Your emotions are your strongest weapon in fighting climate breakdown. Emotions win elections, personal struggles, friendships and it is no different in the fight against negative climate change.
We’ve been through a lot in the past few months made worse by contradicting ideas on how to combat our predicament. The internet became petrol on a bonfire for pseudoscientific claims and conspiratorial talk. Unfortunately, like tabloid news, the internet prefers to highlight fast-food stories that are easily digestible like pop-up picture books. Quick and easy entertainment that amuses our person and distracts for the love of ignorance.
Covid-19 unleashed visuals that smeared the bigger picture. When factories temporarily shut down across the world, we marvelled at it, internally clapping with elation that co2 emissions looked to be dwindling. It preyed on our ignorance to forget the future through a split-second moment, but once the globalisation machine re-ignites, so will the smog of industry.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now” – Chinese proverb
Right now, the planet is facing several crises. Of those crises, few are receiving the coverage they deserve. Instead, it has been reserved for niche channels such as Euronews and climate focused websites such as ‘CarbonBrief’. If we are to get mainstream news to talk about catastrophic Climate Change, we will need to play them at their own game and highlight the devastation it causes.
Former Prime Minister Theresa May marched forward with plans to achieve net-zero carbon emissions as part of the 2008 Climate Change act following the realisation of environmental damage on her Swiss walking holidays. What this means, is that leaders are only nudged into action when the effects are felt on a personal level. And that is what we need to help them realise.
Climate Change is political. And like any other political issue, emotions regardless of the facts changes the tide of opinion. The effects of Climate Change are apparent and the facts, universally agreed upon. So if facts won’t change minds, it will need to happen through visualisations and the use of gifted speakers to set emotions ablaze so we can shepherd opinion into the gate.
It’s time to get emotional. And how we do that is dependent on who you want to get personal with. Show politicians how they will lose constituents through lack of action on mass flooding, drought and eco-damage. Show stockbrokers, bankers and the wealthy how they will stand to lose profits through environmental damage. Tell your local farmer that crops that are to be lost along with patches for their animals to graze on. Make hikers realise they will be walking on water and above all else, let’s get the apathetic to care once again. Let’s get emotional. But above all, let’s do something. It’s not just your choice, but an obligation of all to enhance the reality of a potential future. A future not so far away that may damage our children’s.
Stanisland Magazine 