‘Why is it that those who contribute to exploiting poor communities and the earth’s ecosystems are those who have BAs, MBAs, MScs and PhDs and not the ‘ignorant’ poor from the South.’ David Orr (1994)
We are entering an age where the Earth’s character is being changed by people for the first time in history. We are facing a myriad of problems including climate change, ecosystems loss and human growth. Higher education understands the extent of these issues however it is yet to realize the full scale transformation that will need to take place if it is to become a facilitator of the change in society that is able to truly tackle these challenges successfully. Historically, universities and students have been an important component in bringing about progress in society, such as in the civil rights movements in the 60’s and 70’s. In facing current issues, higher education has made some important steps towards sustainability, such as the rise in the number of conservation and sustainability literate courses where current problems are taught and discussed within the curriculum. However, a much higher level of commitment is essential to address the challenge confronting the planet if it is to truly produce the visionary sustainability literate leaders that are required to see us through this global shift in consciousness.
This is a natural resources issue which is the result of, and therefore, proportionately linked to a human resources issue. The interconnectedness of these issues needs a new approach which requires the building of new mental frameworks, language and enhanced human qualities such as empathy, creativity, respect for diversity and an ability to apply ethical considerations to all areas of life. Ken Robinson, international advisor on education, believes that our current systems of education are based on the legacy of the enlightenment which is hampering the reforms now needed. They prize economic utility and intellectualism and systematically destroy creativity and imagination whilst leaving many people behind. Higher education must recognize this reality and question the role they currently play – What kind of practices and institutions do they currently strengthen? Could they be educating people to wreck the Earth more effectively? Currently we use an industrial metaphor for education which conforms to utility, linearity and standardization whereas an organic metaphor which emphasizes vitality, creativity, diversity and customization would be better equipped to deal with the challenges of the 21st century (Note 1).
Higher Education has gone through several stages in its response to the current crises. Initially the response was to imagine what a sustainable organization would look like and throughout the 1990’s, universities began to implement individual pilot projects. Leith Sharp, who headed up the world’s largest change management team at Harvard University, explains that there are many examples of great individual sustainability projects, from low-pollution transportation systems to motion sensitive light fittings. Whilst these individual projects are a great sign of a growing awareness and show a willingness to act, the implementation has been haphazard rather than a strategic overall plan that would see the entire institution modeling sustainability from it’s teaching to the campus. A University may market itself as green, implementing a sustainability policy which lays out its intentions and may even go someway towards this by achieving some of the ‘low hanging fruits’, such as introducing recycling bins. However, at the same time, another department may make a choice to invest in and keep money with a bank which has a well known reputation for investing multi-millions into fossil fuel extraction projects. Much greater institutional, systemic change is needed guided by a systems thinking perspective that will drive sustainability into the core business of higher education (Note 2).
Much change has focused on university campuses and not on the curriculum, which has been critically underdeveloped. The world is not arranged into compartments and knowledge is not neatly arranged into different disciplines; the real world is interdisciplinary and complex and the curriculum will need to reflect this if we are to find real world solutions to different challenges. Questioning whether the knowledge currently generated by research and the one disseminated through teaching is the most suitable for addressing the problems facing humanity is essential. With 90% of health research addressing the problems of 10% of the population, it seems that higher education is resolving problems and creating knowledge only for those that can afford to pay for it. Instead, we should be striving for knowledge creation to be an asset for all, particularly those most in need of it. Christina Escrigas, Executive Director, Global University Network for Innovation, suggests that we ‘should reconsider the priorities, finance them, and disseminate the achievements for the wellbeing of the whole society and not just for economic reasons’ (Note 3).
