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?
