Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change
by Nussaïbah Raja - October 15th, 2009
Climate Change: The theme for this year’s Blog Action Day, barely a surprise since this issue has been gracing the headlines for, god knows, how much time now, hooting warnings about the ‘mere’ two degrees that can change our lives forever and that most of us don’t even care about. To tell you the truth, it is hard to care, with the recession hitting and your money being more important that your planet. Humans have this tendency to care more about materialistic matters rather than devoting themselves to a cause they can barely understand.
Climate Change, the hot topic selling the newspapers, the main focus of scientists and one of the issues we manage to hide deep in the back of our mind. True enough, who can say that he thinks about climate change or any other environmental issue everyday, trying to find a solution to this global problem. Even I can’t say that, though sometimes I do feel like an environmental freak. Why, though? It’s because we feel that we, by ourselves, do not have the power to change the whole world. Of course, we don’t. What can one single person, among the 6.791 billion ones forming the world’s whole population, do.
Sure enough, it does sound that we are doomed, that we can’t do anything. But all I can say is that it’s starts with you, and nobody else. If one person, today, takes the initiative to start something for the noble cause of reducing the CO2 in out atmosphere, tomorrow, every single one of us will be part of that big project aiming to save the planet. Of course, scientists, NGOs, environmentalists and lord knows who else, are here to do their ‘thing’, because obviously, that’s what they are here for.
Copenhagen 2009, hydrogen fuel cells, ocean fertilisation: my head has been crammed with all the readings I did today (and which are not over yet) and somehow, in the middle of all that, all this data intake got me thinking that we can actually do something, however little it is, for the link between all those articles was one sole thing: the reduction of CO2 emission in our atmosphere. It is actually easy to go down with that electricity bill, cutting down the use of appliances we obviously can leave without. Of course, you might die if you switch off the television when you’re not watching but trust me, it won’t kill you.
In the end, it’s just about what matters to you or not, and nothing else.
Environmental issues have always faced an uphill struggle to gain full public support. As you rightly say, scientific discussions on seemingly miniscule variations mean little to people going about their daily lives, and even less so when the main issue facing everyone is how to stretch out a dwindling supply of money. Whilst climate change is not going to lead to sudden and dramatic apocalyptic changes overnight, it will lead to the world we let our children inherit being substantially damaged, an issue which humans as well as all forms of life on Earth will struggle to adapt to if we do not take action today.
We may seek refuge in the fact that we alone are nothing against the 6.791 billion people around us, argue that we can do no harm by leaving appliances switched on and that the resources we waste are nothing in relation to the combined, overall picture of the rest of the world, but this is not an avenue we can continue down any more. One of the major problems is that our slight malaise in relation to this issue cannot be policed; we may offer incentives (a route which many corporations and governments will shy away from in the present economic climate) to individuals for adopting a greener lifestyle, but we cannot enforce an environmental policy that extends from the high street beyond the front door.
This is why I believe that international meetings and activities which draw attention to the deep problem of climate change are so important. Any co-ordinated global attempt to directly tackle the problem will fail if the actions of government are not balanced against action that we take in our own lives. With the world more interconnected now then at any other time, we have the power to unite across national boundaries and tackle this issue together. The action that we take though does not have to be large-scale (i.e. installing solar panels), but can found simply in modifying the smallest actions of our everyday lives.
Hopefully the Copenhagen Summit will see a concerted resolve from leaders across the Earth, and one which will further enlighten people as to the necessity of taking steps today in order to protect tomorrow’s world. This project is a brilliant way to draw public attention to a problem which will be with us for some time. The pace of life is often said to be frantic, but if we all took a few moments to truly appreciate the pure beauty of the world around us, to witness time pass at its slow and steady rate, we will see just how important the steps we take now truly are.
This is a brilliant post, and addresses an issue which can sometimes be lost amidst the wider factors at stake, the highly personal aspect of climate change, and how, even if the world seems divided around us, we can always make a difference and be a force for good
This is truly a wonderful post on an issue that, as you rightly said, has been making the headlines for years now. I agree, we may feel our contribution, among billions inhabitants of Planet Earth, is insignificant, if not totally useless. But I sincerely think, if every single individual on this Earth contributed, even a tiny bit, surely we could improve the alarming situation prevailing.
The international meetings have their importance, yeah, but without us, individuals, contributing, we would reach nowhere.
All in all, as your post brilliantly put forward, righting this situation comes first from our own initiative to modify our highly-materialistic lifestyles. ‘Cause one thing we tend to forget: Earth does not need us, we need it! So it should be our concern to protect and preserve it!
I became aware of the Blog Action Day while reading your blog (I saw the badge on the right sidebar). I did not thank you before. So here it is, even if it’s very late: THANK YOU
I am going to steal that Copenhagen countdown widget and put it on one of my blogs
” got me thinking that we can actually do something, however little it is”
The intention is good, but the results are not. I suggest you read David MacKay’s free bok: Sustainable Energy – Without the Hot Air: http://www.withouthotair.com/
“if every one does a little, we’ll achieve only a little.”
This is sadly what the mathematics tells us. Simply turning off the TV or unplugging the cell phone charger when not in use will have almost no effect on climate change. This may sound controversial, but it’s the scientific truth. Every little does not help, to change big, we have to act big.
Truely a great post ! rightly said, every effort counts for a greener planet and climate change is not only affecting us humans but animals aswell. I was just watching a picture of a polar bear wondering in a town in search of food… Imagine how hard it is to get food…
@ bruno.. i dnt really grasp what you are saying here…….. could you please elaborate a bit more…