Climate challenge intensifies

Blog 13 – Climate Challenge & Communities 05.1.10 by Paul Lund

We know that ‘unprecedented’ weather disasters are causing human suffering, economic loss and deaths around the world and what affects people also affects wildlife. Climatologists believe climate change is now indisputable and that carbon dioxide (C02) levels must be reduced or the situation will get worse. Furthermore, we could arrive at a ‘tipping point’ over climate change when changing conditions will become unstoppable, giving rise to serious disasters to life on Earth.
After all the debate at the Copenhagen Summit, the economic argument for mitigation measures to slow or stop climate change caused by our carbon emissions is well rehearsed. Put simply paying billions of dollars now for nations to stop polluting, to invest in new clean technology or for people to not cut down rainforests makes more economic sense than if the rich countries have to compensate for the damage that will eventually be caused.
The Stern Report (Lord Nicholas Stern), commissioned by the government, identified the economic cost of unmitigated climate change to be greater than any depression or world wars. It could take 20 percent or more of global gross domestic product. It could eventually lead to the collapse of world trade in the final throws of society breaking down, as other climate change effects are compounded. The bigger the polluter is, like a big bank, the more their failure to come clean and change their ways is not an option when the stakes are so high.
It seems a mad situation to be in, and I wonder how far it will go the other way? Will this policy end up paying holiday makers not to fly, or parents offered sums of money to walk rather than drive their children to school. Probably not, but seriously much more will have to be done at the local level to meet the carbon reduction targets the government has set. If people don’t believe they have to, or can’t afford to change, then we might not achieve what is necessary.
The start of this new decade will focus minds on what to do next at international and national level with climate change agreements, targets, and how communities at local level can continue to make a difference.
Community side of climate change
Large industries in the UK have their subsidies from government to ‘transition’ to a low carbon economy, but what we don’t have yet is a substantial ‘community fund’ to reward towns and villages that have formed green groups and are making significant changes to their overall carbon footprints. As with nations, transparency on quantifying how much C02 reduction has been achieved will be an issue, but communities who achieve reductions at all levels should benefit.
Part of why I think this would be a good idea is because government has so far left the voluntary sector to largely take up local green campaigning and with it the challenge of changing people’s minds towards living sustainably. This is being done with very little support financially or organisationally from the public sector toward the thousands of small groups now active. Although many work with little or no monetary support, this community role requires knowledge and understanding of the social as well as climate changes taking place; the groups are encouraging positive action and many would benefit with funding that is not dependant on time consuming form filling.
Campaigners started Transition Towns, others formed Sustainability or Go Green groups and some of these groups have been active now for several years. Their members report finding the ‘job’ is harder to do and part of the reason for this is that more people seem unwilling to accept or engage with what is happening to our world and more volunteers are dropping out because of fatigue or simply wanting less pressure and stressful things to spend their un-paid time doing.
In some areas there has been demand for self-help guidance and de-stressing sessions. In Glastonbury meetings among Transition activists have started with meditation and guided visualisation techniques to help people cope with their emotions and anxieties in dealing with the issues and problems.
The Energy Saving Trust recognises this and has set up some support for community groups. Their free Green Communities membership provides a range of services including newsletters, training, networking and help with funding. Green Community Heroes is their award which recognised four groups and one individual, nationally. The Wiltshire village of Urchfont was one of the lucky winners of the award last year.
· A tip, if you are feeling the campaign pressure of working on climate change issues then step back, if you can, and become a mentor to others. Experienced green / environmental community workers are valuable assets in every county and many new groups would benefit from your advice, and helping others could be a way to help yourself.
People who support and work for environmental ‘good causes’ do so not for the recognition but for the ethical and scientific principles involved, but it is none-the-less an achievement to be honoured or have their work validated. More might be done by the communities, government – even the royal family – to popularise the efforts being made by individuals and groups.
My own view is that each county could add a best green village and town award going forward to regional and national level awards, especially if the award brings significant investment to go further – encouraging every other village and town to try to win.

