I just don't care if people care


I've just come accross a few files on my computer from the autumn of 2007 where i was thinking about where we were in the climate change communication issue. They're full of ideas about how we persuade people about the need for action, how we enthuse and engage people who are just on the edge of caring about climate change.

How different things are now

I just don't care if people care, we don't have the need or the time to persuade people who need persuading. And the action we need is just so much bigger than what i was thinking of back then ('back then' - it was only 16 months ago, but things really have changed!). But also i am much more optimistic than i was then, ok so we're quite a lot closer to the tipping point but the big economic story has broken the whole thing wide open. In terms of communication the only thing I'm concerned with is cementing the idea of the triple crunch of which the first part is only just beginning to bite, and that if we react in the right way to this we can avoid the worst of all of them. I no longer even think about climate change really (although I know it's the most frightening of the 3 'crunches' by a massive distance) because people are totally focussed on the economic story and possible solutions to that and, as a happy coincidence, the timescales to solve that crisis are just about right to solve the real crisis (rather than the timescales people were folowing on climate change - as if we've got decades) the recession may or may not directly reduce emissions (i tend to to think it wont - in a growth oriented economy businesses don't just accept recession meekly, they fight to reduce every cost and that mean more pollution) but if we can channel the global focus on one issue and clamour for action in the right way, we might just have a chance.