Higher Education must become places where transformational learning can take place if they are to remain relevant to the problems we now face. They must enable students to have a profound understanding of sustainable development as a social process that must be learnt; an understanding of social dimensions such as human behavior; a mutual respect for different cultures and diversity, and an ability to deal with complexity and ethical considerations applied to a variety of different scenarios (Note 4). These transformed places of higher education will not only equip students with the skills and capabilities that will be required as we move towards this uncertain future, they will also be key in generating a new conscience of being in the world. The students that graduate from higher education have the ability to make choices with positive or negative consequences, therefore higher education has a responsibility to not only to ensure that they have the right information included in the courses, but that they create the kind of knowledge, values and human capacities that will ensure a bright future for all.
Note 1: Ken Robinson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCbdS4hSa0s)
Note 2: Leith Sharp (Higher Education: the quest for the sustainable campus, ejournal.nbii.org)
Note 3 and 4: Christina Escrigas (http://web.guni2005.upc.es/interviews/detail.php?id=1184)
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Thursday, 2 December 2010
G20 Climate Camp - The right to protest?
The G20 was a chance for some of the world’s leaders to get together and decide how to create sustainable growth and so an important opportunity to make real change in the world. This event was not going to pass by without unchallenged, and sure enough protesters arrived in London in their thousands. They demanded that leaders bring the troops home from illegal wars, they were angry about the loss of jobs despite the bail out of bankers and the as yet, inneffective measures to prevent ongoing climate change. I went along with a small group of students from UWE, with the plan of ‘swooping’ down on a London Street and setting up tents as part of a direct action organised by climate camp. We wanted to show the G20 leaders that we wanted tougher action on climate change.
Rather than the camp having to ‘swoop’ down on London as planned, it was more of an amble. There was little resistance from the police to prevent the tents from going up, in no small way due to the numbers of people there ready to camp. Soon the street was filled with people, tents everywhere you looked, a samba band played and brightly colored flags and bunting completed that festival vibe. Everyone involved in climate camp, as usual, were running an organized event. I was based on non-hierarchical principles and autonomous decision making - a form of pure democracy where every decision is made in agreement with anybody in the camp who would like to participate. There were also compost toilets and free hot food, completing that feeling of community and being cared for, creating a living example of how an alternative sustainable way to live, could be.
Throughout the day there were several clashes with the police trying to get into the camp which left many protesters battered and bruised. They used a controversial technique known as ‘kettling’, where they surrounded the camp and refused to let anyone in or out. Many have questioned the legitimacy and effectiveness of this tactic. People have been left unable to go to the toilet and without water for hours on end and sometimes they have not even been a part of the protest. There are many videos online, from sites such as you tube, showing the brutality of the police tactics. This technology has allowed the general public to witness just how violent and controlling parts of our political system has become.
I witnessed a police officer brutally kicking a protester before he pushed and sent her flying to the ground. Climate camp has a history of being non-violent and the protesters used techniques such as sitting on the floor, raising their arms and shouting ‘shame on you’ at the police. We linked arms on the floor but the police came in, two at a time, dragging and carrying protesters out of the camp including myself. Once they had removed those protesters preventing the police from entering the camp, they had free reign to brutally push those remaining. A good friend of mine, had his wrist broken in the process, a sign of just how heavy handed they were.
Many were left without their possessions as police refused to let them go back to collect them. Tents were left discarded on the side of the road, the remains of a beautiful event which ended so violently and, arguably, unnecessarily. With the camp preventing business as usual (planned for just 24hours), perhaps the state decided this was too high a price to pay for peaceful protest. It raises interesting questions about who the police are here to protect, and whether we really do have the right to peacefully protest as every citizen should have. Despite the brutal tactics of the police, we left happy to be a part of something that was an amazing living experiment and important protest about an issue that will affect us all.
Rather than the camp having to ‘swoop’ down on London as planned, it was more of an amble. There was little resistance from the police to prevent the tents from going up, in no small way due to the numbers of people there ready to camp. Soon the street was filled with people, tents everywhere you looked, a samba band played and brightly colored flags and bunting completed that festival vibe. Everyone involved in climate camp, as usual, were running an organized event. I was based on non-hierarchical principles and autonomous decision making - a form of pure democracy where every decision is made in agreement with anybody in the camp who would like to participate. There were also compost toilets and free hot food, completing that feeling of community and being cared for, creating a living example of how an alternative sustainable way to live, could be.
