I saw the Age of Stupid on 3 June this year, and as the credits started to roll at the end of the film, I slightly slumped back in my chair, feeling two things. First, I felt that once again, the problem had been set out, enormously clearly, but no solutions had been suggested. Secondly, and arising out of that, I felt utterly disempowered. Here was an enormous dilemma and I felt the burden of trying to sort it out, but without any idea where to start – or even, why it should be me who did take responsibility.
So, to deal with that issue – why should we take responsibility for a problem that might not be of our making, that is overwhelming and that people in high office are not taking ownership of?
The first point – whilst the majority of the scientific community now agrees that climate change is taking place, not everyone agrees that it is manmade. However, should that doubt stop humankind from taking action to avert the worse possible scenario? We obviously do not know what the future will bring, but the point is we need to plan for a range of possibilities, to give ourselves the widest number of survival options.
So if we don’t plan for the worst effects of climate change on the basis that ‘it might never happen’, and then it does, we’re stuffed, environmentally and economically. If on the other hand we do take measures, and it doesn’t happen, then we will, as a society, have spent a lot of money that could have been used elsewhere.
But we might have created jobs; become less of a disposable society; stopped filling up the earth with our waste; stopped chucking so much plastic in the sea that the plastic itself starts to break down and become a constituent of the sand and or great lumps of it choke marine animals; we might possibly have adjusted our system of values so that we respect limited resources and, as a bottom line, all in all won’t be as badly off as if we take no action and climate change blows up in our faces.
Secondly – why us? Why should we assume the burden of doing something?
Well really, it is a process of elimination. A large proportion of the world’s population is very poor, and people spend their time just surviving. They live hand to mouth, literally using all their time earning money for the next meal, and in that context, cannot prioritise something like working against climate change, or campaigning for their politicians to take action. Others live in totalitarian or repressive states which limit their freedom to take action, or it might simply bring them to the attention of the authorities, which may well be dangerous in itself.
So that cuts out a lot of people and really brings the job home to those in the west.
For a long time, I waited for our government to take a lead. I’m still waiting! Where is the legislation that imposes limits on supermarket packaging? What is happening to ensure that all new housing is built in a carbon neutral sustainable way? In short, where is the political will to turn this climate crisis around? In the end you have to conclude that those in power are long on rhetoric and short on action, and whatever happens at next year’s election, I don’t think that we can depend on that changing.
So that really leaves people like you and me. I’m afraid that I can’t really think of anyone else! Whatever our financial position, the majority of us are not in the situation where we spend every day working to survive and feed ourselves. This also gives us more time in our days to take action. Therefore, we have the time, education and the communication skills to do something about this. We can campaign by email, telephone, face to face – we are able to do something if we choose.
Do we have to do it now? Won’t this wait? Well, no, unfortunately not. The trouble is that there is a time lag between our actions and their impact. It seems that there is no immediacy in the need to deal with global warming – so we can ignore our lack of action today as the result won’t be apparent tomorrow, and conversely, if we do take steps now, we might not see the benefit for some time. But as the film showed, global warming is having an effect now, it is already disrupting nature and many people’s lives, and we need to act before this effect becomes ever more disruptive.
So what to do?
There are a myriad of things that you can do, and there are various suggestions on the blog that is mentioned on the card on your chair – I’m sure that you can all come up with many more. (http://globalwarmingispants.blogspot.com/)
Our little group is looking at trying to find a way forward that will involve our community. If we wait for governments to take action, it will be too little, too late. If we take action as individuals, then very sadly, it may well be too little. But if we take action as communities, it might just be enough, just in time.
The model that we are looking at at the moment is Transition Towns. Let me briefly tell you something about Transition Towns.
Transition towns is a grass roots movement that is gathering pace across the country. It is based on 2 ideas – one, that global warming is out there, and we need to work, as communities, to reduce our carbon footprint. Incidentally, does anyone know how Chiltern district ranks in terms of our average carbon footprint per household?? We come fourth in the UK……
The second idea is that we are reaching, or have reached the point of peak oil production. This means that resources of oil that is easily obtainable are not being discovered as fast as our increasing consumption requires. So it is a simple supply and demand graph. Cheap oil is getting rarer, but our demand continues to increase. So there is going to be less of it, and what there is, is going to be much much more expensive. We are an oil dependent society, and therefore living without oil, or with less oil, is going to be an enormous change.