Setting the green example

Government’s support for the environment is seen by activists as having double standards as airport expansion is approved, investment or support for nuclear power is put before renewable, and there is a lack of positive greening in much of the legislation.
If communities are going to be fully engaged in tackling the causes of climate change then all the voluntary green groups must be fully supported and be ‘resource-enabled’ to make real differences. This could mean all the groups participating in planning changes would contribute to targets and local strategies. ‘Military-like’ efficiency would be necessary if hundreds of more groups are to be involved in return for the rewards.
In Somerset, Callie Gauntlett, a volunteer with the campaigning group Milverton Climate Challenge, says more should be done: “I think everyone should have smart meters to measure what electric appliances are costing and the power they are using; all homes should make some electricity from solar PV and we would like to see local bus transport turn electric.”
At South Somerset Climate Action group, Joe Burlington says we should be taking action on all possible fronts to safeguard our future: “Councils should be doing more to help, especially over what can be done with energy saving and adaptation in older, more difficult, dwellings under the planning regulations.” He also wants to see all useless floodlighting of buildings stopped as an immediate energy saving measure and many workshops and teaching events held to show people how to use or make renewable energy installations.
The Pilton Go Green Group’s chairman is Reverend David Osborne, who also chairs the Bath and Wells Diocesan Environment Group. He says, “people’s awareness of green issues has grown and therefore the situation is changing as everyone becomes more informed; Pilton Go Green Group feels it is important to respond to this changing situation and as an election is coming we have invited politicians to a ‘green question time’ public meeting on 24th February, 7.30pm at the Village Hall.” David adds that they are fortunate as a village group in Pilton to not need much funding and have found support from the district council and Glastonbury Festivals with the cost of small projects.
As far as local practical schemes go, Paula Jordan, a member of Pilton Go Green Group says “We would like to grow more food on our allotment and set up a cooperative type of trade among villagers; I also think more people could be encouraged to have solar PV panels on their homes if they were cheaper, perhaps through a discounted multiple order.”
All these groups differ in what they want to do and the needs they have. They find various ways to take action, but I think as more communities join in there will need to be extended measures to reward and value such grass roots mobilisation. If this is not forthcoming, then much more support and organisational involvement (like it or not?) will need to come from local government to meet the 2020 targets. Councils so far have seen community based climate change issues as budget dependent and if legislation does not tell councils to act then staffing and green community support will be discretionary.
Staying positive
The situation is not helped by wavering general doubts and some vocal opponents in some communities. Even some members of parliament seem completely out of touch with the science and economics concerning climate change. Others find it hard to understand how with global warming we can still have snow storms in Europe’s winter months. The number of individuals airing their unscientific arguments is small against the majority of people who believe we must do something. However, space is easy to grab in the press and media because editors, especially on radio programmes, like to ‘balance the argument’ – “do you or don’t you believe in climate change and man’s part in it” – but this does lead to a feeling the country is divided down the middle, when the one in 10 callers who don’t believe go head to head with one of nine who does.
Until the scientific world makes enough quantifiable evidence available then this will continue, much as it must have done when the flat Earth proponents argued against those who said the world was definitely round. At some point it must have seemed pointless to argue any longer, unless you are a conspiracy theorist who likes a good game.
Community green groups do a great deal to help and educate their local populations and most of them do so without any pay for what they do and little in terms of income to support their costs.

It would be a great help if a green ‘Secret Millionaire’ paid a visit to our communities and gave them some help towards the many projects that could be started.

· Joe Burlington in South Somerset said they need a paid administrator to help with their group’s work and Callie Gauntlett in Milverton said if their group had enough money they would spend it on a shared fundraiser working for all the Somerset green groups.

For more information about Green Community Heroes, and how the Energy Saving Trust can help, you can sign up for free support by calling 08448 480077, or log on to energysavingtrust.org.uk/community

Paul Lund