I signed up because I wanted participate in writing about something that I feel is an important and pressing issue. Now, as I think of the topic above, words, headlines and images are flying through my head and one question keeps popping up: Why doesn't the link between knowledge, awareness and action seem to work?
Until today I have not met anyone who would not have heard of climate change (small children excluded). I don't think I've met anyone who doesn't have knowledge of climate change either, but the depth and quality of knowledge varies. I have, however, met people who seem not to have reached the state of awareness yet (and I'm not including people who are aware but simply refuse to believe) and for some, the awareness is under the surface. I mean that they are aware of the reasons and consequences of climate change and how it all relates to their own life, but they do not really think about it. And certainly do not do anything about it. Not that the actively aware people do either - and many do, "as much as they can" they believe, but simply being aware of the problem is somehow not enough to act. It's like as if the impulse from brain to move the right leg forward isn't getting all the way to the leg.
And this is what continuously puzzles me. If we know about climate change, why aren't we aware of the big picture and our own role in it, and why aren't we doing anything about it? There are a million possibilities to change one's actions to more "climate friendly" ways, even if money, time, usability or other issues - sometimes even plain laziness - stand in the way.
Couple of years back, as part of my MSc studies, I designed an educational course on sustainable development for adults. The basic idea behind the course was to get participants to see the link between far-away global environmental problems, such as climate change, and their own life and the small choices they made every day, starting from the kind of breakfast to have, which soap to use in the shower, what to wear and how to get to work. I believed that by creating awareness, people would surely act. I mean if you know that micro waved porridge has a lower carbon footprint than fried bacon and eggs, thus contributing towards slowing down climate change, surely you'd choose the porridge? (better for you anyway!)
But as I think about that now, and look at my reflection against the window and question whether I myself always make the right choices and do I do enough.. and what is enough, really? What would it really take for us to make a real impact on slowing down climate change? Should I beat myself up about not doing enough, sometimes giving into the pressure from people around me, the societal and cultural ways, being busy or wanting to do something the easy way, not having to think every time making a choice between products? Or, would it only help if everyone tried a bit harder, changed even a tiny bit towards being "climate friendly"?
Some believe climate change is out of our hands, won’t make a difference what I do as it is another country to blame, or that terrible, polluting corporation. They are the ones with an impact. But corporations are made of people, and so are countries. So really, every person counts – and climate change is a global problem, so what does it matter who’s to blame more since everyone will be affected, some more, some less, and every one can do something, some more, some less? This reminds me of our housing cooperative back home. There’s only a little bit of common yard to take care of, but as some are so keen on everyone doing their equal share (which is not required, the law states it’s voluntary for all house owners) or “I won’t do anything either”, it’s come to the point that the work will have to be outsourced and everyone will have to pay extra (their equal share) for it. Another non-economic (the money invested into a common shed and tools wasted) and non-climate friendly (instead of "local people" doing the work, someone will drive to the site to carry out the work and drive back) decision made just because it mattered so much who does how much of the work. Or was there perhaps some broken links between the knowledge on the issue, awareness of the big picture and one's role in it and the action that could / should have been taken?
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