My writings - and those of others.
Please feel free .. .
Coming back from an appointment I stopped to look at a paper surrounded by sticky tape and left on the sidewalk. It said, “Please feel free to take it”. My guess is that it was originally posted to something left on the street. It’s not uncommon for folks to leave something near the sidewalk that they don’t want any more. If someone else can use it, that’s a good thing.
But the slogan made me think of how we treat the natural environment. Earlier in the morning I was reading Marilynne Robinson’ new book, Reading Genesis, where she points out that unlike the Babylonian culture that existed when the book was written, that creation was a gift, and that the gift was also supported by promises of continuity, even when the recipients behaved badly. We appear to be slow learners. We still feel free to help ourselves.
Communication
I’ve been impressed for some time by Climate Outreach in the UK. Their small team studies effective ways to deal with the climate crisis - and a couple of my own recent presentations show how other writers use ones that provide hope. Here are some of the key findings from their 2024 report on how Britain Talks Climate. Read the full report.
They found that no demographic or segment of the general population opposes climate change as a reality that requires action.
People believe climate change is the job of government - without necessarily feeling that their current government is doing enough.
They want to work with others in tackling it - not just on an individual basis.
How we talk about it matters:
Don’t assume that others don’t think it matters. They do. They will differ on the process, but they do care.
Don’t make people more worried. They are already anxious enough.
Talk about the progress that is already underway and its benefits.
Make the connections - a healthy planet, a resilient nature, our own well being.
Recognize that for many change is scary and times are hard.
Things to avoid
That climate change is all about more hardship and sacrifice.
Drastic approaches that are against common sense
Pitting different aspects of nature and climate change against each other.
The also have good ideas about images and what ones work like the one used here.
Influence
This past Monday I participated in a conversation with a friend over a summary of Thomas Homer-Dixon’s thoughtful book, Commanding Hope. It was a good way to celebrate Earth Day and it was pleasing to hear that several participants were involved in local initiatives. We talked about the challenges of where to enter the climate conversation without becoming completely discouraged about the lack of inaction.
So it was worthwhile to stop by my local independent book store - it is their day tomorrow on April 27th by the way - and I try to patronize them when I can. It was good to find a book by Toronto’s former mayor, David Miller, who moved on to work with several major cities in the world and tell a positive story of what cities are doing. He reminds me of what a former colleague used to say about the arts. It’s important to act locally where the action is.
After all, these things are the local government responsibilities: planning and development, clean water, parks and recreation, housing, public transit and public health - and more. They affect our lives directly every single day. Miller also looks at how city concerns and responsibilities connect with the major environmental issues; official plans, energy and electricity, existing buildings and new ones, and management of waste. Miller provides lots of evidence of how cities worldwide are dealing with these matters in a positive way. Since these are places that most people in the world live, they matter. The book is called Solved and an earlier edition has just been reissued. It’s a worthwhile read.
I know my local city councilor through his excellent monthly newsletter and I have met him in person. He has my support. A friend remarked that another one never answers calls or responds to questions. There is a solution to that one. VOTE!
Recycling?
Living in a big building and looking out on five huge bins for pick on the street below, I’m well aware of how much stuff I and my fellow apartment dwellers are throwing out in god faith that it matters. Yale Climate Connections recently exposed a few myths:
Just putting stuff in the recyling bin - even when following local guidelines - does not guarantee that recycling happens. Much of it still ends up in the garbage. To make it worse, the triangular symbol for recycling isn’t trademarked and anyone can use it.
Recycling is not the best thing we can do. Three things that would be better are: not driving a car, not flying somewhere, and not eating red meat. It also wouldn’t hurt to vote for the party that cares the most about the environment. The last one here probably hurts the least and matters the most.
Reduce, re-using and recycling are not equally beneficial. The first two are much more valuable.
Not everyone can recycle - and some have bigger priorities - for example indigenous communities trying to keep oil rigs or coal plants off their land
Education is weak about the impacts. There is very different experiences for those who have to live near land fill sites. We all need to be educated re greenwashing and call it when it happens.
Promises?
I’ve been away from writing here for some time since I am working on other projects. Nevertheless I feel compelled to share some things to watch at the coming COP28 Climate summit from an article in the Guardian. the Cop28 president, Sultan Al Jaber, is the CEO of the UAE’s state oil company, Adnoc. He contends that only someone in the fossil fuel industry can call the others to account.
He is also head of a renewables company. But here are some of the problems:
Adnoc has a terrible record in reducing emissions. They have huge expansion plans.
The United Arab Emirates also fail to report methane emissions for almost a decade.
The industries spend their profits on new exploration. It is clear that new resources become much more challenging to find - and getting them out of the ground costs energy in the process. That means our costs will rise to help them stay in business.
Renewables can’t come fast enough to save us, if they don’t change to renewables themselves.
So we can watch this rather bizarre scenario and see what happens!