Catalina Cock Duque: There Will be Lots of Pollution

A sociologist and political scientist, Catalina Cock Duque chairs the Association for Responsible Mining (ARM), an independent, global initiative aimed at developing a framework for responsible small-scale mining. She also serves as advisor and co-founder of the Amigos del Choco foundation, which fosters sustainable development for the Choco population. The foundation has several projects, such as Certified Green Gold, which sponsors fair trade practices.

DW-TV: How will the environment affect everyday life in 2030?

If we do not take prompt actions to protect our environment, I think we will not be able to live in harmony with our planet. There will be lots of pollution. There will be lots of natural disasters. We will not be able to live as we do today. We are already starting to see the impacts.

I see also the environment being involved in all our daily action. Consumers being aware of what they purchase, making conscious decisions. I see businesses taking responsible actions to include environmental policies and environmental actions into daily business. I see humans feeling as part of one planet. We are one. We are integrated with the rest of the planet. The youth is beginning to take this deeper into their soul and beginning to understand that we need to act accordingly to this.

What would you most like to be invented until then?

Maybe something to make the world less loud, something that takes away the loudness. I would like to invent a pill that kills selfishness. I would like some medicine that brings back love and harmony and takes out selfishness from human beings.

What is driving you?

I want to do something meaningful in life. I feel a big desire to see change happening. I feel moved seeing transformation, seeing people with hope, with the desire to do things for themselves. And I think I can facilitate this process. There are lots of leaders, there is a lot of potential within human beings. And I see myself only as a facilitator and a little spider that helps to create networks and unite different efforts around the world.