Stream of climate consciousness…

“Time is ripe for climate action – the world is ready” one of my colleges said the first day. I hope she is right. I know that the issue has been discussed so heavily, that we Danish people slowly all have gotten used to the debate. We agree on the importance, Madonna sings for it, we go to Co2penhagen parties and bike to get electricity to the music – but still somehow I sense that the ongoing green revolution is very superficial and dangerous. It is dangerous because we have the feeling of provoking a change while we are actually doing nothing.

Truth is that climate changes shows to be much worse than the worse estimate and the melting of ice is going faster and faster while the negotiations are going slower and slower. All while we quietly continue to support the consumptive lifestyle still agreeing that we should prevent climate change.

I wonder why certain subjects such as terrorism talks directly to people‘s fear and make us act globally using billions on security (and wars) and make us accept huge law changes, while the climate risk, if compared is much more serious, only make us talk endlessly without reaching any answers. Climate changes have already caused millions of refugees worldwide and it is estimated that there in the future will be around 500 millions climate refugees – in comparison the risk of being killed in a terrorist attack is estimated to be the same as the risk of being eaten by a shark.

This underlined how we often act according to our feelings – a potential fear, a horrible picture -  and not according to a rational way of thinking. We smoke even though we shouldn’t , we keep using polluting cars and flights even though we know how damaging it is and we consume….because we are told that it is the way out of the crisis?! (It’s not only a woman thing!)

A German artist described 9/11 as the biggest art piece in history according to the forceful pictures and impact the “event” created globally. It’s not tasteful to mix art and dead, but this strange comparison make me think, that maybe a strong, horrible climate event could make the same impact?  Will it happen when the Peterman glacier breaks?  Or do we need a big group of climate refugees to invent the Danish people’s gardens?

Do we really need to feel the consequences before we are able to act? Do human beings have a built-in mistake that unable us to do preventive work? Can we act rationally?

We need to be eternally optimistic…. But what campaign can pass by this inherited challenge in human beings? We have seen the horrible pictures, we know the consequences, but still we don’t act. How can we influence the system as long as the “sinners” and the powerful yet haven’t felt the consequences?

Again I need to remain optimistic and remind myself, that even though the problem is complex and that there have been ongoing discussion for more than 30 years without reaching common ground, then every step and person STILL is important. Actually convincing more people that their voice matters would be a huge step…