Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category
What if they held a Climate Summit, and nobody came?
Posted in Opinion by Kate Archdeacon on January 8th, 2010
Source: PostCarbon Institute
“How about next time we take the lead; we show not just from our Powerpoints and placards that another world is possible, but also that by staying home and working with those around us to start practically building a low carbon economy, loft by loft and street by street, that a leaner, lower carbon future could be, and will be, fantastic.”
From “What if they held a Climate Summit, and nobody came?” by Rob Hopkins
So Copenhagen has been and gone, with no meaningful agreement being reached, and now the politicians and lobbyists have headed home having failed to do anything meaningful to address this staggeringly pressing challenge. Hugo Chavez came up with the quote of the fortnight when he observed “if the climate was a bank, they would already have saved it”. The gathering of the environmental/climate change movement in the Klimaforum with its dedicated bringing together of green luminaries and activists failed to have any meaningful impact on the proceedings, as did the mass street protests, designed to shame delegates into meaningful action and to draw a line in the sand. In short, the responses that the alternative movement/protest culture/social justice movement usually rolls into action when such events take place, didn’t work. So, might we do things differently next time?
It is, after all, what is expected. Activists and experts all head to the venue, with huge carbon implications, in the hope that this is “the one”, new police powers get passed, activists are subject to harassment and intimidating policing (George Marshall’s piece on his Copenhagen experience is well worth a read, especially for his despair at the amount of polar bear costumes on display), the media can run its “climate change demonstrations turned ugly today” stories to divert interest away from the lack of progress, in the fringe event people inspire and challenge each other, and in the main talks, most representatives arrive, as one does at any auction, with their preferred bids and the extra they will offer if pushed already worked out long in advance……
Tags: behaviour change, community, copenhagen, local action
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Beyond Hope, to Action
Posted in Opinion by Kate Archdeacon on December 3rd, 2009
An unusual post for us, here at Sustainable Melbourne, but potentially relevant as Copenhagen takes centre stage.
Image: greenpeace via flickr CC
From the article “Beyond Hope” by Derrick Jensen, Orion Magazine.
THE MOST COMMON WORDS I hear spoken by any environmentalists anywhere are, “We’re *%$#@*”. Most of these environmentalists are fighting desperately, using whatever tools they have—or rather whatever legal tools they have, which means whatever tools those in power grant them the right to use, which means whatever tools will be ultimately ineffective—to try to protect some piece of ground, to try to stop the manufacture or release of poisons, to try to stop civilized humans from tormenting some group of plants or animals. Sometimes they’re reduced to trying to protect just one tree.
Here’s how John Osborn, an extraordinary activist and friend, sums up his reasons for doing the work: “As things become increasingly chaotic, I want to make sure some doors remain open. If grizzly bears are still alive in twenty, thirty, and forty years, they may still be alive in fifty. If they’re gone in twenty, they’ll be gone forever.”
But no matter what environmentalists do, our best efforts are insufficient. We’re losing badly, on every front. Those in power are hell-bent on destroying the planet, and most people don’t care.
Frankly, I don’t have much hope. But I think that’s a good thing. Hope is what keeps us chained to the system, the conglomerate of people and ideas and ideals that is causing the destruction of the Earth.
Tags: local action, Provocations
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Diversifying our water supply system: meeting Melbourne’s needs locally
Posted in Opinion by Kate Archdeacon on November 20th, 2009
Source: Alternative Technology Association
From “A land of droughts and flooding rains: it is time we adapt to this reality” by Anjali Brown, Water Policy Manager ATA
The single most commonly used rationale for the Wonthaggi desalination plant has been the fact that we do not have enough rainfall. A lesser quoted fact is that even in years of drought, 400-500 Gigalitres of rain falls on Melbourne, only to be lost down stormwater drains and flushed out, via our waterways, into Port Philip Bay.
500 gigalitres is more than the city’s total water use and it is double the amount the desalination plant, at maximum capacity, can produce. We cannot and should not be misled by the low rainfall argument or that desalination is our only option. Desalination is a last resort in a long line of alternative technologies that, if implemented, would go much further to securing our water supply. Climate change has reminded us that we live in a country of droughts and flooding rains. In order to respond to these weather patterns, Victorians require a diversity of options. In an uncertain climate, having a range of options is a strength: if one fails there are multiple back-ups.
A crucial area to improve is what happens in the home. Householders with a variety of water supply sources are less vulnerable to the extremes of drought or flood than those who rely solely on the mains water network. This is not simply because they have multiple sources to fall back on in case one goes bad or becomes too expensive, it is also because the experience of using water wisely in the home increases the householder’s understanding of and control over their water supply. In a recent study completed by the Alternative Technology Association, householders who installed greywater systems found their wasteful water habits changed dramatically. They became more aware of what the weather was doing and used their water system accordingly. As their awareness increased, householders relied less and less on mains water. Diversity of household water supply options is key to our water security.
Tags: behaviour change, consumption, Melbourne, water
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Tackling the Urban Revolution: ABC Podcast
Posted in Opinion by Kate Archdeacon on October 13th, 2009
Source: Going Solar Transport Newsletter
From “Tackling the Urban Revolution” on ABC Radio National
Urban sprawl is a very Australian phenomenon though opinion is divided on whether its a burden or a blessing. Our cities spread ever outwards, turning farmland into suburbs without access to public transport but allowing new generations of Australians to afford a detached house and enjoy the privacy of their own back yard.
In 2002 the Victorian state government attempted to rein in urban sprawl with a plan called Melbourne 2030 – lines were drawn on a map – called urban growth boundaries – intended to contain the city and preserve green wedges. Infill development around transport hubs like railway stations was encouraged at the same time – to get the city grow upwards rather than outwards.
It didn’t work – six years later the plan was amended and the urban growth boundaries revised so the city could keep spreading. It’s a local example of the dilemmas facing urban planners around the world as the great global migration from country to city continues. Half the world’s population already is already urbanised – by 2040 the proportion will be two thirds – allowing for population growth that’s an additional 2 billion city dwellers in just thirty years.
Listen to Peter Mares in conversation with Jeb Brugmann, author of “Welcome to the Urban Revolution – how cities are changing the world”
Tags: behaviour change, sustainable cities, urban design and built form
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