Towns in Transition looks at ways of reducing our impact on the environment, and also at ways in which we can change our community’s dependence on oil. If we can start to do this now, then if and when the oil does start to run out, we will at least be part of the way down the road to coping without it.
Things that we can do as a community might include – setting up a market of local produce, buying more locally, lobbying the local authority to provide more crossing points so that it was easier and safer to walk round the village, talking to the Chamber of Commerce about making our high street plastic bag free…even, we want to influence any large scale development in the village so that it is not built to too high a density, but is built with solar panelling, geothermal heating, and local materials. The sky is the limit – and what is great about such a scheme is that it isn’t the usual dull and anxious approach to climate change; on the contrary, it is empowering, it is positive, we will see progress. It is achievable.
Locally, Chesham, High Wycombe, Marlow, Tring, Berkhamsted and Watford are towns in transition. Amersham is thinking about it, and so are we. If all the settlements along the Misbourne valley were to join the movement, or something similar, that would be enormously measurable progress – the local authorities would see that people were really serious about this and take notice – and so our influence would start to work its way up in true grass roots fashion.
This is obviously a big scheme to pull off and we cannot do it without help! A couple of us are going on a course to learn more about it next weekend, and then we will decide whether to adopt this model or whether there are similar but different ones out there.
What else can you do? Sign up for 10:10 – this is a personal pledge to reduce your carbon emissions by 10% during 2010. So if you drive to work, one day in every 2 weeks, you would have either to get the train or work from home – Then, once you have signed up, get your workplace, your kids’ schools, your place of worship to join too.
Lobby Gordon Brown to reach agreement in Copenhagen – Obama has just come out and said that he doesn’t think that agreement will be reached in Copenhagen – we need to say that we passionately require politicians to put down their cappuccinos and get a meaningful deal signed.
Come on the march on December 5 – we’re all going and taking our kids, and you would be welcome to come with us.
Finally – talk about climate change. Bring it into the mainstream, try and heighten people’s awareness of the issue.
All the inventiveness and genius that has gone into the development of our society as it is today can be harnessed to move us through this current crisis. This issue might be a burden, but it is also a challenge and an enormous opportunity for positive change.
Thursday 19 November 2009
Tuesday 27 October 2009
What we can all do - we ourselves, us!!!!
1. Lead by example and don’t proselytise - how boring is it to listen to someone who is that self-righteous....
2. sign up to 10:10 - please...... http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/01/10-10-launch-ian-katz
3. walk and cycle as much as possible – enjoy being outside - it's a beautiful world
4. Fly less - sorry but it's true. Can you handle that meeting with a conference call? Why don't you go on holiday by train and delight your kids (and yourself?)
5. ‘Let the train take the strain’ -oops, a bit repetitive.....
6. Run your car into the ground, and once it’s in the ground, replace it with a second hand one
7. exercise outside rather than in a gym - it smells better
8. Use low energy lights - there are better ones about now
6. Avoid leaving electrical goods on standby - that's pretty much everything - microwaves, kettles, TVs, everything...
7. Move your switches so that you can access them easily
8. Make sure you have good home insulation
9. Enjoy good personal insulation – jumpers and boots - it feels good! And dries you out less than putting the heating on which WILL make you look like a wrinkly prune...
10. Keep a warm blanket on the sofa for late nights in front of the telly
11. Turn off radiators in rooms when they are not being used - yawn - how obvious is that...
12. Dry your clothes outside when the weather allows, (smaells so goood) and over clothes’ horses inside when it doesn’t – but try not to use your dryer
