Climate change produces contrasting theories and realities

by Robert McLean

T

heory and the reality often stand in stark contrast to each other.

Kyle McTaggart - tackling unbridled consumerism
how he knows best - blacking-out
advertising hoardings in central Melbourne.

Neither is right and, interestingly, neither is wrong. Rather they are simply different, reflecting how a person’s life has unfolded, how their views and values have been shaped, their education and the good or bad fortune of their lives (some would say luck).

Two days of listening to some of our sharpest minds talk about the implications and complications of climate change at the University of Melbourne’s considerably comfortable surrounds of the Melbourne Business School intellectualized what is happening to the world’s climate systems.

Abatement and solutions to this unfolding dilemma were also intellectualized.

Leaving the two days of discussions – “Paris and Beyond, Climate and Energy Pathways for Australia and Europe” – led to a friendly confrontation with a fellow at a Collins St tram stop who had done with intellectualizing the problem and had decided he would stage a frontal attack.

Much discussion at what was described as an “International Symposium”, which is was as it had speakers from France, Germany and England, had laid the blame for global warming at the feet of capitalism and the endless profit and growth  voraciously feeds upon.

Kyle McTaggart can’t articulate what is happening to the world with the same finesse, but he senses that something is wrong and is urgently concerned that most of us are locked into a consumptive way of living.

A way of living that is worsened, he believes, by the blatant advertising that endlessly assaults our senses and so he is doing something about that in a way he knows best.

Kyle, who has already spent three months in gaol for his exploits as a “bill poster”, was at it again on Friday gluing black squares of paper over an electronic advertising hoarding on a Collins St tram stop.

Covering the large advertising hoarding with black paper, Kyle then stuck a small notice atop that explaining the reasons for his dislike for the advertising that was, in his view designed purely to ensure that we continue to consume.

With his work done, Kyle disappeared into the crowd.

The question naturally arises: which is more effective the individual civil disobedience of Kyle or more than 100 people sitting in a lecture theatre for two days discussing the dilemma that is climate change?

The natural instinct of humans is to physically do something rather than sit around talking about something and so Kyle’s acts of civil disobedience would probably have the quite admiration many, but be broadly disapproved for it is a head-on assault of the status quo.

The aims of the “talkers” is probably are probably even more extreme, but work from within the status quo and aim and hope to make significant changes from the inside.

Kyle’s actions, as honourable in intent as they might be, are little more than an almost unfelt and unseen minor irritation to the giant he attacks and will amount to nought unless he just happens to be posting the right bill on the correct hoarding when the global circumstances fall in his favour – reason enough, however I’m sure for Kyle to continue with disruptive efforts.

The “talkers”, most of whom hold positions of influence within their respective segments of society left the two-day of discussions with rehabilitated enthusiasms and prepared, again, to do all they can to convince those around them, and society generally, that we need to urgently change of behaviour, personally and society-wide, if we are to avoid significant climate difficulties around the world.

Kyle’s behaviour deserves applause, but even more so do the “talkers” who are actually positioned to change the behaviour that so distresses bill posters and others like Kyle.