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OPTIMISM
I recently spoke to some friends about the climate situation and how serious it is. I felt afterwards that I was losing my optimism, my belief that we will take useful action about the future of our world. They feel, as I imagine millions of people feel, that no matter how much you care (and my friends do) it is impossible for one person to make a difference.
I tell myself on a daily basis that we can transform our lives into something that works much better. If we have millions of individuals all making a change in their lives, and millions of people talking about the situation, and millions of people telling their politicians “This is not good enough” then we can.
There are many, many reasons for optimism. Wonderful new technological advances, companies being set up that have centred their business model on the environment, individuals making big changes in their lives and lots of progress on the campaigning front.
ACTION
For example:-
- The French government has recently been taken to court by activists and the court has ruled that the government must repair the ecological damage caused by lack of action on their part. (i.e. they must reduce their emissions).
- Germany has been ordered by their top court to update their climate law.
- The Netherlands has been told that they must reduce their emissions faster than was planned.
- The EU is drafting legislation to combat global deforestation.
- China will no longer fund new coal-fired power stations outside China.
- There is a pledge by the US and the EU to reduce the production of methane (a potent greenhouse gas) by 30% by 2030.
- Even Saudi Arabia has said they will be at net zero by 2060 (this is very late but it seems amazing that they have said it at all).
More Actions
Many individual companies and NGOs are taking very significant actions:
- WWF are working to protect and restore degraded forests.
- They are helping people use more sustainable practices to protect established woodlands.
- In the oceans they are sowing massive amounts of seagrass to absorb CO2 ( seagrass absorbs more than tropical rainforest).
- Exxon Mobile (one of the largest oil companies in the world) now has a third environmentalist on its Board.
- Many big companies have set emission reduction targets for themselves.
- A large number of companies are working on energy efficiency, saving money for themselves and reducing emissions for the planet.
- Renewable energy is becoming cheaper every year.
- The leading countries for installing renewable energy in 2020 were China, the US and (perhaps surprisingly) Brazil.
In other words, we are starting to move in the right direction. Ordinary people are beginning to talk about Climate Change, about buying electric cars, getting rid of their gas boilers, insulating their house, eating less meat and many more things. The change is still too slow, and it feels as if governments and oil companies take two steps back for our one forward. But I believe that even governments are beginning to get the message.
So there are very many reasons for optimism. What we need more than anything now is Political Will.
For me, that is where we come in. According to WWF “We won’t save the planet through protests and campaigning alone“ (although that is important).
What we need is people power. We need to influence governments to make meaningful change happen. So it is vital we act!
Please write to your government representatives NOW, before COP 26. Tell them we want them to act meaningfully to create a better world for us all.
Thank you.
Links
Here is an article on a new activist member on the Board of Exxon Mobile.
And this site shows something else you can do to help the planet. It is a science-based platform to encourage diets that are good for people and the planet.
Photographs copyright Doreen Hosking