playing politics with Climate Chaos is unlikely to end well…

In recent news; the 6th IPCC Synthesis Report basically states that we are in big trouble and there is a narrow window in which action can be effective. And this is the science that all the signatory governments agree on – which is not at the level of alarm that scientists are reporting without political influence. The International Energy Agency is also very clear on what needs to happen; no new investment in oil, gas or coal – starting yesterday. The consequences of inaction are stark and even other core institutional professional organizations such as in the legal profession in the UK are becoming increasingly clear on what the consequences of inaction and mis-guided application of laws are. So far, so 2023…

Yesterday I chanced across a truly eye-opening piece on YouTube. Phoebe Plummer from the UK-based group Just Stop Oil who have hit headlines with disruptive actions from throwing soup at works of art (without damaging them, it has to be added) to disrupting the world snooker championship was invited (remotely) to talk with a group of politicians and one notable political lobbyist on the subject of new Oil, Gas and Coal licenses that the UK government is in the process of granting.

What struck me was the disjunction between Ms. Plummer’s statements (clear, articulate, to the point in my judgment) with the equivocation of politicians (everything is fine, we are doing great, the other side would not do as well, what we do does not matter on the global scale, what about the economy etc…)

When I speak; I speak from a context – a way of understanding the world. If my audience shares that context then we communicate with ease. If that context is not shared, then there is work to do to build a bridge if we are going to have meaningful communication. Doing so requires willingness to step outside of our inevitably narrow perspective toward one in which the other’s is included. We do not have to agree to do so, however there is a commitment to move beyond righteousness and admit the other’s perspective.

Politicians in the modern era of spin politics are coached, trained into holding to a narrative. Political debates are often of the form of mere re-statements of positions with little genuine debate. Vulnerability and openness is seen as weakness. What is left looks like my junior school playground; an immature and weak shadow of who we are and what we can be.

This weekend I was in the presence of Men who were willing to go beyond their innermost truths to find a place beyond all of that; to evolve, grow and create the next steps of their lives from a new and more powerful place (check out The Mankind Project). Each time one of these men was uncertain and shared what was actually going on for them, taking the risk of revealing themselves, my trust in them grew. Their presence grew. Their power grew. Vulnerability is where transformation begins.

I long for a world in which truth is spoken; not absolute truth – but personal truth. I know we have all the answers we need to renew our culture and society in the face of Climate Change. It will involve humility, willing to look the science in the face, imagine other possibilities and take personal risks in the service of humanity. Willingness to move beyond narrow and comfortable viewpoints and create genuine connection. Climate protestors and campaigners know this; people are very real in the face of both the crisis we face and the forces of the status quo trying to silence them. The risks are genuine. Many have faced severe legal consequences; fines, imprisonment and well-documented police violence. In other parts of the world, environmental activists have been murdered. This is my definition of courage.

There is I believe a crisis of legitimacy in our democratic institutions and politics which the escalating Climate Crisis is bringing to the fore. The formation of Citizen’s Assemblies to address the crisis and create new policy options is perhaps the most powerful tool that could be brought to bear to move beyond tired immovable narratives to a new story of who we are and who we wish to be.

Our seeing outside our narrownesses into possibility is a pre-requisite of a livable future. Transformation is underway, and the task is urgent.

How will you move?

19Apr23