Change is coming

The forces of darkness and the voices of doom on both extremes of the climate change debate are always quick to say how little is being done to reduce emissions,  or little can be achieved in the current economic climate, or renewable energy will never replace fossil fuels or whatever other convenient excuse springs to mind. The truth, however, as usual is far more interesting and of course complex. There is an enormous amount of work being done by governments all over the world to reduce emissions. France has just outlawed fracking, Germany is phasing out nuclear power, Japan has decided to investigate geothermal energy to replace its nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima disaster. China is the world's largest producer of renewable energy technology, but other countries are not so far behind. Let's not forget of course that Australia has just announced it will have a price on carbon as of next year 1 July 2012.

Still all we hear, day after day, is climate change denial, whining about electricity prices, prophesies of armageddon for small business, demands for more baksheesh (cough) compensation from heavy industry and general carping about minutely small details, personal gossip about politicians' hissy fits and general foolishness of the highest order all round when this is the one thing we should be having a grown up discussion about!

Sadly, because the media is controlled by that mouthpiece of global corporatization run amok, Rupert Murdoch, and/or can't deal with the complexities of actual real world policy-making, and/or don't care because they're easily distracted by Charlie Sheen's antics (or all of the above) most people don't get to hear about all the good stuff that's actually going on.

Even in the USA, where the President has to fight a hostile upper house since the Republicans increased their majority in the mid-term elections, the Republican Party,who have fought every single attempt at legislative reform, emissions reduction targets, the clean air act, prop 23, the list goes on and on.... Even in the USA where the economic situation at the moment is so dire that the President has no choice but to focus a lot of his time and attention trying to deal with systemic domestic economic issues, like jobs, the credit limit, trying to jump start the economy and so on... Even there while all this is going on, things are happening on a State by State basis.

The US electorate, suffering high unemployment and a stalling economy, is in no mood and the US government is in no position financially to embark upon any ambitions economic restructuring, such as putting in a carbon price as we're doing in Australia. Although change is sorely needed and long overdue, nothing dramatic on a national scale is going to happen until after the next election - if ever. A lot will depend on who wins, of course. Even so, with all these difficulties and obstacles, even in the USA stuff is happening.

There's still hope. There's always hope. There's got to be.

Hoping for the best and planning for the worst

I was watching the news about Christmas time of Cyclone Yasi bearing down on the coast of Queensland. People were taking shelter in the shopping centres. The army was distributing rations and had set up medical stations. Thousands moved to the hinterland hundreds of kilometers inland where there is higher ground. People were being strongly advised to fend for themselves as much as possible as it was no longer safe to travel on the roads and the emergency services would not be able to help anyone if they got into trouble during the cyclone. Navy ships were standing by to come in with supplies, bulldozers and helicopters once the cyclone had passed. 

It was apocalyptic stuff. But human nature is amazing when they work together in sensible fashion. Aussies are quite used to weather related dramas. We are fortunate enough to live in a peaceful, civil society with a strong democracy and a competent government (despite the constant nit-picking of the opposition). Rather than 'freaking out' Queenslanders, a hardy and experienced lot, had been preparing non-stop for the past week, stocking up on food, batteries, water and bringing the outdoor furniture inside. There were stories of neighbours taking eachother in - a single mothers with small children bunking in with an older couple who had never spoken to each other although they live next door. They were as prepared as they could be and now they were just going to wait it out and trust their luck. One woman interviewed for the news camping in a shopping mall with her kids said "It really brings the reality of the situation home when you see all these people. It's like we're refugees". Indeed. It was. Indeed it is.

In many ways this is reflective in microcosm of our response to climate change. When faced by an imminent emergency that we understand and have experienced before (although perhaps not on the same scale) we know what to do and we become very focussed. In those emergencies people can pull together amazingly and become suddenly hyper-cooperative (if they live in a peaceful, civil society as above). If the danger is perceived as distant or nebulous, we fight eachother, argue about what to do, bicker, try to look out for our own interests first and foremost, jockey for attention and generally behave rather foolishly ....

But climate change is about to become 'imminent' so we'd best start battening down some hatches. I am forming a plan over the next five years or so as to what I can achieve in my home and my immediate community to prepare us for the coming extreme weather. 

I will be stocking up on jars, seeds, rice and various other non-perishable but useful items. I will be rethinking my water situation and seeing how independent I can be of the grid for my electricity. I will be making sure my children start doing the same. 

In my local community I am going to start campaigning to remove as many cars as possible from residential areas at least, replace streets with community farms, get some local renewable energy projects going and rethink our water management in general. 

What would others think would be good personal preparations that could be made over the next 5-10 years to brace for the coming climate instability and also contribute to mitigation?

There's a storm coming. What would you do if you knew this was going to happen? That's my question I guess.