Resolve to act on climate change
Published Monday November 2nd, 2009
Nearly eighty years ago, a diminutive old man set out from Ahmedabad, India on a 380-kilometre march to the sea. His aim was to draw attention to an unfair tax levied by the British authorities of the day. Thousands of Indians were inspired and walked with him.
The man was Mohandas Gandhi. His 1930 Salt March proved to be a turning point in India's struggle for independence, and revealed the incredible power of peaceful citizen activism.
"We must be the change we wish to see in the world," he said.
The need for citizen activism has not diminished since Gandhi popularized it through his words and actions. If anything, the need has grown. That's especially true in the area of climate change action, where two troubling trends are converging.
It's not cooling
The first is what's happening in our global environment, as climate change continues its frightening march.
Globally, September 2009 was the second hottest September on record. The polar ice cap over the Arctic Ocean continues to be a concern; only twice has it been smaller than it was in September, and the remaining ice is thinner than usual. World ocean temperatures for the summer of 2009 were the highest on record (that's especially significant when you consider how much heat it takes to warm an ocean). In short, changes are happening faster than scientists have been predicting.
A disconnected public
But just when meaningful action on climate change is needed more than ever, many citizens are sitting on their hands, disillusioned by their inability to affect outcomes that appear to have already been decided without their input.
Worst of all, young people - those who will be most affected by a fouled environment - seem particularly disengaged from a democratic system that appears insensitive to their goals and indifferent to their timelines. The recent upswing in campaign attack ads surely hasn't helped, serving only to reinforce reasons not to vote.
Be the change
Decades ago, Gandhi demonstrated that ordinary citizens acting peacefully can generate tremendous change. Today, more than ever, we have all the tools we need to be the change we wish to see in the world. Today, as deceitful denial messages continue to sow confusion with the aim of softening our resolve, more than ever, the world needs us to act.
If you are ready to be the change on climate change, here are ways to begin:
* Contact your elected representatives at all levels and tell them exactly how you feel. Signed letters are better than emails, and letters to federal MPs - important folks to reach on this issue - don't even need a stamp. You can find your MP's full contact information at www.parl.gc.ca. Follow up with phone calls. Refuse to be silent, and refuse to be afraid. (Email me if you need a draft letter.)
* Use the internet to bring out your inner activist. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking sites can be tremendous resources for linking up, exchanging ideas and launching initiatives. (A Fredericton restaurant recently learned that the hard way: it found itself in an unwelcome spotlight when a disgruntled patron started a Facebook group that snowballed; the issue was fixed in two days.) You can join existing campaigns at 350.org, TckTckTck.org and Avaaz.org, or you can start your own action at sites such as GoPetition.com or ThePetitionSite.com. Dismissed by some as feel-good "slacktivism," on-line activism is still far better than doing nothing.
* To participate in more direct action, consider contacting organizations such as the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, the Sierra Club of Canada or Greenpeace, all easily found on the Internet. Greenpeace, well known for its ability to generate awareness and media attention, is running a Climate Action Camp in Halifax Nov. 20-22.
Action is what really matters
In the run up to next month's critical international climate negotiations in Copenhagen, citizen activism is more important than ever - our leaders need to hear from us.
Inspired by Gandhi and with commitment, creativity and perseverance, we - any of us - can be the change we wish to see in the world.
Carl Duivenvoorden www.changeyourcorner.com is a speaker, writer and green consultant living in Upper Kingsclear. His column runs every other Monday.
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You can't fool all the people all the time, Carl. We're on to you and your type.
Time to pack up your thermometer and go home.
B W., Quispamsis are you for real?
Where have you been for the past decade. Anyone who denies the reality of climate change and the devistating effect its having on the global ecology has their heae in the sand. We're on to you? what exactly is that supposed to mean.
I get it, global warming is a conspiracy theory. And that's why rivers all over the world are drying up, oceans are rising, droughts are harsher and there's more storms.