13. Excel at one pot cooking
14. Value food and try to avoid waste as much as possible
15. Buy cloth napkins and save on kitchen paper
16. Use tupperware lunch boxes, and try to avoid cling film and foil
17. Use greaseproof paper instead of plastic bags
18. Enjoy the clothes that you have, and wear them out
19. Enjoy the possessions that you have - maybe more isn’t better
20. Grow some veg in your garden or in some pots
21. Sign up for an allotment
22. eat more veg and less meat
23. Buy fish from sustainable sources as recommended by the RSPB or the Marine Stewardship Council
24. Only eat dolphin- AND albatross-friendly tuna, if you eat it at all
25. Buy biodegradable cleaners
26. Use natural cleaners – vinegar, soda crystals, lemon juice etc
27. Buy biodegradable soap, shampoo, etc
28. Compost compost compost
29. Buy secondhand books on Amazon rather than new ones
30. Look for book publishers that use paper produced from renewable sources
31. Buy as little plastic as possible
32. Holiday in eco-friendly B&Bs, hotels, etc. They do the best breakfasts...really...
33. Campaign! Write to M&S, Tesco, Budgens to complain about ‘bad’ packaging, lack of local produce and so on
34. Take a bag to the beach or on a walk and pick up plastic bottles and tins to recycle
35. Use your economic muscle: use supermarkets that adhere to a strong ethical policy
36. Buy products that don’t contain palm oil
37. Buy from farmers’ markets or other local sources
38. Try to avoid non-recyclable wrappings
39. Ask your supermarket to put out paper bags, rather than plastic, in their vegetable section
40. Buy from Oxfam – they have a fab range of solar powered stuff, recycled stuff and biodegradable household cleaners
41. Ask your butcher whether the meat is sourced locally
42. Ask you greengrocer the same, except for vegetables
43. Go a bit green at Christmas – Oxfam do excellent, ethical crackers, the Ethical Superstore do a good range of stuff that would makes good gifts
44. forsake plastic bottles FOREVER!!
45. Plant trees.....
2. sign up to 10:10 - please...... http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/01/10-10-launch-ian-katz
3. walk and cycle as much as possible – enjoy being outside - it's a beautiful world
4. Fly less - sorry but it's true. Can you handle that meeting with a conference call? Why don't you go on holiday by train and delight your kids (and yourself?)
5. ‘Let the train take the strain’ -oops, a bit repetitive.....
6. Run your car into the ground, and once it’s in the ground, replace it with a second hand one
7. exercise outside rather than in a gym - it smells better
8. Use low energy lights - there are better ones about now
6. Avoid leaving electrical goods on standby - that's pretty much everything - microwaves, kettles, TVs, everything...
7. Move your switches so that you can access them easily
8. Make sure you have good home insulation
9. Enjoy good personal insulation – jumpers and boots - it feels good! And dries you out less than putting the heating on which WILL make you look like a wrinkly prune...
10. Keep a warm blanket on the sofa for late nights in front of the telly
11. Turn off radiators in rooms when they are not being used - yawn - how obvious is that...
12. Dry your clothes outside when the weather allows, (smaells so goood) and over clothes’ horses inside when it doesn’t – but try not to use your dryer
13. Excel at one pot cooking
14. Value food and try to avoid waste as much as possible
15. Buy cloth napkins and save on kitchen paper
16. Use tupperware lunch boxes, and try to avoid cling film and foil
17. Use greaseproof paper instead of plastic bags
18. Enjoy the clothes that you have, and wear them out
19. Enjoy the possessions that you have - maybe more isn’t better
20. Grow some veg in your garden or in some pots
21. Sign up for an allotment
22. eat more veg and less meat
23. Buy fish from sustainable sources as recommended by the RSPB or the Marine Stewardship Council
24. Only eat dolphin- AND albatross-friendly tuna, if you eat it at all
25. Buy biodegradable cleaners
26. Use natural cleaners – vinegar, soda crystals, lemon juice etc
27. Buy biodegradable soap, shampoo, etc
28. Compost compost compost
29. Buy secondhand books on Amazon rather than new ones
30. Look for book publishers that use paper produced from renewable sources
31. Buy as little plastic as possible
32. Holiday in eco-friendly B&Bs, hotels, etc. They do the best breakfasts...really...
33. Campaign! Write to M&S, Tesco, Budgens to complain about ‘bad’ packaging, lack of local produce and so on
34. Take a bag to the beach or on a walk and pick up plastic bottles and tins to recycle
35. Use your economic muscle: use supermarkets that adhere to a strong ethical policy
36. Buy products that don’t contain palm oil
37. Buy from farmers’ markets or other local sources
38. Try to avoid non-recyclable wrappings
39. Ask your supermarket to put out paper bags, rather than plastic, in their vegetable section
40. Buy from Oxfam – they have a fab range of solar powered stuff, recycled stuff and biodegradable household cleaners
41. Ask your butcher whether the meat is sourced locally
42. Ask you greengrocer the same, except for vegetables
43. Go a bit green at Christmas – Oxfam do excellent, ethical crackers, the Ethical Superstore do a good range of stuff that would makes good gifts
44. forsake plastic bottles FOREVER!!
