senior citizens united in the fight against climate change. If that means fighting by unconventional means, then so be it.
The Knitting Nannas Against Gas, based in Australia, are far from being a bunch of ‘sweet, little old ladies’, even though they describe themselves as ‘mild, middle-class and conservative’. The group came about with the intention of bearing witness (while knitting) to politicians’ lack of action against climate change. While organizing knitting sit-ins (knit-ins) might not be the most dangerous form of activism, some Nannas have been arrested for trespassing, and even prosecuted for their involvement in otherwise-peaceful protests. They have a short documentary to their name, ‘The Knitting Nannas’, as well as an upcoming international conference in March.
