"The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say - we will never forgive you." This is a quote from a speech made by the 16 year old activist Greta Thunberg at the UN Climate Summit in New York in September this year. I watched her speech online and I have to say that it had a pretty powerful impact on me. It feels a lot like no one has ever really stood up and spoken in such a raw and powerful way that is designed to hold older generations to account. It has made me – and others like me – feel that the time for action has come.
In November I hosted a talk at Open House Deli with the purpose of looking at the ways in which we can respond better to the climate crisis. Activists like Greta, and the huge wave of participation in Extinction Rebellion’s recent weeks of civil unrest, have highlighted the importance of this issue. It’s also made me realise that there are so many people who feel frustrated about climate change – and our inability to have any real effect – and that actually what many of us need most right now is a way to channel those energies.
The event included a panel of coaches who will focussed on how coaching in particular can help us to respond to the climate crisis. The approach I’m taking is that we all have a skill set and each of us must be able to use that skill set to make a difference in some small way.
Why now?
Climate change has been an issue close to my heart for some time and has been thrown into an international spotlight, particularly thanks to the work of Extinction Rebellion who have defined three key objectives for the UK government:
To tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
To act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.
To create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.
This climate justice group say that we are “facing an unprecedented global climate emergency. The government has failed to protect us. To survive, it's going to take everything we've got” – and they are right.
The wave of protests over the past couple of weeks have attracted people from all walks of life (not just crusties, Boris : Boris Johnson made this remark at the launch of the final volume of a biography of Margaret Thatcher written by his former boss at the Daily Telegraph, Charles Moore.) who recognise the urgency of the situation.
The last four years were the hottest years on record
Carbon emissions increase every year with little sign of slowing down
Sea levels are rising, coral reefs are dying and we are currently living through the sixth mass extinction
It is estimated that 140+ million people in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America will be displaced by 2050 due to climate change
Tropical forests (which are an essential carbon sink) are currently shrinking at a rate of 30 football pitches per minute
In July, humanity’s demand for the earth’s resources exceeded the amount that can be naturally generated this year
If, like me, you feel uneasy reading these statements – which are based on cold, hard facts and science – let's try not to be overwhelmed into inaction - let's contribute in whatever way we can. You can start by attending our discussion on 7th November. And if you need any further motivation I will leave you with more words from Greta Thunberg: "I want you to act as if the house is on fire, because it is."