45. Plant trees.....
What we can all do…..to change our community
1. Ask our local schools to join the eco-schools scheme http://www.eco-schools.org.uk/
2. Join us in Chalfont St Peter in Transition http://www.transitiontowns.org/
3. Ask our local schools and to increase their recycling, energy conservation, and reduce paper and other waste. In particular, ask them to turn off their computers, at the wall, every night
4. Do the same with local businesses – contact the Chamber of Commerce..
5. Ask our local schools to cultivate an allotment or build raised beds and grow stuff
6. Ask our PTAs to be environmentally friendly, and not buy cheap plastic goods to repackage and sell
7. Lobby our local authority for more and better recycling facilities
8. Lobby our local authority to recycle more things, such as tetrapaks
9. Tell our MP that this is the way her constituents expect her to go
10. Join the local branch of political party that has a serious commitment to environmentalism
11. Ask local shops not to provide plastic bags
12. Buy food at local farmers’ markets
13. Lobby our local supermarkets, veg shops and butchers to source their produce locally
14. Ask schools, fairs and fundraisers not to release balloons – they get into the sea and cause all sorts of havoc
15. Lobby our local authority to upgrade pavements and provide crossing points so that more people, including children, feel safer walking
16 Slow down the traffic, so that cars use less gas, and people feel safer walking
17 Have a toy swap scheme so that we all buy less plastic
18. Clean up rivers, fields, our environment generally
19. Engage our local authority to only give planning permission to houses built in a fuel- and water- efficient manner
20. Get our local community to plant trees, on grass verges, on dual carriageways, in the corner of the school field - everywhere. Trees are fabulous.
There is so much – let’s get out there…..
2. Join us in Chalfont St Peter in Transition http://www.transitiontowns.org/
3. Ask our local schools and to increase their recycling, energy conservation, and reduce paper and other waste. In particular, ask them to turn off their computers, at the wall, every night
4. Do the same with local businesses – contact the Chamber of Commerce..
5. Ask our local schools to cultivate an allotment or build raised beds and grow stuff
6. Ask our PTAs to be environmentally friendly, and not buy cheap plastic goods to repackage and sell
7. Lobby our local authority for more and better recycling facilities
8. Lobby our local authority to recycle more things, such as tetrapaks
9. Tell our MP that this is the way her constituents expect her to go
10. Join the local branch of political party that has a serious commitment to environmentalism
11. Ask local shops not to provide plastic bags
12. Buy food at local farmers’ markets
13. Lobby our local supermarkets, veg shops and butchers to source their produce locally
14. Ask schools, fairs and fundraisers not to release balloons – they get into the sea and cause all sorts of havoc
15. Lobby our local authority to upgrade pavements and provide crossing points so that more people, including children, feel safer walking
16 Slow down the traffic, so that cars use less gas, and people feel safer walking
17 Have a toy swap scheme so that we all buy less plastic
18. Clean up rivers, fields, our environment generally
19. Engage our local authority to only give planning permission to houses built in a fuel- and water- efficient manner
20. Get our local community to plant trees, on grass verges, on dual carriageways, in the corner of the school field - everywhere. Trees are fabulous.
There is so much – let’s get out there…..
Combating Climate Change - what we can all do….at national level
1. Give money to charities preserving the rainforest or campaigning against climate change – look at Cool Earth, for example. Fab, ethical charity.
2. Lobby our MPs – if they don’t start taking this seriously, the Thames will rise and they will be the first to go (actually, this might be a reason to promote climate change – hmm….)
3. Sign petitions and put our names to campaigns – The Princes Rainforest Trust, the RSPB campaign, etc
4. Go on marches – 5 December 2009 in London – be there!
5. Write to newpapers and comment on what the politicians are doing (or not doing, inert bastards)
6. Write to Tony Blair and make him work for you on change. He’s trashed the world through war, now it’s pay back time.
7. Write to Ed Miliband. He gets it, just doesn’t have enough power at cabinet level. Public opinion could help him.
8. Vote for a party that is committed to taking climate change seriously. Particularly if the election is by proportional representation….you know who I green – er, mean…bear in mind that elections to the European parliament are by proportional representation.