Throughout the day there were several clashes with the police trying to get into the camp which left many protesters battered and bruised. They used a controversial technique known as ‘kettling’, where they surrounded the camp and refused to let anyone in or out. Many have questioned the legitimacy and effectiveness of this tactic. People have been left unable to go to the toilet and without water for hours on end and sometimes they have not even been a part of the protest. There are many videos online, from sites such as you tube, showing the brutality of the police tactics. This technology has allowed the general public to witness just how violent and controlling parts of our political system has become.
I witnessed a police officer brutally kicking a protester before he pushed and sent her flying to the ground. Climate camp has a history of being non-violent and the protesters used techniques such as sitting on the floor, raising their arms and shouting ‘shame on you’ at the police. We linked arms on the floor but the police came in, two at a time, dragging and carrying protesters out of the camp including myself. Once they had removed those protesters preventing the police from entering the camp, they had free reign to brutally push those remaining. A good friend of mine, had his wrist broken in the process, a sign of just how heavy handed they were.
Many were left without their possessions as police refused to let them go back to collect them. Tents were left discarded on the side of the road, the remains of a beautiful event which ended so violently and, arguably, unnecessarily. With the camp preventing business as usual (planned for just 24hours), perhaps the state decided this was too high a price to pay for peaceful protest. It raises interesting questions about who the police are here to protect, and whether we really do have the right to peacefully protest as every citizen should have. Despite the brutal tactics of the police, we left happy to be a part of something that was an amazing living experiment and important protest about an issue that will affect us all.
Climate Camp 2008
Climate camp is an inspiring event and protest, a week long event to show an alternative way of living and organising ourselves. The perception of climate camp for some may be of a load of hippies getting together for an excuse to have a festival. And yes, okay, from certain perspectives I can understand why it may seem like that. I’m not denying that hippies were present or that there was a festival atmosphere, however climate camp is so much more than that.
In an attempt to challenge the current status quo which has allowed runaway climate change to go mostly unchallenged, Climate Camp has emerged as the direct action group which aims to show there is another way. There is no hierarchy at the camp, therefore it’s down to each individual to get involved, whether it’s building a marquee or cooking a vegan meal for 100. It attempts to exist sustainably, so there are many clever innovations at the camp, such as the surprisingly clean compost toilets and the funky pedal powered disco. Whilst all this is being maintained, there are over 250 workshops taking place on subjects varying from alternative energy sources, anarchy and even acrobatics.
This year’s protest subject was the opening of Kingsnorth power station by E-On, the first new coal power station to open in Britain in over 30 years. This is an obvious act of shooting one’s self in one’s foot. The UK government admits we are facing the serious threat of climate change as they are about to pass the first ever green bill this December. Yet Kingsnorth will produce up to 8m tonnes of CO2 a year, making these targets difficult to hit, to put it very mildly. Protesters marched to the front of the gates to tell ‘E-on to f-off’, with a samba band and penguin costumes in tow. Other activists donned pirate outfits and sailed up the river on home made rafts in an attempt to break in and shut the power station down. Some managed to climb onto the security fences that were erected specifically to keep protesters out and hang banners.
I came away from the camp with a sense that things can change, indeed need to change and that this is an exciting opportunity. So why aren’t we doing this already? I saw that by simply changing our habits we can live as part of a caring creative community, where each individual is not only listened to but becomes an important part of the whole. I realised at the camp that we are living in an increasingly policed state when I saw attacks on peaceful protesters and heard stories of crayons and board games that were confiscated. I also realised that the government don’t seem able to make the choices that are needed if we are to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change. So whilst climate camp had that festival vibe and a chance to express my inner hippie, it also offered a unique opportunity to be empowered, to stand up and demand that our voices must be heard.
