Climate Change; what can we do today?
Climate change; what can we do?
This week:
The Pacific Northwest is experiencing historic flooding; lives, homes and infrastructure lost.
COP 26 in Glasgow ended - with no agreement to limit global heating.
Lewis Hamilton came from behind to win the São Paulo Gran Prix in Brazil.
“How on earth are these connected?
A few personal thoughts below.
Part of The Trailblazer mission includes introducing others into the benefits of recreating in natural public lands, and in doing so - opening the door to prioritising the health of our planet and people.
Yet today, this is still not recognised as a priority by national leaders.
As nations; we are still focused on economic strength and national security as primary and secondary needs. Yet our economy and safety are more at risk from climate change than they and we were in past wars. Only this war isn’t on foreign land, it’s in our forests which are burning each summer and in the floods which are spilling into our towns and cities.
Two things today
What can we do? If I do one random thing to help our planet today, won’t this get lost in the shuffle? The challenge can seem overwhelming.
However - what if collectively, we could do two million focused actions each Tuesday? This would equal a hundred-million positive actions per year to clean up our planet.
Is it possible - I think so.
Today - if each of us do two simple and easy things to help the planet and tell others - exponential growth and continuity can achieve the rest. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it didn’t fall in a day either, if we act now and soon, we can make enormous recovery.
Has there ever been a more important task at a more opportune time? We can’t envision living each year among fires, floods, unbearable heat and rapidly melting glaciers. It is too painful, too destructive - yet what if this pain fuels us to change?
Two things - each Tuesday - each week.
Click here for a page of ideas you can share with friends and family.
Thank you for reading this first Trailblazer Tuesday newsletter.
To consider the points above:
1. Do we need any more signposts or milestones? Isn’t our health and living situation deteriorating at an unacceptable rate? What if the best option is action and change? What if we are capable as individuals - and unstoppable as communities. What if together we can create change?
2. One problem with expecting national leaders, political leaders and elected officials to create and sustain change is
a) they work for us - but we need to do the work.
b) at best - half of everyone will disagree with elected leaders - (or sabotage policies).
c) national leaders and industry captains do not have the same degree of freedom of choice, which you and I do. They are beholden to certain constituents, some or many of which - are actually committed to preventing change. They are crippled by inertia and dysfunction. As individuals -we are not.
Largely, national leaders and elected officials rarely have the power of moral authority, nor the necessary focus to enact massive change. But people do. We do - And we actually have the freedom to chose our actions right now, today and everyday.
3. Lewis Hamilton…! The irony of a motorsports and Formula 1 race-car champion as an example of creating positive change for the planet is not lost on me…. That said, we may actually see zero-emission vehicles in decades. We will certainly change the way we do transport and travel.
To me (and a fellow Brit) Lewis Hamilton, a black driver from a London blue-collar background is the most accomplished race-driver in history. He represents important values; inclusion, love, kindness, boldness and a fierce instinct to win.
This past weekend, Hamilton started at the back of the pack… an impossible situation to be able to win and defend his world championship. Yet win he did, overtaking, overcoming, overextending beyond his capabilities. And when he did win, he did something I think is profound…. He took a flag from a race-marshall and flew it from the cockpit of his car for the fans and victory lap.
However, it wasn’t the British flag he flew - it was the Brazilian Flag….
The thought of an American or a British athlete flying the flag of a foreign nation is the antithesis of everything we are taught in school. It goes against the messaging and conditioning of putting our national interests first. By thinking out of the box, inclusively and beyond self-interest - I think Lewis exemplifies and transcends the very limitations we need to overcome to be able to solve our collective climate problems.
Hamilton’s motto is ‘Still I rise”. a reference to the beautiful poem by Maya Angelou (and possibly the album by 2Pac and the Outlawz as well). Either way, he has it tattooed on his neck.
The Trailblazer project was never about just a book, or a personal expedition, it’s been about learning and trying to have some influence and impact. The most important thing I’ve learned in five years is that making our planet a better place to live is a universal goal which transcends politics, differences, race, gender. That said, I found the expedition and book writing to be difficult at times, seemingly impossible at times. An inspirational quote I have in my notebook is Hamilton’s,
“If you believe in something, and it’s an undeniable belief… anything is possible”.
We can do so much. Massive change starts and continues with small consistent actions.
Again, thank you for reading. Thank you for your support. Thank you in advance for supporting this #trailblazertuesday project. I hope you chose two things today, or commit to them for next tuesday, or any day. Mine btw - were to walk instead of use transport today - it added only a few minutes of time but felt great - and to pick up trash, cans and bottles at the spot where I exercise most days. It took fifteen minutes and two people actually helped me.