Recently I've become quite excited by a campaign called 10:10 which I blogged about earlier. It was all a bit of a secret and it came as a surprise to many. We did a press release, Tom wrote a blog post on it and our involvement received a great reception from all parts of the Guild.Siobhan, a former Guild Non-Sabbatical and good friend of mine, wrote an interesting blog entitled 10:10 - a realistic goal or just another PR stunt? outlining a few critical observations with the campaign. For instance whether people can reduce carbon emissions by 10% without knowing their current carbon footprint, whether it's all just an effort to put pressure on China and India in the run-up to the Copenhagen summit and whether another ice age is inevitable anyway?
I am no scientist and in no way qualified to blog about the science behind climate change and the prospect of another ice age. I don't think 10:10 is a conspiracy to put pressure on China and India but if the campaign gains the momentum it deserves then it may well have leverage on the people and organizations of other countries to rethink their lifestyles and reduce their emissions. And while some of the goals and ways to achieve 10:10 on a practical level may sound vague I believe that 10:10 means far more than meets the eye in the first instance.
Ultimately, 10:10 is about much more than individuals, companies and organizations pledging to reduce their carbon footprint by 10% in 2010. It's about creating a momentum for a cultural and societal shift. It's about explaining to individuals and organizations that small changes to our wasteful lifestyles can have a great positive impact with regards to tackling climate change. Just as Rome wasn't built in a day climate change will not be tackled in a year. What can happen in a year though is that people start understanding that we have the power to start shifting societal perceptions. The perception that our efforts don't matter because they would be overshadowed by what happens in other areas of the world must be challenged!
So, 10:10 is about changing peoples' attitudes and then getting those people to change other peoples' attitudes. We will all try to reduce our carbon footprints by different means (i.e. less driving, less meat, less flying, less standby etc.) but collectively we should all try and do the same: inspire others to follow suit. Tell your parents, your friends; tell anyone that the more individuals commit to doing a little bit, the easier it will be for us to collectively make a difference!
That is why we are doing 10:10! Alan Rickman and No10 recently signed up! Are you next?
Fabian, thanks for blogging on why you think students should be engaging with the 10:10 campaign. I am curious as to how the Guild hopes to help the students of Birmingham make this lifestyle change, when we struggle as a union to encourage mass participation with many other important concepts and ideas.
ReplyDelete(also check your spelling (Rome)
Thanks Nick, I'm so used to saying 'Rom' - bilingualism fail.
ReplyDeleteOne of the team's priorities for the year will be encouraging participation through better communication. The media groups will hopefully be of some assistance in this quest.
This year I will try and get back to basics. Campaigns like 10:10, Get the vote out, Exam Feedback or on HE funding are the best ways to encourage mass participation. It's about showing students on a basic level how issues affect them and how they themselves can make a difference. It's about providing information, facilitating activism and sustaining the engagement through providing leadership.
10:10 is a worthy campaign. And it has its work cut out, because such a cultural and societal shift is not easily managed.
ReplyDeleteI recently read an article in the Economic & Social Research Council's "Britain in 2009" about young people's attitudes toward greener living. It states a couple of surveys where nearly half of young people are not particularly concerned about climate issues. Of those who are concerned, only a small number felt like they were doing much to change their lifestyle to help the environment.
In some cases, people don't know how they can help make a difference. In others, the lifestyle change is too much to bear. But a campaign like 10:10, promoting a collective push to inspire and reach out, is exactly what's needed. I hope it gives people the help to achieve, as well as a nudge in the right direction to acknowledge the need to change.
a change in attitudes is great, but that still has to be followed by practical on-the-ground changes.
ReplyDeletewhat exactly will the guild be doing to reduce its carbon footprint? to encourage individuals the guild as a body must lead by example. are there any actual planned reforms yet?
and while the 10:10 may be 'much more than just a pledge..to reduce carbon footprint by 10%', it still is about making that pledge. the guild can endorse reducing carbon output without allying itself to 10:10, but by doing so it has made the commitment to the 10% pledge.
so will there be a carbon audit, a 'before and after'? how much research has been put into what a 10% reduction would actually mean?