X marks the spot
Marking a cross on a piece of paper, sending an email, or asking a question might not immediately feel like some obvious ways to tackle climate change.
Fighting it doesn’t just require changes in our own lives; it also requires our representatives in government to make big changes to secure a cleaner future.
The UK government has the power to make policies and introduce legislation that would enable the UK to tackle climate change much more effectively.
It could encourage much larger investment in clean energy, increase support to developing countries to adapt to climate change, it could make sure that climate change is at the heart of the UN’s post 2015 development goals and it could push other world leaders to reach a fair and binding UN deal to limit global warming.
Or the UK government could do none of these things.
A lot hinges on whether our current and future politicians get the message from us — its constituents — that climate change is something they really must tackle.
As the debate rages about whether voting makes any difference or not, it’s right to question our role in politics. But if we play no role at all we must expect to be left with the politics we deserve — one that risks serving only the few and not the many.
Each of our seemingly small decisions — whether to vote or not, whether or not to write a letter or pose a question to our local candidates — has the potential to shape some much bigger decisions.
The 2008 Climate Change Act and the Scottish Act the following year demonstrated the power of campaigning for legislative change. But for something as important as the future of the planet, we can’t stop there.
Last weekend Cyclone Pam gave a devastating reminder of the destruction that the climate is capable of. Scientists have warned us that extreme weather events will only become more common and more destructive if we don’t act now.
So please, in this election year, use all of the power and influence you have when you’re marking a cross on a ballot paper, sending an email to a prospective or current parliamentarian, or asking questions at a pre-election hustings event.
Get information for candidates and questions to ask at a hustings event here, or get in touch if you have any questions.
