London
Active Hope
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London and one of my very favourite people, has called on Andy Burnham, the new British Prime Minister, to commit to climate action. This is over fears that the new PM may allow a start to drilling in two oilfields in the North Sea.
The mayor knows what he is talking about. He is the co-chair of the C40 Cities, an organisation of nearly 100 cities worldwide. “C40 is a network of nearly 100 cities working to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis.” Some of the stories of the changes they have made are amazing. To me not only do they show examples of clear thinking, but they are also stories of Active Hope and courage. You can see some of the stories here.
Active Hope requires doing
Active Hope, as described by the late Joanna Macy in her book of that name, according to https://www.activehope.info/ is “the idea that Active Hope is something we do rather than have. It involves being clear what we hope for, and then playing our role in the process of moving that way.”
Why won’t we change?
This blog is based on the clear fact that people seem unwilling to take action on changing the climate situation. The problem of Climate Change belongs to everyone. In particular it belongs to those of us living in developed countries. We are more responsible for the problem in the first place. We seem to have umpteen excuses as to why we won’t change our lifestyles, and scientists are tearing their hair out over this.
The recent wildfires worldwide are an excellent demonstration of what we can expect if we don’t change our habits. Personally I dislike sitting indoors in the summer, quietly boiling and watching my dog suffer hugely from the heat. But I am one of the very lucky ones. I am not dead, My house has not burnt down. I have not even been evacuated from my house. OK so I can’t water my garden and it is quietly dying but still …
Just think of what the future will be like for our children if we don’t act!
But we are already making a difference! We know we can. We just need to move a lot faster and that needs YOU to participate in the process.
Paris and its New Cycle Lanes
Paris now has over 1000 kilometres of cycle lanes. These lanes have now become part of a lower-energy transport system which has been received very enthusiastically by inhabitants of the city. Paris has had politicians like Anne Hidalgo, the mayor who recognized the need for change. They have perhaps been lucky, although certainly the car drivers have not seen the benefits of that!
Each of us individually can write to our politicians to ask for change. One or two of us won’t make any difference but if thousands of us do it, and keep doing it, they will listen.
Inspired by far-seeing politicians and advocacy groups in the city, Paris is doing wonderful things. Bike Tips says “the infrastructure created goes beyond paint on pavement. Paris has invested in smart traffic signals designed specifically for cyclists, with sensors that detect approaching bikes and extend green phases during peak cycling hours. Secure bike parking has been expanded at Metro stations, creating genuine multimodal transit options for commuters who combine cycling with public transport for longer journeys.”
OK so Anne Hidalgo was a far-seeing mayor of a C40 city, but like all mayors of these cities they were both pushed and pulled by their electorate to make changes.
Other positive news from the Good Press shows that “Paris Air Pollution drops 55% after two decades of replacing roads with bike lanes and Trees”.
We Can Make a Difference!
Another C40 city, Cape Town, is making a difference in other areas. They are working on water stress which is a problem due to a growing population and Climate Change. This article from the C40 Cities shows differences we can make. They say, “Particularly vital and socially inclusive elements include offering free plumbing repairs for low-income households and training ‘community plumbers’. More than 4,000 households have been visited for leak detections and repairs, and 258 km of water pipes have been replaced in order to reduce pipe bursts and water leaks. So far, the program has been a success, as water demand has grown at an average of 1.78% compared to an average growth of more than 4% before implementation. This is despite population growth of more than 30% between 2001 and 2011.”
I love this. It shows me that if we push our governments and keep pushing then human ingenuity can come up with wonderful solutions.
Social Tipping Points
These are points in time when a group rapidly and dramatically changes its behaviour. Examples of those include the French Revolution, the Fall of the Berlin Wall and, more recently, the adoption of renewable energy. AI defines it as: a critical threshold where small changes of behaviour or ideas rapidly cascade into widespread societal shifts, transforming norms and systems irreversibly. Apparently about 25% of a population needs to change before a tipping point occurs. You could contribute to this.
This is what we need and what you can do. Start making a difference:
- go on holiday by train rather than flying
- find a farmer who practices regenerative farming and buy from him
- start using less water
- put in solar panels
- buy an electric car
- there are many more things you can do
Above all, talk about it with friends and family. Be up-front about why you are doing it and about how concerned about the future you are.
Don’t Let People Laugh at You
There are still people out there who think the whole subject is an invention! People who for various reasons don’t want the system to change and folks who are too afraid, too pre-occupied with life’s problems or feel too small to make a difference. Don’t let them laugh at you. Don’t let them spoil your future or that of coming generations. Each of us can make a difference. We just need to get out there and do it. We can all do something. The time has never been more critical.
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Photos by Matthew Pierce, Kyle Petzer and Denis Agati on Unsplash