Antonio Turiel urges local action and education to overcome resignation

April 16, 2026 · Editor · 5 min read

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Original source: Era Necesario
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This video from Era Necesario covered a lot of ground. 6 segments stood out as worth your time. Everything below links directly to the timestamp in the original video.

How is social transformation achieved when inertia seems overwhelming? Discover how local action and belief in collective power can be the engine of change.

Antonio Turiel urges local action and education to overcome resignation

Antonio Turiel emphasizes the importance of local action and education as practical responses to the impending crisis, citing the example of Catalonia, where communities form associations to carry out cooperative activities. He mentions initiatives such as consumer cooperatives, self-repair workshops, and projects that utilize "wild" plants for food, demonstrating a collective and resilient spirit that, in his view, could be replicated in other regions. This approach contrasts with the apathy or resignation observed elsewhere, which Turiel attributes to a long history of subjugation. He encourages citizens to believe in their capacity for change and to seek support to build a more resilient future, highlighting that many barriers are mental and that the first step toward collective action is personal conviction and mutual learning.

"We ourselves have to believe that we can do things. They are done, they work, and sometimes they work in an absolutely amazing way."

▶ Watch this segment — 1:31:21

Turiel attributes individualism to capitalism and proposes citizen cooperation

Antonio Turiel refutes the idea of inherent individualism, arguing that capitalism has instilled individualistic values that distort the role of the citizen. He proposes a "mental detoxification" through reading and understanding, so that people reclaim their role as active citizens instead of mere consumers. He suggests that this internal transformation is essential to generate conviction and capacity for collective action. Contrary to the pessimistic view of increased competition, Turiel asserts that historical necessity has proven to be a powerful catalyst for cooperation, citing examples from catastrophes to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He highlights that if people perceive a way out and believe in their ability to work together, the natural tendency is toward collaboration to overcome adversity and build a viable future.

"Capitalism is not just a socioeconomic system, but also, and perhaps primarily, a cultural one, and it does not instill the values of individualism."

▶ Watch this segment — 1:37:54

Strait of Hormuz blockade interrupts global crude, gas, and fertilizer supply

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has paralyzed the supply of 40% of the world's exportable oil, 15% of liquefied natural gas, and 30% of fertilizers and helium, explains Antonio Turiel. This interruption, coupled with the decline in US fracking production and resource control operations by producing countries, exacerbates the global shortage of energy raw materials and other vital products. Turiel warns that the economic and social consequences will be severe, including shortages of diesel and kerosene, and a direct impact on harvests due to the lack of fertilizers. He stresses that even if the conflict were to cease today, the destruction of infrastructure and the maturity of oil wells in the region mean a permanent loss of part of the production, making it impossible to return to previous levels.

"Now there is 40% less oil on the market."

▶ Watch this segment — 6:08

Personal experience highlights harshness of food production versus elite denial

A participant shared their direct experience of producing food and firewood, detailing the difficulty and strenuous physical labor involved, especially without the aid of chemicals or modern machinery. They highlighted society's current disconnection from the reality of scarcity and the need for manual labor, warning about vulnerability to unexpected frosts or the lack of sovereignty over resilient animal breeds. Antonio Turiel acknowledged the difficulty of these tasks and criticized the lack of political planning, attributing it to a "strong denial" by elites. According to Turiel, these elites, clinging to capitalism and the idea of infinite growth, avoid questioning the system and seek personal "escapes" instead of addressing a "self-inflicted collapse," which requires an urgent social paradigm shift for survival.

"The elite thinks like that... in part, there's little planning due to a fundamental point, because what's anathema to question is capitalism."

▶ Watch this segment — 1:08:05

Antonio Turiel calls for local and community action to confront resource crisis

Antonio Turiel emphasizes that society cannot wait for external rescue but must act now, organizing at the local level and creating community protection networks. He proposes an urgent shift toward regenerative agriculture and agroecological models, as well as production planning that prioritizes local needs to ensure food and well-being for all, avoiding the shortages seen in past crises like that of 2008. Turiel argues that resilience and sustainability must be the pillars of any new consumption model, urging a deep economic and social change to survive the resource and environmental crisis. He highlights that current technology would allow living with a tenth of the energy and materials, but for this, it is fundamental that each individual and community takes the step and assumes responsibility, as no one will "fix" a situation that, according to him, has already accelerated and is irreversible under its current terms.

"An urgent change in the economic and social model is needed now if we want to be able to survive this."

▶ Watch this segment — 39:03

Antonio Turiel warns there are no miracle technological solutions, humanity exceeds seven of nine planetary boundaries

Antonio Turiel debunks the existence of miracle technological solutions for the current crisis, including nuclear or fusion energy, and criticizes society for being "asleep" to the impending scarcity. He stresses the severity of the environmental crisis, drawing on the work of the Stockholm Resilience Institute which identifies nine "planetary boundaries," seven of which have already been surpassed, endangering the survival of the human species. He explains that exceeding these limits — such as chemical pollution, biosphere integrity, biogeochemical flows, and climate change — can trigger cascading processes that make the planet uninhabitable for humans. Turiel urges a holistic approach, warning against partial solutions that solve one problem (e.g., climate change) at the cost of aggravating other boundaries, and emphasizes the urgency of acting before the recurrence of extreme weather events creates even more unpleasant situations.

"There is no technological alternative... at this point, we have exceeded seven [planetary boundaries]."

▶ Watch this segment — 23:56

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Summarised from Era Necesario · 1:42:28. All credit belongs to the original creators. Streamed.News summarises publicly available video content.

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