In an attempt to challenge the current status quo which has allowed runaway climate change to go mostly unchallenged, Climate Camp has emerged as the direct action group which aims to show there is another way. There is no hierarchy at the camp, therefore it’s down to each individual to get involved, whether it’s building a marquee or cooking a vegan meal for 100. It attempts to exist sustainably, so there are many clever innovations at the camp, such as the surprisingly clean compost toilets and the funky pedal powered disco. Whilst all this is being maintained, there are over 250 workshops taking place on subjects varying from alternative energy sources, anarchy and even acrobatics.
This year’s protest subject was the opening of Kingsnorth power station by E-On, the first new coal power station to open in Britain in over 30 years. This is an obvious act of shooting one’s self in one’s foot. The UK government admits we are facing the serious threat of climate change as they are about to pass the first ever green bill this December. Yet Kingsnorth will produce up to 8m tonnes of CO2 a year, making these targets difficult to hit, to put it very mildly. Protesters marched to the front of the gates to tell ‘E-on to f-off’, with a samba band and penguin costumes in tow. Other activists donned pirate outfits and sailed up the river on home made rafts in an attempt to break in and shut the power station down. Some managed to climb onto the security fences that were erected specifically to keep protesters out and hang banners.
I came away from the camp with a sense that things can change, indeed need to change and that this is an exciting opportunity. So why aren’t we doing this already? I saw that by simply changing our habits we can live as part of a caring creative community, where each individual is not only listened to but becomes an important part of the whole. I realised at the camp that we are living in an increasingly policed state when I saw attacks on peaceful protesters and heard stories of crayons and board games that were confiscated. I also realised that the government don’t seem able to make the choices that are needed if we are to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change. So whilst climate camp had that festival vibe and a chance to express my inner hippie, it also offered a unique opportunity to be empowered, to stand up and demand that our voices must be heard.
Water Wars and Bottled Water
It used to be that we would get all our water from the tap, but since the 80’s, bottled water seems to have become a natural part of every day living. It’s easy to see why, as when you’re rushing around it’s more convenient to reach for a bottle of water. However, as more and more people become aware of the negative impacts, the bottled water industry is suffering from a backlash. Questions have been raised, such as why we should pay more money for something that we can get from a tap when 1.3bn people don’t have access to safe and clean water. This has prompted several American Universities, and Leeds Student Union in the UK, to ban bottled water.
Bottled water used to be the ‘in’ thing, partly a reaction to the perceived danger in our water supplies from chemicals and pesticides, but also clever marketing and advertising telling us that bottled water is much cleaner and tastes better. Some have even gone as far, such as the H2O bling brand, as to claim ‘that you can tell a lot about a person by the bottled water they carry around.’ Reports such as those released by the United Nations Food and Agricultural organisation in 1997, concluded that bottled water is no better for you than tap water. In fact one quarter of all bottled water is just municipal tap water, packaged and resold onto us. One such example is Coca Cola’s brand Dasani, which it was revealed in March 2004, came from the mains in Sidcup in Kent.
The bottled water industry has tried to protect its green credentials with the British Bottled Water Producers claiming that 'Few other industries, except perhaps organic farming,' Jo Jacobius of the BBWP insists, 'play such a major role in protecting the countryside, doing much to minimise environmental damage.' Obviously they would defend their position, but even if this is to be believed, there are still issues surrounding its production, transportation and waste.
It takes 7L of water and 250ml of oil to make a 1L bottle of water. This is mind boggling when you consider that there are reports that we are about to reach peak oil and a lack of water resources which has prompted the Vice president of the world bank, Ismail Seragaldin, to claim that ‘the wars of the next century will be about water.’ By 2050 we look set to see 40% of the world’s population (around 4bn) living in countries of chronic water shortages. This has motivated many corporations to desperately buy up water developments, turning it from a public good, into a commodity, in which they profit whilst creating environmental havoc and depleting groundwater supplies.