2. Lobby our MPs – if they don’t start taking this seriously, the Thames will rise and they will be the first to go (actually, this might be a reason to promote climate change – hmm….)
3. Sign petitions and put our names to campaigns – The Princes Rainforest Trust, the RSPB campaign, etc
4. Go on marches – 5 December 2009 in London – be there!
5. Write to newpapers and comment on what the politicians are doing (or not doing, inert bastards)
6. Write to Tony Blair and make him work for you on change. He’s trashed the world through war, now it’s pay back time.
7. Write to Ed Miliband. He gets it, just doesn’t have enough power at cabinet level. Public opinion could help him.
8. Vote for a party that is committed to taking climate change seriously. Particularly if the election is by proportional representation….you know who I green – er, mean…bear in mind that elections to the European parliament are by proportional representation.
Monday 20 July 2009
Why is Global Warming missing the mainstream?
For a long time, I have been an eco-bore. Since my friends found this tedious and nothing much seemed to be changing around me, I settled for keeping my own little corner of the world as green as I could, stuffing cupboards with recyclables until I pass the glass and plastic skips, walking everywhere, siting water butts around the garden, buying locally and so on.
However, I have now stepped up a pace. The catalyst for this was seeing Franny Armstrong’s film, The Age of Stupid, at the beginning of June. This stars Pete Postlethwaite who is marooned, in 2055, as the only person left on earth, with the rising Thames having drowned London, our temperate climate a thing of the past and all life as we know it destroyed. The film shows him looking back at the early 21st century, and he reprises the decisions that we are currently taking (or ignoring) in an attempt to work out why human beings committed mass suicide by not addressing the dominant issue of climate change. It’s no blockbuster, but nevertheless, after watching it and listening to the follow-up talk, I decided to do everything that I can to safeguard my children’s future, or, at the very least, be able to tell them that I tried.
As a result of my personal green revolution, on 4 July, I joined a demo at Kingsnorth Power Station. Green Peace, Oxfam and the WI had got together to arrange a protest in which people would form a ‘miliband’ by holding hands all around the power station to send a message to our friend Ed that traditional coal-fired power stations are not the way forward in terms of saving the planet. As if he doesn’t already know.
It was a fascinating experience. First, it was interesting to see that my fellow demonstrators were drawn from across society. All ages were there, from young children with their parents to an elderly woman who could barely cross the fields to the power station on her crutches. Everyone was obviously passionate and committed. Second, it was highly orchestrated, and we were very much the extras on set, but never mind; I was a demonstration virgin (so to speak) and was glad to be directed, even if chanting slogans to the few migrant workers harvesting marrows in the fields around the power station felt somewhat anticlimactic.
There was one overwhelming conclusion that I brought away with me. It was this: those of us who strongly believe in the idea that, as a society, we must change our habits out of responsibility to future generations (and more immediately, to prevent suffering on a massive scale as climate change impacts millions of people, above all in poorer countries) have not managed to make global warming an issue that has gained the mainstream in society’s consciousness. It was amazing that there were only about 1000 of us at the demo, and we couldn’t encircle the area at all, not even by holding long ribbons between us that easily doubled the distance that the miliband could stretch. Nobody stopped their cars or honked their support, people didn’t flood out of their houses to join us as if they’d heard the Pied Piper’s flute, nobody even said – thank God someone’s doing this, it needs to be done. We mostly got either bemused looks from onlookers or the indulgent half-smile that is bestowed on someone who is clearly barking, but mostly harmless. Even the police would have looked bored if they hadn’t been given off-road motorbikes to play on for the day.
It made me realise that whatever is happening in terms of the fight against global warming, it has not captured the popular imagination, and until it does, public opinion on this issue is about as useful as a rubber duck in the shower. As a result, anything that happens because of people pressure will happen super-slowly. The problem of global warming is still perceived as a marginal interest and not a fundamental concern. Until this changes, and the strength of public opinion outweighs short-term and self-serving considerations, politicians will take the line of least resistance and will drag their heels rather than take radical steps towards safeguarding our futures. Whilst I hesitate to include Mr Miliband the younger in this generalisation, I suspect that, in any case, he does not have the clout within cabinet to make a difference on his own.
