After being gone for a week, I’m slowly getting caught up on my Google Reader feeds. I read these articles in the order listed and went from depression of the state of the world to being impressed with eloquent writing about the problems facing us to being absolutely incredibly inspired by one person. If you read anything of this post, read about the 3rd article – then sign up.
Climate change: melting ice will trigger wave of natural disasters
by Robin McKie, The Observer, 6 Sept 2009
I actually rarely read these articles – I have enough tendency toward overwhelm and depression without feeling like the earth is coming to an end. This one was no different, but for some reason it sucked me in. It’s poignant and scary, but worth reading.
I keep thinking… at some level has there always been this sensation that the world will come to an end? Is this part of our human existence - a repeated message that our reptilian brain won’t stop sending?
My entire childhood was overshadowed by the possibility of the planet being annihilated by nuclear war. Then there was that strange fear over the millenium…water supplies being cut off because of computer malfunctions, no access to money because entire banking systems would melt down. Oh yeah, the banking system did melt down – but that was 7 years later.
How is our thinking about the environment different to the fear based worries of the past? How is it similar? How can we move beyond the fear and act in environmentally sustainable ways?
My battle to cut carbon: a baffling, frustrating path to a more honest life
by Madeleine Bunting, guardian.co.uk, 6 Sept 2009
This incredibly well-written article gets at the heart of the confusion about trying to go green, as well as the rewards. Since paraphrasing wouldn’t do it justice, here are some excerpts:
“The truth is that reducing household carbon (by far my biggest source of carbon) is complicated and confusing. Even trying to establish your carbon footprint produces wildly varying estimates (our house produces either 12 or 22 tonnes of carbon a year, depending on the modelling used)….Nor is it cheap. This is the horrifying bit. Our small budget was pathetically inadequate….But the bottom line is that more affluent households have a far bigger carbon footprint and at least some resources to cut it, so they should get on with it….”
“There is going to be a sharp learning curve as the ignorance which saw us cheerfully spew carbon is shifted….The funny thing is that this learning curve generates unexpected consequences. It becomes energising along the lines of “if I can do X then perhaps I could do Y”. It generates a renewed sense of agency, even a measure of hopefulness. And you begin to appreciate how we have been trapped in a debilitating apathy intimidated by the scale of the problem. Our lives are built on a web of denial about the impact our behaviours have on our environment. When you start to dismantle this, you are stumbling towards authenticity: a reconnection with the basic resources, such as fossil fuels and water, on which our wellbeing depends. Try it and see.”
“…So the myriad of tiny daily routines which need to change – such as turning taps off while you brush your teeth – are not pointless but about reconnection and awareness of what sustains your life. It is about living intelligently…”
10:10 – our chance to save the world
by Franny Armstrong, guardian.co.uk, 1 Sept 2009
Franny Armstrong is so amazing. The creator and director of the movie Age of Stupid, she has started a new campaign called 10:10. In the approach to the UN climate summit in December, the idea is for the people of Britain to start taking action and show the political leadership that we’re not waiting for other countries (like, um, the United States) to set the agenda. She writes:
“The best deal currently on the table is that of the EU, which calls for 30% reduction by 2020 (compared to 1990 levels). If this deal were to be accepted (which is a very big if, given that Japan argues for 8%, Australia for 5% and America for between 0%-6%) and if the emission cuts were then carried out (which is an even bigger if), this would give us about a 50/50 chance of not hitting the dreaded two degrees.”
….”I was born in the early 70s as part of the MTV generation who were told by a million adverts that the point of our existence was to shop more. Daunting though the task ahead may be, I feel enormously inspired and quite relieved that it turns out that we have something important to do. The people who came before us didn’t know about climate change and the ones who come after will be powerless to stop it. So it’s down to us. Other generations came together to overturn slavery or end apartheid or win the vote for women. There is nothing intrinsically more useless about our generation and there is no doubt about what we have to do. The only question which remains is whether or not we give it a go.”
The site has a UK focus, but I can’t imagine this won’t go international. Show your support and get tips by signing up at 10:10. I did.
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