There are other, ‘ethical’, bottled water options, such as ‘Frank’ in the UK, set up by a UWE graduate. The project is based in Bristol, taking water from the local water table in Somerset and using its profits to fund water projects in India. Whilst offering a better alternative, there are still questions surrounding ethical consumerism, when perhaps the only real solution is to reduce consumption. Leeds Student Union’s solution to this problem was to ban sales of bottled water on campus. The recently formed Natural Hydration Council (NHC), who represent the bottled water industry, responded: "It seems a shame for a university union, whose principles are founded on the right to choose, to take away student choice by removing bottled water from the union. It also seems to be an ill-informed decision."
It is important to be well hydrated and there are some great examples of bottled water brands that are trying to have a lower impact on local water tables and other environmental impacts. However, in countries that have access to clean, safe water directly from the tap, the only real solution is to minimise or even stop our bottled water consumption.
Bottled water used to be the ‘in’ thing, partly a reaction to the perceived danger in our water supplies from chemicals and pesticides, but also clever marketing and advertising telling us that bottled water is much cleaner and tastes better. Some have even gone as far, such as the H2O bling brand, as to claim ‘that you can tell a lot about a person by the bottled water they carry around.’ Reports such as those released by the United Nations Food and Agricultural organisation in 1997, concluded that bottled water is no better for you than tap water. In fact one quarter of all bottled water is just municipal tap water, packaged and resold onto us. One such example is Coca Cola’s brand Dasani, which it was revealed in March 2004, came from the mains in Sidcup in Kent.
The bottled water industry has tried to protect its green credentials with the British Bottled Water Producers claiming that 'Few other industries, except perhaps organic farming,' Jo Jacobius of the BBWP insists, 'play such a major role in protecting the countryside, doing much to minimise environmental damage.' Obviously they would defend their position, but even if this is to be believed, there are still issues surrounding its production, transportation and waste.
It takes 7L of water and 250ml of oil to make a 1L bottle of water. This is mind boggling when you consider that there are reports that we are about to reach peak oil and a lack of water resources which has prompted the Vice president of the world bank, Ismail Seragaldin, to claim that ‘the wars of the next century will be about water.’ By 2050 we look set to see 40% of the world’s population (around 4bn) living in countries of chronic water shortages. This has motivated many corporations to desperately buy up water developments, turning it from a public good, into a commodity, in which they profit whilst creating environmental havoc and depleting groundwater supplies.
There are other, ‘ethical’, bottled water options, such as ‘Frank’ in the UK, set up by a UWE graduate. The project is based in Bristol, taking water from the local water table in Somerset and using its profits to fund water projects in India. Whilst offering a better alternative, there are still questions surrounding ethical consumerism, when perhaps the only real solution is to reduce consumption. Leeds Student Union’s solution to this problem was to ban sales of bottled water on campus. The recently formed Natural Hydration Council (NHC), who represent the bottled water industry, responded: "It seems a shame for a university union, whose principles are founded on the right to choose, to take away student choice by removing bottled water from the union. It also seems to be an ill-informed decision."
It is important to be well hydrated and there are some great examples of bottled water brands that are trying to have a lower impact on local water tables and other environmental impacts. However, in countries that have access to clean, safe water directly from the tap, the only real solution is to minimise or even stop our bottled water consumption.
COP15 - the growth of the movement
Well it was arguably the most important meeting of world leaders in our history, discussing the most important challenge in human history. So it was no surprise that the climate change talks were set to be controversial and had many on the edge of their seats asking that all important question. Would the world leaders come up with an international legally binding agreement that would prevent climate catastrophe, irreversible damage to our environment and many millions displaced? Perhaps not. However, this is not cause to give up all hope. Seen as some as an important starting point, it has also raised the profile of climate change and shown that people all over the world were prepared to make the pilgrimage to Copenhagen to say that they want to see climate justice. As 7 students from Bristol found out, it is not just up to world leaders to make the necessary change, it is grassroots movements, the people, who can make it start right here, right now.
