| In light of the 'failure' of the recent COP15 summit, | | | | policy for environmental change on a large scale, and |
| there can perhaps be no more apt time to reflect on | | | | that means skeletons coming from closets every |
| the value of the individual in the struggle towards an | | | | now and again. |
| environmentally sound future. Political finger-pointing | | | | Seeming to be saying the right thing is the method |
| was indeed rife, but shed an ironic light on many | | | | of the sly. The technique of advertising cars in recent |
| people's frustrations as the negotiations came to a | | | | years has become particularly oblique and therefore |
| close: many readers' comments in the major papers | | | | good at doing this. Advertising the brand's funded |
| seemed to have believed that our politicians were to | | | | environmental research unit is often a good tactic. |
| become fairy godmothers on this one, and after a | | | | But this does not make the petrol car that we buy |
| successful day's banter, pollution and climate change | | | | any more environmentally-friendly in itself. Despite the |
| would be solved. To be hyper-critical or sarcastic is | | | | average car speed in Manchester city centre of just |
| not my aim here; in terms of what was promised, | | | | 6mph, the roads are never short of their glut of |
| COP15 was a shambles. But most of us can turn | | | | brand new shiny petrol powered cars. Trains to |
| criticism closer to home and be more effective with | | | | Manchester are by no means scarce, but perhaps we |
| it too. | | | | have come to 'buy' our right to drive with the little |
| As car advertisements and even multi-million dollar | | | | we pay for 'offsetting', buying away our guilt. |
| corporations such as BP switch to the pleasant | | | | Maybe environmental pressures require us to learn a |
| rusticity of a 'green' image, it is becoming more and | | | | whole new set of ethics we were never taught in |
| more important (and difficult) for us to distinguish | | | | school. Understanding fuel and power, and how to |
| between which consumer choices we make are in | | | | determine when is legitimate for us to use them. |
| fact environmentally friendly, and which are simply | | | | Learning about where our recycling goes to and what |
| riding the band-wagon. It is pretty hard not to offend | | | | exactly is done with it, and where our non-recyclable |
| at least someone with our lifestyle choices. | | | | waste ends up. These, also, would take someone to |
| Self-reliance and common sense are really the only | | | | admit their ignorance but it seems that the only way |
| ways to deal with this problem. Difficult as it may be | | | | we might go about really changing the way we treat |
| for environmental veterans to tolerate our confusion, | | | | our environment is first not to fear our being in the |
| we would ideally be living already in a society where | | | | wrong. We are all in the wrong, but there are some |
| admitting a lack of 'green' competence wouldn't earn | | | | who will have the strength to aim to correct their |
| you the rank of a leper. Honesty is really the only | | | | ways. |