Inspiring reading

Ben West's Article-
You Don’t Have to be an EnvironmentalistShare
Friday, February 19, 2010 at 5:33pm
Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room. If you pay any attention to the news, it’s a pretty horrible time to be involved in the climate movement. First, there were the UN talks in Copenhagen which turned out to be the biggest anti-climax since Susan Boyle came second in Britain’s Got Talent. Since then, we’ve had stolen emails jumped on by conspiracy theorists, attacks on honest scientists by publicity-seeking know-it-alls, resignations and who knows what else. It’d be as laughable as an over-hyped Dan Brown novel if it wasn’t so serious.

So what should those of us who give a damn do? Well for starters, don’t lose your head. The numbers of people driving this climate sceptic twaddle are relatively small. Nasty, cynical, vocal, below-the-belt, but small. And between you and me, they don’t tend to be very clever either- most of them are definitely not climate scientists themselves.

And the good news? Scientists can generally be trusted. Whether it’s monitoring the safety of your food or ensuring that those flu tablets won’t kill you, these guys don’t lie for a living. They earn their money (and their reputations) by getting it right most of the time, and being honest about when they don’t. So, emails or no emails, when tens of thousands of scientists across the world tell you something, sensible people take notice.

What’s interesting though is that when you speak to the people peddling the anti-climate change rubbish, it’s not really the science that they’re interested in. They drive cars and take medicine like the rest of us. It’s not the scientists or the science that they dislike, it’s us. The ‘bossy environmentalists’. The ‘alarmists’ with their heads in the clouds. The ‘dangerous lefties’. The ‘political correctness brigade’ trying to tell people how to live their lives. If ‘climate-gate’ teaches us anything, it’s that environmentalists have got a serious image problem, and that if a few emails or doubts about the science give people an excuse to stop listening or caring, many will.

But here’s thing. When you look at the things that need to be done to tackle climate change, they’re things which any sane person would agree with. You don’t have to be an environmentalist to think that the trains or buses should be cheaper and more reliable so that the roads are less blocked up with polluting cars. You don’t have to be a raging leftie to be sick of yo-yoing petrol prices or extortionate heating bills to want a cleaner alternative. Green industries are booming. $200bn was spent on renewable energy last year- that's double what was spent in 2006. At times like these, you don’t have to be an activist to want a secure, well-paying job that just happens to be green.

The point is, the best way to get action on climate change may well be to stop talking about it as a scientific or environmental problem. For years, we’ve banged on about polar bears, whinged about ice caps, waved our placards and shouted slogans. Although it’s got us some of the way, huge sections of ordinary people have been left out in the cold.

Don’t get me wrong- the polar bears matter, but if you want to engage people and convince them of the need to act, then we need a new, diverse, inclusive climate movement that is able to connect with people’s ordinary lives and concerns. A post-carbon World isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for our health, our wallets and our quality of life. It’s an opportunity for all of us, and you don’t have to be an environmentalist to want to be a part of it.