Back in 1997, leaders came together in Kyoto, Japan, to make the first legally binding agreement, the aptly named ‘kyoto protocol’, to reduce green house gas emissions. It has been seen as many as a failure, in part, due to America and Australia who refused to ratify the agreement until 2007, but also in its inability to seriously impact global emissions which have continued to rise. It has relied on market based mechanisms, such as the hotly contested ‘cap and trade’ system. It is seen as some as the only solution capable of ‘greening’ the capitalist system, and others as yet another business as usual solution which has so far only served to line the pockets of the industries it was meant to restrain in the first place. It was this agreement that COP15 was meant to replace in 2012.
Whilst world leaders had their talks in the Bella Centre, out on the streets, people from all over the world planned how they could make their contribution. It was the biggest coalition of groups and individuals marching to demand climate justice ever. It was the movement showing that change must come from the bottom up as well as the top down. However, new legislation rushed through the Danish right wing government just days before the start of the talks, meant much harsher treatment for those who chose to express themselves through peaceful protest. As a result, tension between the police and the protestors was inevitable.
7 students from Bristol (UWE), including myself, joined the march on Saturday 12th December, after travelling for 24 hours by coach. We witnessed a peaceful protest, one full of energy and excitement of people meeting from all over the world. It wasn't long until we heard reports of people detained for hours on end, in cages, on purely pre-emptive reasons. This did not dampen the spirits of protesters who later in the week staged a people’s conference, one that upheld the principles of inclusivity of all. It was planned to coincide with the walkout of many NGO’s, and even a couple of delegates from the conference, due to the unfair treatment and inclusion of the Global South who will suffer, unjustly, the worst effects of climate change.
The outcome of the talks did not reach the conclusions many had dared to hope for. We are left with no legally binding agreement, instead just a strongly worded agreement of intent, as well as no agreed timescales. However, this is an important step forward and we must not forget that this is the first time that almost all of the world’s leaders have come together to discuss how we can avoid runaway climate change. It was also an opportunity for people to come together from all over the world to build on the strength of the network. There is much that can be taken from this. We now know that leaving it up to world leaders is not enough, that change must come at all levels. I believe that COP15 has strengthened the movement’s determination and we can now move forward without waiting for the go ahead from world leaders.
Back in 1997, leaders came together in Kyoto, Japan, to make the first legally binding agreement, the aptly named ‘kyoto protocol’, to reduce green house gas emissions. It has been seen as many as a failure, in part, due to America and Australia who refused to ratify the agreement until 2007, but also in its inability to seriously impact global emissions which have continued to rise. It has relied on market based mechanisms, such as the hotly contested ‘cap and trade’ system. It is seen as some as the only solution capable of ‘greening’ the capitalist system, and others as yet another business as usual solution which has so far only served to line the pockets of the industries it was meant to restrain in the first place. It was this agreement that COP15 was meant to replace in 2012.
Whilst world leaders had their talks in the Bella Centre, out on the streets, people from all over the world planned how they could make their contribution. It was the biggest coalition of groups and individuals marching to demand climate justice ever. It was the movement showing that change must come from the bottom up as well as the top down. However, new legislation rushed through the Danish right wing government just days before the start of the talks, meant much harsher treatment for those who chose to express themselves through peaceful protest. As a result, tension between the police and the protestors was inevitable.
7 students from Bristol (UWE), including myself, joined the march on Saturday 12th December, after travelling for 24 hours by coach. We witnessed a peaceful protest, one full of energy and excitement of people meeting from all over the world. It wasn't long until we heard reports of people detained for hours on end, in cages, on purely pre-emptive reasons. This did not dampen the spirits of protesters who later in the week staged a people’s conference, one that upheld the principles of inclusivity of all. It was planned to coincide with the walkout of many NGO’s, and even a couple of delegates from the conference, due to the unfair treatment and inclusion of the Global South who will suffer, unjustly, the worst effects of climate change.
