Monday 1 November 2021

Misplaced COPtimism

Show your stripes

I'd like to feel optimistic about COP26, I really would. People in high places are making the right noises, after all, with Johnson's "one minute to midnight" soundbite and Charles Charlie-Charles calling for a military-style response to the problem. But people in high places always make the right noises, don't they? And most often before doing exactly what they always wanted, rather than what others need.

The trouble, I guess, is that environmental decision-making is a political issue, and what are elections if not a popularity contest? Taking tough decisions on the environment might win some votes, but raising taxes to pay for them or saying "you can't do these things that you like doing any more" is likely to lose more. Cynical of me to suggest, I know, but I do think a lot of politicians, especially those in high office, are primarily concerned with simply keeping themselves and their mates in power. It's why governments can make lots of noise about climate change and their green credentials whilst continuing to grant licenses for the extraction of fossil fuels.

The obvious choice of song for the end-of-world pessism I feel today would be REM, of course. But why be obvious? Here are four lads from Hull who, by their own admission, were "quite good". I doubt they wrote this about climate change, but it seems to fit nicely.

Greenpeace have written a really excellent précis of COP26 for those that want to know more, which concludes with a call to get involved with local protest on Saturday 6th. Worth a read, I think.

4 comments:

  1. Yes to all you say.
    I feel great despair. We could have taken steps so, so long ago. Even now, as you say, it just feels like the most powerful people in the world are, as ever, only saying what they think people want to hear to keep them in power. And they are the most powerful people in the world exactly for that reason, not for their compassion or conscience.
    Thanks for including that link, some reading for me later.

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    1. I'm so with you, C. As for the part that party politics plays in this, I've been giving that a lot of thought for some time time and have almost worked out the kinks from a theoretical alternative system, but that's for another day and another blog post.

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  2. My thoughts exactly - Those in power can never make those really far-reaching decisions, that might be unpopular in the short-term, but will make the world a better place in the long-term. Being re-elected for another four or five year term is all they're interested in.

    A theoretical alternative system - You've been giving the old grey matter a work out.

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    1. So disappointed with how little has been achieved. And all over in two days? Rubbish! Why did I think there would be more to it than that?

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