As Supporter Services Manager here at Greenpeace UK it’s a big part of my job to answer your questions. Probably two of the most common are "what can I do to make a difference?" and "how can I be truly green?" or variations on those themes, by people who don't feel that they are doing enough.
My answer is that the most important thing is to set your self on a path to change, and do things a bit at a time. Its almost impossible to make dramatic changes overnight (or at least to stick to them if you do), but through gradually changing how we act or consume we can make lasting changes - and that's true for society as a whole, not just individuals.
For example, since the 1980s we've seen the issues of climate change and sustainability gradually move from obscurity to centre stage in our national conversation; now we have to take that extra step from informed debate to the practical action necessay to achieve an international reduction in CO2 emissions from 2015 and the gradual transferral to a very green society by the second half of this century. On the surface this seems like an insurmountable goal, but just look at how much British society changed between the 1950s and the 1980s. In those 30 years we saw dramatic changes - and now we know what is needed there's nothing to stop us from changing again.
As we count down to the Copenhagen conference this November it's worth taking stock of how much change has already happened; the great mass of our citizens now broady accept environmental norms which they would have been resistant to only a few years ago. Car efficiency is an issue, saving energy is normal, flying is something you might think twice about, renewable energy is now a practical reality, and shopping bags can be reused without embarrassment, to name just a few examples. The international credit crunch has shown the inevitable consequences of getting locked into terminal consumerism, and we are seeing a rapid growth in mass protests and direct actions against when companies and governents are seen to be making wrong-headed decisions for short-term financial or political gain.
And crucially, at least in the thinking world, the climate debate has been won. Equally importantly the 'change' man himself won the US election, and all the signs are that the US is finally going to seriously engage with the problem. Though we shouldn't place too much reliance on Copenhagen as the silver bullet which will sort out our climate problems once and for all (we all know its going to take a lot more than one meeting), I'm confident that the threat posed by climate change is a challenge that we can rise to; all we need is for our leaders to have the courage to stand up for us. Of course, they need us too - to support them through the difficult process of cutting down our dependence on carbon and moving to a genuinely greener economy.
Anyone who has been to see Age of Stupid in the last week or so (if not go, and take your friends too) will have been offered a potent reminder of the consequences we face through inaction, and a wake up call. Age of Stupid is set in the future when it's too late to do anything about it, but our time isn't over yet, our time is now… and your individual actions and influence can be far more powerful than you could guess.
So make whatever lasting changes you can to limit your carbon footprint and live sustainably, but above all keep spreading the word to your friends and neighbours, because we're all in this together!
