Just a small departure from our usual design-ish posts today, but we really had to put something up about this – the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.
What this is, as far as we can tell, is the London authorities asking the public how they would combat climate change. People post up their suggestions, and people vote for their favourites. Now this is all very well and good; democracy is a lovely concept and we like being asked for our opinions. But you do wonder exactly why we are being asked.
Copenhagen succeeded in nothing more than confusing large numbers of people. The inaction also fuelled climate change sceptics and the whole IT saga out in East Anglia made a lot of people lose faith in the scientists. Consequently, you’ve now got a lot of people who really don’t believe that much can be done about the state of the environment, and even more who don’t really care.
Now it seems like the London authorities also fall into that bracket. They should, of all people, have access to expert information and opinion, pressure groups and activists lobbying for change and presenting plans for a greener future and – in a nutshell – green options coming out of their ears. It appears that either isn’t happening (unlikely, the green wing are a vociferous lot) or more likely they don’t get it or don’t care.
So much as we love the sentiment of being asked for our opinions, climate change is an expert, scientific issue. And if those with access to the experts and scientists aren’t putting forward a proposal, it’s time to worry. Much as’ National Vegetarian Day’ and ‘Force companies to turn their lights off at night!’ (two of the most popular people’s proposals at the moment) are excellent ideas, they aren’t going to save the planet.
That’s a job for the politicians, and it seems like they may have given up.
