Tuesday, September 1, 2009 saw the launch of 10:10 campaign in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern, London. Ordinary members of the general public, together with celebrities, MPs, media, NGOs, businesses and charities together agreed for immediate action against climate change and signed up to the 10:10 campaign.
The aim of the 10:10 campaign is to get the British people to pledge for aiming to cut the UK’s carbon emissions by 10% in 2010, that is to say by next year.
Individuals, business and organizations may pledge and even do it but where, do I ask, is our government. The answer is... lagging behind as per usual.
While the ordinary public is doing their bit, so to speak, the British government and parliamentarians are giving but lip service to the cause, whether or not they make the pledge to 10:10 at the event or not.
The beauty of 10:10 is that it's both achievable and meaningful
The world's response to global warming is a classic case of all mouth and no trousers. This new initiative aims to show that we can all act now - and achieve something significant and that we can all make a difference.
A cut of the UK's carbon emission by 10% by 2010 is calculated to be feasible but I personally wonder how feasible this actually is.
The problem as mentioned before though remains that the British government is the above all mouth and no trousers and while individuals, businesses, organizations, schools and colleges, and even local councils have signed up to 10:10 to make a difference and are still signing up, hopefully, the government just issues a lot of hot air (this might be a greenhouse gas too) and there is no substance.
One of the main VIPs launching the even was Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Others included Richard Curtis, Ken Livingstone, Kevin McCloud and Alistair McGowan and and a number of other prominent people in the environmental movement, politics, the media and commerce.
Fanny Armstrong, director of box office smash hit, The Age of Stupid, and founder of 10:10 said: “Popularizing immediate action against climate change is the only way we can make progress on this urgent issue. 10:10 has been set up to bring that call to action. Its ask is simple; make a few small changes in your home, business or policy which will have an immediate effect, not in five year’s time, but now.”
The event sign-up, alas, had by 4.30pm not gotten very far and there certainly were nowhere the first thousand people being served as yet.
The greatest problem, in my opinion, is the fact that the publicity for this even and the organization as a whole does not seem have been too good, or let me rephrase that, not been good enough.
Had it not been for Twitter, and for “Dothegreenthing” twittering about it in the afternoon of the previous day, August 31, the Bank Holiday Monday, the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW would not have been aware of this launch event and the organization either.
Let us hope that the publicity that has now been generated will get people involved though personally, I am afraid to say, I have my doubts.
The great majority of the people may do a little here and there as far as recycling is concerned, especially now that they are “forced” by the councils, and central government via the councils, to do so or – in some places – face fines, but when it comes to it in many other “green” issues they still have a long way to go.
This is often due to the fact that it is difficult for them to afford to make such changes, such as, for instance, fitting energy-saving light bulbs due tot heir costs compared to the incandescent bulbs, now made illegal.
There are, yes we know, simple and free ways to take part, such as simply saving energy by turning off appliances and such that are not in use or lights in rooms or locations where there is no one at that time but, alas, people are lazy and just cannot be bothered to do it.
We tend to encounter those people day-in, day-out, at home, at work, and elsewhere. The only way people will understand the message if it is presented in a manner that shows to them the possible savings in pounds, shillings and pence. But, we can always hope.
© 2009
<>
