Climate
change can often seem morbid and unrealistic, only the stuff of Hollywood
disaster movies. But rising temperatures and oceans, extreme weather
events, the desolation of wildlife and eco systems, are all things
that should be taken seriously as long term human impact on the
planet. These are things that are laughed at and dismissed by
deniers and politicians of the right, but people who deny that
climate change is not happening at all are decades behind in the
debate. It is happening. It is an insidious process that, although
cannot be felt directly for most of us now, poses long term
consequences for our planet. A
vast and meticulous branch of research exists on climate science
and it all points to the same conclusion: the planet is warming. The
debates that exist now are whether this is a natural occurrence
potentially caused by the sun; and, more importantly, what needs to
be done about it.
But while climate
change is a complicated and contested subject (even at times morbid),
the idea of environmental sustainability is very simple
and very sensible.
The planet we live on
has a limited number of natural resources (coal, oil, gas, trees,
fertile ground, rivers and lakes etc) for a finite number of people.
It’s difficult to moderate our use of resources without drastically
changing the way we live in the twenty first century. What we need
to do is come up with new sources of energy, new farming techniques,
and new ways of living to gradually wean ourselves off of unrenewable
resources. This is a task for every human being and it will take
creativity, innovation and experimentation to get there.
Renewable energy
(usually in the form of solar panels, wind turbines and hydro power)
has proved to be an effective way to produce power without
diminishing natural resources or producing greenhouse gases.
Renewable energy works if governments facilitate it. The UK is a
world leader in this field and last year in Scotland
nearly half of our electricity came from renewable sources, up
from 20% in 2007. This has to continue. Renewable energy isn’t
just to cut down greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s an investment
in securing the energy for our future – coal, oil, gas will all run
out eventually, how prepared are we for when it does?
Governments have an
important role to play when it comes to creating a sustainable world
to live in. But do you ever notice how world leaders often assemble,
usually in the outer regions of rich countries, pose for a group
photo, and claim to be engaged in ‘climate talks’? Government
responses to environmental issues have been ceremonial: they make up
targets around a dinner table that they know will never be met and
call it a job well done; news headlines create the illusion of action
and we sink further into complacency. Governments (those we elected
to find solutions to these problems) are failing - what did you
expect? There will always be a more important issue than
environmental concern: when did a solid green policy ever win an
election – when, even, was a truly meaningful green policy ever in
a manifesto?
But maybe governments
don’t have the answers. The world we live in belongs to the people
and perhaps we are the ones to save it – part of the problem and so
part of the solution. It seems apt that tackling climate change and
creating a world that is sustainable should be a grass roots
movement, as the Pope acknowledged: “while the existing world order
proves powerless to assume its responsibilities, local individuals
and groups can make a real difference.” People can do small things
that collectively will make a big
difference: recycling, encouraging wildlife in gardens, not
wasting food or energy, finding greener ways to travel – it’s a
happy coincidence that being greener often saves money.
The Pope has done well
to highlight our precarious environment by putting it on the agenda
with such a powerful message. People who fight for the natural world
are not tree hugging lefties, or herbal-tea-drinking-vegan-hipsters.
They're just concerned. Concerned about the kind of world that we
will be handing down to our children. The environment and its
wildlife don't have voices of their own, they cannot defend
themselves against human consumption and destruction. It is up to
us, as the dominant life form on this planet, to take responsibility
for our home; and when we do we will see the benefits because “Nature
never did betray the heart that loved her” (William Wordsworth).