The outcome of the talks did not reach the conclusions many had dared to hope for. We are left with no legally binding agreement, instead just a strongly worded agreement of intent, as well as no agreed timescales. However, this is an important step forward and we must not forget that this is the first time that almost all of the world’s leaders have come together to discuss how we can avoid runaway climate change. It was also an opportunity for people to come together from all over the world to build on the strength of the network. There is much that can be taken from this. We now know that leaving it up to world leaders is not enough, that change must come at all levels. I believe that COP15 has strengthened the movement’s determination and we can now move forward without waiting for the go ahead from world leaders.
Friday, 30 January 2009
Why should we demonstrate?
What difference does going to a protest really make? It’s an important question and one that needs to be understood. Certainly, just before the Iraq War broke out in 2003 what is claimed to be the largest demonstration ever seen in Britain (around 750,000 - 2,000,000) protesters marched on London and still the war continues. However, we cannot judge how effective protests are by looking at them from this perspective. After all, we are now pulling our troops out of Iraq and if public pressure had not been so high, built up by protests like these, no doubt we would not be seeing the same results.
Certainly on the environmental perspective we should be celebrating as we have now passed the first ever climate change bill committing us to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 10% by 2015 and 80% 2050. However, at the same time as passing this bill our government is still considering a 3rd runway at Heathrow airport and opening a new coal power station. If these go ahead then we are looking at the real possibility that we will not be able to hit the targets we have set ourselves. Once again, the government is not acting in our best interests so what choices have we but to take action ourselves.
I wonder how different things would be if the suffragette Emily Pankhurst had stayed at home and wrote an angry letter. Imagine how different our world would be if Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King had just stayed at home grumbling about the problems they face without doing anything about it?
Protesting is a vital part of the democratic system and without it we would not have many of the rights we take for granted today. We must not become complacent though, we may be living quite comfortably now but under the surface trouble is brewing. We’re sitting on a ticking time bomb that for many in developing countries is already ringing. It’s time to stand up in solidarity and take our place in history to prevent runaway climate change.
Certainly on the environmental perspective we should be celebrating as we have now passed the first ever climate change bill committing us to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 10% by 2015 and 80% 2050. However, at the same time as passing this bill our government is still considering a 3rd runway at Heathrow airport and opening a new coal power station. If these go ahead then we are looking at the real possibility that we will not be able to hit the targets we have set ourselves. Once again, the government is not acting in our best interests so what choices have we but to take action ourselves.
I wonder how different things would be if the suffragette Emily Pankhurst had stayed at home and wrote an angry letter. Imagine how different our world would be if Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King had just stayed at home grumbling about the problems they face without doing anything about it?
Protesting is a vital part of the democratic system and without it we would not have many of the rights we take for granted today. We must not become complacent though, we may be living quite comfortably now but under the surface trouble is brewing. We’re sitting on a ticking time bomb that for many in developing countries is already ringing. It’s time to stand up in solidarity and take our place in history to prevent runaway climate change.
Is a good meal something that's got dead stuff in it?
It's strange, when I tell people I'm vegan I feel a little bit like I'm confessing my sins. I know it's nothing to be ashamed of but when I tell people, I feel like I've insulted them. ‘Oh, you're one of those’ they might say, they might even go as far as to ask why. I get lulled into a false sense of security and start rolling off statistics (90% of stats are made up on the spot you know), facts and general reasons. Either the eyes start glazing over or they pointedly say they don't want to hear anymore, turn around and start a conversation about the weather with the person next to them, leaving me to feel a bit like a social leper.
