by Robert McLean
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| We are quickly making earth uninhabitable for humans - let's see if see can slow, or change this in 2013. |
Shepparton’s near ideal weather on New Year’s Eve – 27 degrees
and a light southerly breeze – virtually extinguishes, in the minds of many, the
idea that the earth is warming bringing decidedly unsettled weather.
Subsequently those of us who accept the science and so are conscious of the evolving weather difficulties and who gather each month Beneath the Wisteria to consider individual and society’s response face a 2013 loaded with challenges.
The record will show that I have said that bad things happen quickly and good things, by comparison, occur rather slowly.
Climate change doubters look at that and argue that climate change must be a good thing as it happening slowly.
Sadly, they misunderstand realities – human-induced climate change has evolved in the past 200 years; a long time on the human scale, but like a flash of lightning on a geological time scale and on an earth that is some 13 billion years old.
Considering the broad misunderstanding about the difference between weather and climate, next year and within that just how quickly our climate is changing, each of has a significant responsibility to do what we can to help those around us better understand the seriousness of what faces us.
Many people are conscious that we have damaged our climate and although eager to do something seem to be at a loss as to what should do or how they should behave.
We are being constantly subjected to “greenwash” (endless PR from many firms and corporations that their behaviour is ecologically friendly) and that the idea of simply changing a few light globes or re-cycling our rubbish will be more than enough right the earth-wide imbalances we are experiencing.
The greenwash is delusionary, as is the idea that a few different light globes and some re-cycling will end climate change.
It is the energy intensive lifestyle, particularly of the developed world, that is essence of the difficulty and any attempt to mitigate, change or slow climate change demands we re-examine how we live.
The answer, a least to me, is obvious, but the necessary changes to our lifestyles are so dramatic and unpalatable that few appear even prepared to think about them and beyond that discuss what is needed.
Briefly we need to dethrone the economy and turn our attention to the creation of resilient communities and relinquish consumerism as a way of life to invest our time and effort into our neighbourhoods rather invest our money buying stuff we don’t need to impress people we don’t know.
A small committee spun off Beneath the Wisteria is busy working on a program to bring three or four high profile speakers to Shepparton to talk about climate change, not to convince people it is happening rather, to help them understand what it is they can do, both personally and in a community sense, to help alleviate what has been described as “the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced”. The working group meets again early in January.
So, standing on the cusp of 2013, I urge you to re-commit yourself to helping those around you understand more about the difficulties associated with climate change.
That said, we next gather Beneath the Wisteria in Shepparton’s Maude St Mall on Saturday, February 2, at 11:30am.
Subsequently those of us who accept the science and so are conscious of the evolving weather difficulties and who gather each month Beneath the Wisteria to consider individual and society’s response face a 2013 loaded with challenges.
The record will show that I have said that bad things happen quickly and good things, by comparison, occur rather slowly.
Climate change doubters look at that and argue that climate change must be a good thing as it happening slowly.
Sadly, they misunderstand realities – human-induced climate change has evolved in the past 200 years; a long time on the human scale, but like a flash of lightning on a geological time scale and on an earth that is some 13 billion years old.
Considering the broad misunderstanding about the difference between weather and climate, next year and within that just how quickly our climate is changing, each of has a significant responsibility to do what we can to help those around us better understand the seriousness of what faces us.
Many people are conscious that we have damaged our climate and although eager to do something seem to be at a loss as to what should do or how they should behave.
We are being constantly subjected to “greenwash” (endless PR from many firms and corporations that their behaviour is ecologically friendly) and that the idea of simply changing a few light globes or re-cycling our rubbish will be more than enough right the earth-wide imbalances we are experiencing.
The greenwash is delusionary, as is the idea that a few different light globes and some re-cycling will end climate change.
It is the energy intensive lifestyle, particularly of the developed world, that is essence of the difficulty and any attempt to mitigate, change or slow climate change demands we re-examine how we live.
The answer, a least to me, is obvious, but the necessary changes to our lifestyles are so dramatic and unpalatable that few appear even prepared to think about them and beyond that discuss what is needed.
Briefly we need to dethrone the economy and turn our attention to the creation of resilient communities and relinquish consumerism as a way of life to invest our time and effort into our neighbourhoods rather invest our money buying stuff we don’t need to impress people we don’t know.
A small committee spun off Beneath the Wisteria is busy working on a program to bring three or four high profile speakers to Shepparton to talk about climate change, not to convince people it is happening rather, to help them understand what it is they can do, both personally and in a community sense, to help alleviate what has been described as “the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced”. The working group meets again early in January.
So, standing on the cusp of 2013, I urge you to re-commit yourself to helping those around you understand more about the difficulties associated with climate change.
That said, we next gather Beneath the Wisteria in Shepparton’s Maude St Mall on Saturday, February 2, at 11:30am.
I look forward to seeing you there and I wish you well for 2013.
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