All we hear is that we most likely don’t get an ambitious agreement in Copenhagen in December. Obama and the U.S. are trying to lower the expectation for a binding and ambitious deal, and the EU is putting way too little money on the table. Though, I think it is important to maintain the hope and the optimism, even though it in a way can seem useless. We need to maintain the feeling that our campaign can make a differens and that it is possible to sign a fair and just deal in december. Connie Hedegaard is putting pressure at the U.S. (http://www.berlingske.dk/article/20091004/klimapolitik/910040319/), and there are people in the US government that are really trying to pressure to get an US climate policy signed before december. Thus, even though it often seems hopeless, we need to believe that it is possible and we need to keep the positive stories and the glimpses of hope in mind.
Monday evening I watched the news on tv2. There was a rather long feature about climate changes. It is of course positively that there is focus on the climate changes and global warming. But not once was the adaptation and climate debt mentioned. It made me angry and frustrated, and my boyfriend had to tell me to calm down a bit. But seriously, how many people have to suffer before the people with power and money start to act. And how many people have to suffer under the global warming before the stories hit the news, so people can see the urgency of action for adapation…
When we discuss climate changes in Denmark we very often talk about our personal responsibility. We are all responsible for the way we live and the choises we make. Both when it come to switching off the lights, biking instead of taking the car and taking shorter showers, which actually is a rather easy thing to live in accordance with. But our personal responsiblity is more than that. It’s also the way we consume, what food we eat and what clothes we wear.
Recently a new Danish cookbook was publised by the author, Susanne Engelstoft, called “The Climate Cookbook: Save a little of the Earth between 5-7 p.m”, and is about how we should live, if we want to live completely in a climate friendly way. This book is published in the aftermath of many of the same genre in the U.S.
Some of the suggestions in the Danish book is: You are not supposed to eat meet. You should avoid food imported by airplains. You should go grossery shopping on your bike. You should eat locally produced products. You should prepare rice and potatoes a week ahead. You should control your need for curry, chocolade and vanilla - just to mention some of the advise.
Suddently it gets very complicated to be a green comsumer. How are we supposed to deal with all this when we stand in the supermarket after a busy day at work and in a hurry to get home and start cooking. Also then it comes to the production of our clothes. If we want our T-shirt to be produced under climate friendly conditions, where do we buy it and can we be sure it’s not a misleading advertising.
To give the consumer a possibility to act green and climate friendly, we need transparency and openness. Without the transparency it gets too hard and too complicated for the single consumer to manoeuvre around the many possibilities and find the right products. Furthermore, with a more open and transparent market it is easier for the consumer to demand climate friendly products from the companies and force them to act climate friendly.
It’s sunday evening and the first week of the Global Change education has passed. A lot of impressions and insights has been in my mind and challenged my existing knowledge and ideas. I especially find the relation between new and old media interesting. How can the new media supplement the use of the old media, and in what contexts and for what purpose is the new media to be prefered? When people talk about new or old media, it is a question of either…or… I find it very crusial to think about for what specific purpose the new and old media can be used, and how they can strenthing eachother to reach the specific goal. The new media has potential to reach people and create social change in a different way and has a different reach out. This is of course very important to explore and take advantage of. Though, do not forget the strenghts of the old media!
So this is my first blogpost ever! Just signed up and now I’m ready to give it a shot.
I’m 25 and live in Copenhagen in a dormatory with other university students. I have never tried blogging before, and I’m excitied to get an insight in how blogs can be used and how I can contribute. The global change education provides an insight in the use of new media in creating social change from below that is completely new to me. I hope to develop an understanding of how blogging can contribute to mobilisation and creation of social change.
