An Underwhelming Truth
From awareness to action on climate change
In May of 2006, Wired called the eco-awareness ‘new’: “With climate change hard upon us, a new green movement is taking shape, one that embraces environmentalism's concerns but rejects its worn-out answers.”
But are we excited by all this? Actually, we are feeling overwhelmed by an up-close viewing of ‘climate porn’ (the climate change communication explosion), and underwhelmed by what the Labour government has done about it (and perhaps wary of David Cameron’s new emphasis on environment). Awareness can lead to discussion and action, but instead, we’re feeling disempowered.
Is sustainability’s new look only skin deep? One thing that's new is we seem to agree now is a tipping point. What characterises our consensus:
- It’s all about climate change. Scientists agree that recent dramatic increases in carbon are human-induced.
- Economists see increasing pressure on world resources in what will be an Asian century.
- Computing and information technologies are bringing us more data than ever before about environmental risks
- Technologies that leverage the properties of networks are maturing, with political implications
- In the wake of GM, science and technology are scrutinized for their potential negative outcomes alongside their professed benefits.
- Policy-makers recognize that environmental problems need to be tackled by many different actors at different levels of engagement.
- Small and large businesses worldwide are asking for and responding to policy direction as they take on more of what was traditionally the government’s role in delivering public goods and services.
- Individual initiatives and social entrepreneurship are gaining strength.