We are in a climate and biodiversity crisis, and we need to act.
Climate change is real. It’s happening. You don’t need to look too far to see that devastating impact on our communities. For example, last month in conversation with farmers I have been asked if I can do anything about this weather. The answer is we all can. There’s a scientific report already penned on the matter.
I am not naive to think we can halt climate change immediately. It is going to take more than my lifetime.
We are seeing and will continue to see homes lost, farmland wiped out, mass movement of people as whole communities are destroyed, and we all try to survive in this increasingly inhospitable world.
Change is not easy, nor are the problems we face. The solutions will involve consuming less, producing less, traveling less. The solutions will also bring us into a fairer and better world. The solutions will mean cleaner air, cleaner water, locally sourced food (of high quality of course because of our excellent farmers). The solutions will lead to better connected communities with footpaths and cycleways, to a repair culture, to renovation of our vacant and derelict buildings, to full occupancy in our towns and development of our brownfield urban sites. A transport system that works for all our towns and crucially – villages. The solutions might even mean less days at work and more time with family or friends. Who wouldn’t want to live in that future.
Our current system of GDP and growth ignores wellbeing, the climate challenge and our nature. We have been spending our carbon credits today which is costing us tomorrow.
We are in tomorrow now.
We should all draw a line under the arguments we’ve been having on climate action. We have been debating these issues as if they are black and white… with people either side of the fence . The problem and solutions to climate change are not black and white they’re 40 shades of green and to make progress we all need to work together with a spirit of cooperation for the good of our communities.
It’s unproductive to argue over who did what in the past. Let us look at the facts of where we are today and what we can collectively do about it. Let us recognize the duel crisis of climate and biodiversity breakdown and commit to acting now for a better future.