What would capture the public’s imagination and focus attention and energy on preserving the future for our children? The charities leading the campaign are already doing a great job – there are constant news items (although I’m pretty sure that the majority of listeners automatically screen most of them out), and Oxfam’s shops have changed in nature over the last few years to sell, amongst other things, products made from recycled material or non-pollutants.
But that only gets to relatively few people. What could flick the switch to start people caring? What would it take to get a million people marching through London to demand changes that would save countless lives and stop some of the world’s habitable land from going under the sea?
Maybe one can try to glean the answer by trying to analyse the reasons for the current lack of active interest: first, global warming is a huge problem, and this is utterly disempowering for the individual, who blanks out what he or she can’t handle.
Secondly, it isn’t obvious what to do about it – our society has evolved with seemingly irreversible dependence on oil, and its philosophy has changed from the ‘make use and mend’ attitude to one in which almost anything is disposable – see, even reading that sort of old-fashioned phrase almost sends you to sleep, doesn’t it? Again, it seems overwhelmingly difficult for the individual to reverse this. It feels as desperate and pointless as a lone person bobbing and waving in the sea as an enormous trawler approaches, frantically trying to get the ship to change course.
The other major reason, it seems to me, is the perception that there is a lack of immediacy in the need to deal with global warming – there is a delay between our actions and their outcomes, and we are instant gratification junkies. This works both ways – it enables us to ignore the implications of our lack of action today as the result won’t become apparent tomorrow, and conversely, if we do take any steps now, we won’t see the benefit for some time. We are also used to being led, and strong leadership and moral courage at the top of the current power tree simply aren’t there on this issue.
And yet. The Stop the War Coalition got people onto the streets in a march that everyone is proud of. It didn’t stop anything, of course, but people were there in their hordes, demanding to be heard. Historically, there are many examples which strongly demonstrate that people power can move mountains, not least the social changes brought about by the suffragette movement.
Do we need a central figure around whom we can all gather? Would it help to have someone to step into the limelight like Bob Geldof, to inspire and motivate? He changed the world, even if temporarily, with Live Aid, was less successful with Live 8, and I don’t blame him if he thinks now that it is someone else’s turn. So who might that be, and why aren’t people lining up? If you are in a position to make such a massive difference, why are you still sitting on your bum, whoever you are? Where is this modern day Gandhi?
On the basis that the eco-messiah is not about to stand up, then we have to conclude that it’s up to every one of us. Those of us who are massively concerned about the way that we are going, and baffled by all the ignorers or deniers, will continue to do what we can, and nibble round the edges. But we need help. We need numbers. We can’t wait for the politicians to put down their cappuccinos and pay attention to what really matters to the whole world. We have about 5 years, according to prevalent scientific opinion. Join us. Help.
However, I have now stepped up a pace. The catalyst for this was seeing Franny Armstrong’s film, The Age of Stupid, at the beginning of June. This stars Pete Postlethwaite who is marooned, in 2055, as the only person left on earth, with the rising Thames having drowned London, our temperate climate a thing of the past and all life as we know it destroyed. The film shows him looking back at the early 21st century, and he reprises the decisions that we are currently taking (or ignoring) in an attempt to work out why human beings committed mass suicide by not addressing the dominant issue of climate change. It’s no blockbuster, but nevertheless, after watching it and listening to the follow-up talk, I decided to do everything that I can to safeguard my children’s future, or, at the very least, be able to tell them that I tried.
As a result of my personal green revolution, on 4 July, I joined a demo at Kingsnorth Power Station. Green Peace, Oxfam and the WI had got together to arrange a protest in which people would form a ‘miliband’ by holding hands all around the power station to send a message to our friend Ed that traditional coal-fired power stations are not the way forward in terms of saving the planet. As if he doesn’t already know.
It was a fascinating experience. First, it was interesting to see that my fellow demonstrators were drawn from across society. All ages were there, from young children with their parents to an elderly woman who could barely cross the fields to the power station on her crutches. Everyone was obviously passionate and committed. Second, it was highly orchestrated, and we were very much the extras on set, but never mind; I was a demonstration virgin (so to speak) and was glad to be directed, even if chanting slogans to the few migrant workers harvesting marrows in the fields around the power station felt somewhat anticlimactic.
