We need 'climate champions', urgently

It’s time each of us stood up as a “climate champion”.

The heightened moments surrounding Paris have past and although the climate crisis is just as acute as ever, it seems the sense of urgency has vanished.

Look around our communities and, yes, it is largely “business as usual” as our governments had done nought to forestall our energy hunger, to ease our consumption and within that create a society less dependent on fossil fuels.

In what is a weird and somewhat inexplicable contradiction, what we personally do matters little, but it will be the efforts and ideas of individuals that will see the world community rise to inevitable challenges enveloping the world because of climate change.

Yes, you and I can make a difference, and we must, but the real solutions to climate change, the truly applicable answers will be found in the governance of society.

Individual efforts of course make a difference, but we need our governments to understand what is happening and so bravely and boldly restructure society to steer it away from its prolific energy-rich behaviour, make happiness and contentment the ideal for its decision making rather than the brute and rather rude measure of profit and growth.

Standing on the cusp of decidedly difficult times, we need people from all walks of life to stand up, take on the mantle of “climate champion” and in the name of humanity do all they can to help friends, family and others in their communities understand that what we are doing is seriously disrupting earth’s climate system and within that eroding the near perfect “Goldilock’s-like” conditions that have allowed humanity to thrive for millennia.

The idea of being a “Climate Champion” will be discussed the next time Beneath the Wisteria supporters gather at the northern end of Shepparton’s Maude St Mall on Saturday, January 30, at 11:00am.

The event is, of course, free, some public seating is available, but those intending to attend, should being a folding chair.

More information from Robert McLean on 0400 502 199.