Hey COP27: change is possible! Here’s the proof.
Is it radical to believe that human beings are compassionate? That we are ambitious and driven to create a better world? I don’t think so. Here are 10 examples of how we have transformed our world. We will continue to do so, we have it in us. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. As the last few days of COP27 close in, it’s time to show the world that that will is undeniable.
1. The end of legal slavery.
The world as we know it was built on slavery. It is estimated to date back 11,000 years. That’s a long time to have normalised such an inhumane practice. It means it was deeply embedded in social structures and economies. Yet today, there is no country in which slavery is legal. For many of us, it is now an unthinkable practice with no place in the world. This is a monumental feat.
The fight against slavery is far from over. In half of the world (94 countries) it is not criminalised. “The 2021 Global Estimates indicate there are 49.6 million people living in situations of modern slavery on any given day, either forced to work against their will or in a marriage they were forced into.”
Globally, leaders and citizens alike have shown their demand for abolishing slavery. We now need to ensure that that intention is the reality for all throughout the world.
2. The rise of human rights.
Although many believe in human equality, it is not universally given in law or social relationships. The majority of societies are patriarchal, with social and economic divides that create power hierarchies and, with them, deep-rooted inequality. However, this inequality is not a fact rooted in human nature. About 95% of human history was characterised by foraging societies and hunter-gathers. Often depicted in modern texts as uncivilised cavemen, there is mounting evidence to prove that the reality was far from this. In fact, foraging societies were apparently the most egalitarian in human history.
12,000 years ago, humans discovered agriculture, and with it, foraging societies dwindled. In the past 12,000 years, only 5% of human history, the system of inequality spread. In the last 150~ years, many groups have banded together to change this. So how are we untangling the inequality that has festered over the last 12,000 years?
Civil rights movements pioneer change.
In the wake of oppression, social injustice and inequality, ordinary people unite to reclaim their fundamental rights and protect these through the law. It is the fight to achieve equal rights for all groups of people, namely racial, ethnic, indigenous, class, religious, linguistic, gender, and LGBTQ+ groups, and also the collective rights accorded to any minority group. In particular, during the last 100 years, these movements have grown spectacularly and achieved a lot.
To name a few, civil rights movements were vital to achieve:
Equal legal rights for black citizens of the U.S.
The movement was crucial for ending the lawful segregation in schools, public places and transport, voting, and access to jobs. The movement's perseverance resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The movement continues today as it fights to end all forms of racism.
The end of apartheid in South Africa.
In 1948 the white-ruled Nationalist Party were elected into power and ensued to put various laws in place ensuring the segregation of public facilities, social gatherings, government, housing, and employment. Years of protest from the South African people and global community brought this deeply unjust period to a legal end, culminating with the formation of a democratic South African government in 1994 and enshrining of the Bill of Rights into the Constitution of South Africa.
Women's rights.
Since the 19th century, there has been an organised movement fighting for the rights of women and girls. These rights include but are not limited to; the right to bodily integrity and autonomy, to be free from sexual violence, to vote, to hold public office, to enter into legal contracts, to have equal rights in family law, to work, to fair wages or equal pay, to have reproductive rights, to own property, and to education.
Progress on these rights differs significantly across the world. In some countries, these rights have not only been legally institutionalised but they are also being reinforced by a cultural shift. In other countries, many rights are yet to be included in the law, and even when they are, cultural realities impede them from being experienced by most women in that country. For example, women now have the legal right to vote in every country except Vatican City. However, not every woman in every country has an equal opportunity to vote due to societal norms, harassment and violence at the polls, or pressure from their husbands. Although there is global legal recognition of women's rights, the on-the-ground reality leaves gender equality far from being achieved.
At this very moment, the world is witnessing the fight for civil rights in Iran after Mahsa Amini was killed in police custody. 22-year-old Amini was arrested for not wearing her hijab correctly. Her death has sparked widespread protests and demonstrations against the government's strict regime.
“Women and men are shoulder-to-shoulder. All of Iran is united. [ …] For the first time in the history of Iran since the Islamic Revolution, there is this unique unity between the ethnicities. Everyone is chanting the same slogan. Their demand is the same.” says Ramyar Hassani, spokesman for the Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights.