There was one overwhelming conclusion that I brought away with me. It was this: those of us who strongly believe in the idea that, as a society, we must change our habits out of responsibility to future generations (and more immediately, to prevent suffering on a massive scale as climate change impacts millions of people, above all in poorer countries) have not managed to make global warming an issue that has gained the mainstream in society’s consciousness. It was amazing that there were only about 1000 of us at the demo, and we couldn’t encircle the area at all, not even by holding long ribbons between us that easily doubled the distance that the miliband could stretch. Nobody stopped their cars or honked their support, people didn’t flood out of their houses to join us as if they’d heard the Pied Piper’s flute, nobody even said – thank God someone’s doing this, it needs to be done. We mostly got either bemused looks from onlookers or the indulgent half-smile that is bestowed on someone who is clearly barking, but mostly harmless. Even the police would have looked bored if they hadn’t been given off-road motorbikes to play on for the day.
It made me realise that whatever is happening in terms of the fight against global warming, it has not captured the popular imagination, and until it does, public opinion on this issue is about as useful as a rubber duck in the shower. As a result, anything that happens because of people pressure will happen super-slowly. The problem of global warming is still perceived as a marginal interest and not a fundamental concern. Until this changes, and the strength of public opinion outweighs short-term and self-serving considerations, politicians will take the line of least resistance and will drag their heels rather than take radical steps towards safeguarding our futures. Whilst I hesitate to include Mr Miliband the younger in this generalisation, I suspect that, in any case, he does not have the clout within cabinet to make a difference on his own.
What would capture the public’s imagination and focus attention and energy on preserving the future for our children? The charities leading the campaign are already doing a great job – there are constant news items (although I’m pretty sure that the majority of listeners automatically screen most of them out), and Oxfam’s shops have changed in nature over the last few years to sell, amongst other things, products made from recycled material or non-pollutants.
But that only gets to relatively few people. What could flick the switch to start people caring? What would it take to get a million people marching through London to demand changes that would save countless lives and stop some of the world’s habitable land from going under the sea?
Maybe one can try to glean the answer by trying to analyse the reasons for the current lack of active interest: first, global warming is a huge problem, and this is utterly disempowering for the individual, who blanks out what he or she can’t handle.
Secondly, it isn’t obvious what to do about it – our society has evolved with seemingly irreversible dependence on oil, and its philosophy has changed from the ‘make use and mend’ attitude to one in which almost anything is disposable – see, even reading that sort of old-fashioned phrase almost sends you to sleep, doesn’t it? Again, it seems overwhelmingly difficult for the individual to reverse this. It feels as desperate and pointless as a lone person bobbing and waving in the sea as an enormous trawler approaches, frantically trying to get the ship to change course.
The other major reason, it seems to me, is the perception that there is a lack of immediacy in the need to deal with global warming – there is a delay between our actions and their outcomes, and we are instant gratification junkies. This works both ways – it enables us to ignore the implications of our lack of action today as the result won’t become apparent tomorrow, and conversely, if we do take any steps now, we won’t see the benefit for some time. We are also used to being led, and strong leadership and moral courage at the top of the current power tree simply aren’t there on this issue.
And yet. The Stop the War Coalition got people onto the streets in a march that everyone is proud of. It didn’t stop anything, of course, but people were there in their hordes, demanding to be heard. Historically, there are many examples which strongly demonstrate that people power can move mountains, not least the social changes brought about by the suffragette movement.
Do we need a central figure around whom we can all gather? Would it help to have someone to step into the limelight like Bob Geldof, to inspire and motivate? He changed the world, even if temporarily, with Live Aid, was less successful with Live 8, and I don’t blame him if he thinks now that it is someone else’s turn. So who might that be, and why aren’t people lining up? If you are in a position to make such a massive difference, why are you still sitting on your bum, whoever you are? Where is this modern day Gandhi?
On the basis that the eco-messiah is not about to stand up, then we have to conclude that it’s up to every one of us. Those of us who are massively concerned about the way that we are going, and baffled by all the ignorers or deniers, will continue to do what we can, and nibble round the edges. But we need help. We need numbers. We can’t wait for the politicians to put down their cappuccinos and pay attention to what really matters to the whole world. We have about 5 years, according to prevalent scientific opinion. Join us. Help.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