Now what makes my experience of being a vegan even more fun (I know, like eating humus all the time isn't fun enough anyway) is having a boyfriend who's a die hard carnivore. He believes, as he's constantly telling me, that ‘a good meal isn’t a good meal unless it’s got dead stuff in it’. On one memorable family occasion his brother drunkenly waved a half eaten pork pie in my face slurring 'you know you want to'.
Anyway, I probably sound like one of those die hard vegans, the ones that as Bill Bailey put it, 'won't even pass through a town that's got ham in the name’. Actually, I've only been vegan for six months now and not even that long if you count my slip-ups. Now here's the paradox, those who eat meat are those that are the most disappointed when I say that. I find myself sort of writing a vegan contract with explanations, rules and get out clauses. So to begin, I explain, I'm a commercial vegan (self-named). It sounds awful, like a vegan that's hit the mainstream, the girls aloud of veganism, or the Topshop... well, you get the point.
What I mean is I don't mind eating animals. If I could get out and hunt my own food maybe I would. Although, perhaps faced with the prospect of killing a cute bunny I would think twice. What I don't like is the intensive farming methods we use to exploit animals - it's not great for them, our environment or the planet in general (can you believe our planet could actually be destroyed by cow's farts?).
It’s become a bit of a topical issue as late with reports urging people to cut down their meat and dairy consumption by half, returning to pre-WWII levels. It’s not surprising since 1/5th of carbon emissions in the UK are caused by food with half of that down to meat and dairy. It goes up another 5-20% if you include rainforest cleared for cattle or cattle feed (1). Even our own NHS is looking to exclude meat from their menu in a bid to cut their carbon emissions. Gosh, I haven’t even mentioned the health benefits!
Anyway, I think there are many reasons people choose to be vegan/vegetarian though they are widely misunderstood. We are not all new-age hippies, though even if we were that would not detract from the very good reasons for becoming one. So if you don’t understand the reasons, I challenge you to find out.
1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/30/food.ethicalliving
Now what makes my experience of being a vegan even more fun (I know, like eating humus all the time isn't fun enough anyway) is having a boyfriend who's a die hard carnivore. He believes, as he's constantly telling me, that ‘a good meal isn’t a good meal unless it’s got dead stuff in it’. On one memorable family occasion his brother drunkenly waved a half eaten pork pie in my face slurring 'you know you want to'.
Anyway, I probably sound like one of those die hard vegans, the ones that as Bill Bailey put it, 'won't even pass through a town that's got ham in the name’. Actually, I've only been vegan for six months now and not even that long if you count my slip-ups. Now here's the paradox, those who eat meat are those that are the most disappointed when I say that. I find myself sort of writing a vegan contract with explanations, rules and get out clauses. So to begin, I explain, I'm a commercial vegan (self-named). It sounds awful, like a vegan that's hit the mainstream, the girls aloud of veganism, or the Topshop... well, you get the point.
What I mean is I don't mind eating animals. If I could get out and hunt my own food maybe I would. Although, perhaps faced with the prospect of killing a cute bunny I would think twice. What I don't like is the intensive farming methods we use to exploit animals - it's not great for them, our environment or the planet in general (can you believe our planet could actually be destroyed by cow's farts?).
It’s become a bit of a topical issue as late with reports urging people to cut down their meat and dairy consumption by half, returning to pre-WWII levels. It’s not surprising since 1/5th of carbon emissions in the UK are caused by food with half of that down to meat and dairy. It goes up another 5-20% if you include rainforest cleared for cattle or cattle feed (1). Even our own NHS is looking to exclude meat from their menu in a bid to cut their carbon emissions. Gosh, I haven’t even mentioned the health benefits!
Anyway, I think there are many reasons people choose to be vegan/vegetarian though they are widely misunderstood. We are not all new-age hippies, though even if we were that would not detract from the very good reasons for becoming one. So if you don’t understand the reasons, I challenge you to find out.
1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/30/food.ethicalliving
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