To support the protesters in their fight for “Woman, Life, Liberty”, we can donate (Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran, United for Iran, Human Rights Watch), sign petitions (e.g. from change.org and Amnesty International), and use our civic powers by joining local demonstrations of solidarity, sharing news and resources on social media, and emailing government officials to ask them to support the protesters. There is an email template here that is automatically addressed to representatives but add your local representative as well. (Email sourced from Danny Price).
Same-sex marriage.
The global decriminalisation of homosexuality has been a slow process over the last 250 years. One which is yet to be completed; in 70 countries, homosexuality is still criminalised, and in 11 of those, it is punishable by death. Only 18 years ago, the Netherlands led the way to be the first country to legalise same-sex marriage. Now, same-sex marriage is legal in 30 countries.
3. Nature has Rights. Time to recognise them.
Laws are created throughout history to reflect the societal belief at that time by legitimising behaviours and thought patterns. These are then ingrained in society and can render it unimaginable or excessively radical to adjust those laws.
As seen during the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, members did not consider this drafting as a creation of new human rights but rather a recognition of these rights in the format society adheres to; through law. The right itself is granted through existence. Therefore it is the responsibility of human society to recognise these existing rights and integrate them into the legal framework of society so that these rights are protected. Considering the environment is humanity’s direct life source, it seems logical its existence is something we would want to protect. Yet the current widespread approach, and subsequent laws, treat nature as a thing to be exploited, not to be protected.
Enter the rationale for the Rights of Nature. These rights have three pillars; (i) the right to exist (ii) the right to continue to exist, and (iii) the right, if degraded, to be restored. The Rights of Nature kicked off as a movement in 1972 but builds upon a relationship with and understanding of nature that can be traced back indefinitely in indigenous communities. The movement has since had many successes, from Tamaqua in 2006, the first place in the U.S., and the world, to recognize the Rights of Nature in law, to Ecuador, the first country to recognize the Rights of Nature in its national constitution in 2008. Nature's legal rights were exercised through the Vilcabamba River case in 2011, stopping a highway construction project that would interfere with the natural flow and health of the river. In the same year, Pittsburgh used it as part of a ban on shale gas drilling. Fast forward to 2022, many cities, states & counties, and even entire countries are institutionalising the Rights of Nature.
4. Ozone layer — the hole is healing!
Hailed as one of most successful science communication stories from the environmental movement; the collective action that has led to the progressive healing of the ozone layer from what could have had devasting impacts on human, animal and plant health. This story of successful action shows the world, from its leaders to its citizens, is capable of working together to take practical environmental action.
“To make this happen, all countries, developed and developing, collaborated in a global partnership, also with the full cooperation of industries and other stakeholders, to meet their respective responsibilities.” said Meg Seki, Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat under the United Nations Environment Programme.
From a science communication perspective, this shows the power of a relatable and understandable story that resonates with people from all walks of life. A ‘hole in our shield that protects us from skin cancer-causing UV rays’ is not only immediately understandable, but it also conveys the severity and urgency of action. Yet, the ‘hole’ is not technically a hole; the layer was dramatically depleted in one region. It was communicated as a hole, making it easier to visualise and significantly more compelling.
Let this story remind us all of the power of storytelling in science communication. Lean into the anecdotes, the analogies, the comparisons, the metaphors. Founded in facts, delivered with delight.
As is with every story on this list, there is still a way to go. We’re not 100% in the clear yet!
5. Keep our animals alive. Some endangered species have been brought back from the brink of extinction.
There seems to be an abundance of heartbreaking stories of biodiversity loss and species extinction. In and amongst these, there are some glimmers of hope. Whales went from sea royalty to scarcity due to industrial hunting, losing several entirely to extinction, such as the western South Atlantic humpback and Antarctic Blue whale. The global trade of whale products has since been forbidden, and now Humpback whales and Gray whales have made a comeback.
Mountain gorillas were considered extinct by the 20th century. Yet thanks to significant conservation efforts East Africa’s Virunga Massif, there are now over 1,000 worldwide. Dangerous pesticides and chemicals were sprayed into bald eagle habitats, thinning the eggshells and killing the young. In the 1960s, there were only 500 of these iconic birds left. Thanks to the Endangered Species Act’s protections, there are now over 14,000 breeding pairs. Another deeply iconic animal, the global tiger population, is finally increasing.
