Climate Change: “What Can I Do?!” Here’s some ideas…
….as you’ve probably worked out if you’re my FB friend, I’m pretty pumped on this climate change thing, lots of people ask me ‘What can I do?” Here’s a list that I put together for Dave’s company ‘Digital Eskimo’ to answer that…
“We are not powerless. Our generation is the first with the knowledge, skills and technology to prevent catastrophic climate change - but the last that can do so. It is up to us to decide if we have a future or not. The best deal even being considered right now would give us (only) a 50% chance of avoiding runaway climate change.”
…in other words: if someone asked you to get on a plane and said you had a 50/50 chance of crashing and dying - would you get on it? That is the best deal on offer at Copenhagen: the ‘best’.
(from www.notstupid.org)
WHAT TO DO?
With Copenhagen on the horizon, it is imperative that we GET POLITICAL - now. This tool from ACF is the best we know of for explaining exactly how to find your local MP, how to book a meeting, what to prepare to say, how to get past nerves and what to do afterwards. If you do nothing else, please do this ASAP.
http://www.acfonline.org.au/default.asp?section_id=270
If you have more time and inclination, sign up with Greenpeace to hear about protests and direct actions you can take part in to make your voice heard.
http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/take-action/
Join the 350.org mailing list and attend their events: they hosted the recent first International Day of Climate Action last Saturday 24th Oct. It’s an umbrella organisation that mobilises environmental groups all over the world. 350 is the ‘safe’ amount of parts per million of carbon in the atmosphere that will avoid catastrophic climate change. Check out their video of last Saturday’s events for some inspiration.
www.350.org
To make personal changes, there are many guides, but one of the best is the 10:10 campaign which aims to reduce personal emissions by 10%, by the end of 2010: a very achievable target for everyone. There’s a ‘how-to chart’ you can print and put on the fridge to document your progress. It is UK-centric at the moment, but they are looking to launch globally. This campaign is an initiative of ‘Not Stupid’ - which is the campaign site for the film ‘The Age of Stupid’. If you have more time, there’s a lot of good reading there too.
http://www.1010uk.org/
http://www.notstupid.org/
Get in the loop! Understand what is going on at Copenhagen and track its progress; Independent news site New Matilda has started a great series ‘Copenhagen for Dummies’ - a series of 6, free online articles that will explain the nitty gritty.
http://newmatilda.com/2009/10/28/countdown-to-copenhagen
Spread the word! Host your own indie movie screening of ‘The Age of Stupid’- it was REALLY easy and REALLY cheap when we did it. A ‘screening’ can be as small as 3 people in your lounge-room.
http://www.indiescreenings.net/
More (much more) about the film, if you’re interested, including the scientific facts behind the scenarios.
http://www.ageofstupid.net/
Keep us in the loop! We at Digital Eskimo would love to attend your events, help you publicise them, etc. Check out our site to hear more about us, join our Facebook, Twitter and blogs to keep up with our crazy plans. And if you have things you’re trying out yourself, be sure to check out our new not-for-profit baby ‘live local’, which is all about strengthening communities to enable resilience to climate change and peak oil.
www.digitaleskimo.net
www.livelocal.org.au
