Reading an article about Al Gore and his latest book, Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis, it (sadly) came as no surprise that climate change deniers and lobbyists outnumber environmental lobbyists eight to one.
Gore compares the campaign against regulating greenhouse gas emissions with the campaign run by the tobacco industry to stop the regulation of tobacco. Industry-backed lobbyists are nothing new; they are out there and working hard to protect the interests of oil, arms, pharmaceutical, agro-chemical, mining and other companies.
Years ago, I remember watching a documentary about the health benefits of sugar – funded, you guessed it, by UK-based global sugar company, Tate & Lyle plc. With celebrities endorsing sugar-laden drinks as healthy energy-boosters for children (no mention of dental decay) and pictures of sun-kissed fields of sugar cane, I was almost taken in. Today, Tate & Lyle have a slick website advertising themselves as: ‘Consistently first in renewable ingredients’, and there’s a nice, shiny Social Responsibility button too.
A recent article in The Age revealed research showing that about 120 companies potentially affected by climate change laws employ firms with more than 300 lobbyists.
That’s why individual action – People Power – is so vital in the climate change debate. We need to make conscious and informed decisions about the companies we invest in, the goods and services we buy, the politicians we vote for and the community organisations that we support. If we feel powerless to influence change, we sell out to industry and interest groups. Whether we go meatless one day a week, choose renewable energy systems in our homes, recycle our grey water, drive more fuel-efficient cars, sign petitions or write letters to the relevant ministers, we must take action NOW.
One inspiring example of individuals making a stand and doing something to raise awareness about climate change is Run for a Safe Climate. 25 runners drawn from the emergency services – many of them directly or indirectly involved in tackling last summer’s Victorian bushfires – donated annual leave to run the 6000-km relay run down the eastern seaboard during November.
The run started in Cooktown bordering the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area on 2 November and finished on St. Kilda Beach in Melbourne on Sunday 29th November. Along the route, scientists and climate change specialists joined the runners at 30 community events to raise awareness about global warming and take part in discussions with local groups, schools and businesses.
Organised by Safe Climate Australia, an organisation launched by Al Gore in Melbourne earlier this year, Run for a Safe Climate raised funds towards the development of a business model for Australia to rapidly reduce carbon pollution and tackle what Gore refers to as “a planetary emergency”.
Worryingly, the industry-backed lobbyists are having a marked impact on public opinion. Down from 44 per cent in April, only 35 per cent of Americans see global warming as a serious issue today. Initiatives like Run for a Safe Climate raise awareness of the real issues and break through the web of misinformation and complacency.
