There is depressing inertia to see beyond the short and medium-term when it comes to talking about climate change and global warming. Yet the problems are clear and present. The greatest sadness is that the vulnerable most affected by climate change have done least to contribute towards global warming.
At the end of last year, I went to an inspiring talk by the former President of Ireland and UN Secretary for Human Rights and also Climate, Mary Robinson. Her key points are that we all have a voice and should use it, especially the young (she talked of being in the class of 1968 at Harvard Law School and she was impressed how the young were making a difference – very different from the acceptance of the status quo that was her childhood in Ireland) and the importance of women as being part of the solution.
Climate change is a man-made problem that needs a female solution. Of the eleven stories in her recently published book, Climate Justice, nine of them are about women.
In short, we need a 45% reduction in our emissions by 2030 – that is what is needed to stop global temperatures rising by more than 1.5 C – 1.5 to stay alive. There is a reason to be alarmed but not to paralyse us with fear but to inspire global action. Future should be inspiring – need a change in narrative.
So what can you do:
- Eat less meat
- Tell your pension fund not to invest in oil and gas stocks or coal
- Buy renewable energy
- Look at ‘Drawn Down’
- Canvas your local MP to talk about climate justice
- Join the ‘One million women movement’
- Listen to the ‘Mothers of Invention’ podcast
- Read Mary Robinson’s ‘Climate Justice’