6. The climate and the environmental movement is growing, and with it, stories activism induced success.
There is a growing consensus amongst citizens that climate and environmental action is necessary and that they’re willing to take action themselves. Global days of action have seen people take to the streets in the masses, such as the millions showing up worldwide in 2019 for climate justice, making it the largest climate protest in history. Similarly, the masses supported the protests during COP26 and COP27. This protest mid-way through COP is to platform for the voices most affected yet least heard in the formal negotiations. It's an important space to counter the narrative of attendees from the fossil fuel industry, whose numbers spiked this year and put pressure on negotiators to go further.
Late in 2021, the UK climate movement experienced a huge win; the Stop Cambo campaign stopped the development of a new North Sea oil field, ‘Cambo’, by pushing Shell to pull out. 2021 saw several other successes following the determination and perseverance of environmental groups; The Keystone XL pipeline in the U.S. was cancelled, The Environment Act comes into law in the UK, the Cumbria coal mine was under review after campaign pressure, COP26 accelerated the phase-out of coal, and seismic blasting by Shell was blocked by a South African high court.
7. Diet revolution — plant-based foods on the rise.
With increasing awareness of the health benefits of plant-based food for human and planetary health, the market has been increasing for years. The global plant-based food market is grown. For 2022, the model expects a market worth 44.2 billion U.S. dollars, which is expected to reach 77.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2025 and more than double by 2030.
This appetite for consumer power changing markets is reinforced through the “Climate Catalysts” research by the Oliver Wyman Forum. The “climate catalyst” cohort accounts for about 13% of the global adult population and is identified as one of the critical groups driving global business in the 2020s.
8. Renewable energy is more affordable than ever.
Prices of large-scale solar photovoltaics decreased by 89% between 2009 and 2019. This is at a rate considerably faster than expected, rather than an annual decrease of 2.6%, it was 15%. This enables the continued growth of the solar sector, driven by strong policy support in China, the European Union and Latin America. The combination of policies and technological development has enabled solar to scale up. The cost of generation is also considerably less than that of fossil fuels. In the UK, wind and solar energy costs less than one-third of gas-fired power, however, the consumer does not experience that pricing due to the pricing system.
9. Let nature thrive; stories of success do exist.
Restoration of nature is vital to protect our ecosystems and biodiversity. For example, in Europe there have been several successful projects demonstrating the power of governments and NGOs working together. Such as restoring Ireland’s peatlands, restoring the Skjern river in Denmark, restoring Posidonia beds in Spain, restoring Finland’s forests, restoring the Schelde Sigma Plan II floodplain in Belgium, the renewal and ecological enhancement programme of the Emscher Industrial Park in Germany, restoring Grasslands in Latvia and restoring cork oak forests in Portugal. All case studies can be found here.
10. More people are educated than ever before.
Not only a fundamental human right but education is also considered a duty in many countries. It is an essential tool for achieving other human rights and contributes to social capital and long-term economic growth, landing it as the fourth Sustainable Development Goal. As the following graphs show, there has been a drastic improvement in the last 200 years in the proportion of children in school and literary levels globally.
So much has changed in the last century. Cultures and societies have dramatically evolved. Economies have boomed. Many talk about modern-day as “the way it’s always been”. This could not be further from the truth.
Less than 20–30 years ago, we had corded phones, floppy disks, and chunky computers with plug-in internet that the whole family — or street — shared. Now, an estimated 91% of the world’s population has a mobile phone, most of which are mini computers at this stage. In a very short period, we have adopted mind-blowing technologies and ways of life, yet apparently struggle to envision ‘new’* patterns of sustainable and ethical consumerism and citizenship.
We are much more open to change than world leaders and grand rhetorics seem to give us credit for, especially when we know it’s bettering the lives of the ones we love.
Three more days of COP27; make it count.
*Many patterns of sustainable and ethical consumerism and citizenship are not new at all. They are based on the ways our ancestors and indigenous communities have lived for years. Respect for the earth and others. Living a life within our ecological means.
Please let me know your thoughts on this article and share your favourite stories of how we are transforming the world.
Thank you to the creators on Canva for use of their images.
