Climate Change

Heard some interesting comments on Climate Change the other day, which are worth reiterating.

People complain about Just Stop Oil and how its tactics lose supporters from the Cause. However, Just Stop Oil is simply one brand among many.

When you use washing powder, you tend to select one brand to the exclusion of others. If one brand particularly alienates you, perhaps because of their adverts or because it's not very good at getting dirt out of your clothes, you don't stop washing your clothes altogether.

In the main, those who complain vociferously about Just Stop Oil are analogous to those who stop washing their clothes. They don't actually like any brand of Climate Change activism.

Another observation that was made was that there are several strings to the Climate Change issue.

Oil companies have millions at their disposal to lobby governments and that money is very effective at directing government policy.

The public has very little lobbying power and, generally, has three options:

• To do their small bit by recycling and living green lives, 
• To vote once every 5 years, hoping that combating Climate Change is a policy on the table, and that any promises made will actually be carried through, or
• To engage in direct action activism.

Of those options, the 1st and 2nd do not, on their own, achieve much. The 2nd one, especially, can be negated by the oil companies leveraging their money. The 3rd option, however, has much greater effect at combating oil company lobbying.

We all need to become a bit more attuned to activism.