In this picture taken on August 7, 2020 climate activist Howey Ou , 17, stages a protest on a street in Guilin. — AFPWhile most of her peers are preparing for university or enjoying summer vacation, 17-year-old Howey Ou is braving intimidation and criticism in China to save the world from climate catastrophe.
It has changed Ou’s life though. She was inspired by Swedish teenage climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, and held her own week-long solo protest in May last year outside her local government buildings, gaining international recognition. “After I was interrogated by the police, my parents tried to stop me by all means, such as by keeping me at home, not letting me accept interviews or take part in the climate movement, and searching my electronic devices,“ she said.After her protest outside the government offices, she started planting trees in the surroundings of Guilin, the southern Chinese city where she lives, and studied methods of non-violent protest, poring over the works of Mahatma Gandhi.
“I don’t see a future for her if she stays on this road,“ her father, who did not wish to be named, told AFP.Ou, however, insists she is not trying to go against authorities, and sees it instead as “a question of morality”.Ou has thousands of followers on social media but has struggled to find wider support within China. Last summer she travelled solo around the country on a shoestring, meeting with environmental NGOs and activists.