Government action is not enough

The limited progress UK government action has made tackling climate change has focused on a few large companies in a few industries where policy backed by financial incentives has reduced carbon. In energy, this has led to a successful wind industry and, for a while, rapid solar panel roll out. But this action on climate change from the government is not enough.

This is typical government behaviour

Pick on a few identifiable players to look like something’s happening to the voter. Meanwhile, as it becomes apparent that progress is too slow, the expert scientists continue to raise the CO2 saving targets as the clock ticks towards climate Armageddon (the point at which rising temperatures can’t be reversed).

It’s a bit like the football manager, when 4-0 down after 80 minutes, being told by the club directors, “now score 5 goals without conceding to win”. While mathematically true, should the fans expect it to happen? I suggest UK avoids getting into this situation well before the last 10 minutes are played.

This simplistic government response is not only insufficient in scale but is counterproductive, because it encourages the public to believe that only government and some industries need to act, while the rest of us carry on life as before.  

In fact, every single one of us needs to act if we are to stop global warming.

If we wait for top down initiatives from Govt. and councils to solve this emergency, we’ll still be waiting when our shoes start to fill from the rising water as the polar ice caps melt.

It’s time for us all to act

It’s time for we ordinary folk to act in order to meet the required carbon reduction targets.  We need a bottom up movement of mass citizen action. The good news is that it’s not hard to do.  

You do not need to be an expert or have pots of money or even live like a hermit.

In fact, the very opposite.  

We believe that it’ll be most effective and fun by instigating community centred action, sharing resources, gaining inspiration and ticking off lots of achievements along the journey.

But what is the journey?  

Where does it start, what path does it take and where does it end?

We will explore the answers to these questions in future blog posts.

For now, let’s remind ourselves that every journey starts with a single step. One thing you can do right now is find out about the power of taking collective action with Don’t Do A Dodo.

Group action is very effective. Next time, I’ll be examining exactly what it is about group dynamics that makes them so effective, as well as desperately needed.

Next article: Groups Rock!

Charles