Climate Action meeting: All welcome!

Hastings council declared a climate emergency earlier this year. The question is: what next? This will be discussed on Thursday 30 May at Jackson Place, Hastings Voluntary Action, hosted by Friends of the Earth. All welcome. HOT’s Zelly Restorick writes.

You might be one of the people who believes that a climate emergency is happening, you may think it’s a fallacy, you may think it’s happening but it’s all part of what the climate does…

It’s hard these days, isn’t it – to know who to trust and what to believe?

Regardless of our belief system, to change to a cleaner, energy efficient, fairer, more sustainable system and a regenerative culture surely – simply – makes good common sense.

“Panic!” Or “Don’t Panic!”

I am not sure I agree with environmental activist, Greta that we need to panic.

Do we make our best decisions when in a state of panic?

It’s good for us to be aware of what’s happening climate-wise, to accept; acknowledge; respond with wisdom; thoughtfully; heartfully; reasonably; lovingly; respectfully…

(I wonder what the world would have been/ be like if everyone of us would have been accepted, acknowledged, thoughtfully and heartfully treated, reasonably, lovingly, respectfully? Mmmmmm….?)

‘Authority Rules OK!’

We have all been brought up within such an authoritarian system. We are simply used to it, as we have been conditioned to accept it, programmed to submit or there’ll be consequences. Violence/bullying/subjugating tactics are often the method of control, but not the only ones.

The bullies and the bullied.

Some people thrive under the thumb of authority, feel they need – want – belong within an authoritarian hierarchy. Maybe they feel safe – someone else is ultimately in control.

The authorities and the ones who over whom they hold control… or attempt to.

Bread and Circuses

To keep the masses occupied. Bread and circuses… keep the people distracted, tell them what to do, train them to do what you want them to do/conditioning/programming – and keep them at all costs manipulatable…

And it does puzzle me, as there have always been more of us than them, which means part us of thinks: it’s their responsibility… I pay my taxes, I pay my council tax… it’s someone else’s responsibility.

Common ground we all share

However, whichever side of the fence we stand on, you, me, each and every one of us – as far as I know – is a human being. So we have that in common. We’re all humans.

Underneath every person playing a role – in local or national government, in all the hierarchical and co-operative work spheres, within education, in health…. is a human being with all the needs that we are known to share….

More common ground.

Breathing. Common ground we all share.

Part of the solution?

And with climate change/emergency – whatever we want to call it – we have all played a role. We’re not solely responsible, but we’ve all contributed. And hackneyed as these sayings are: We’ve been part of the problem, but we can be part of the solution.

No blame. No shame. We’re in this together. We’ve all played our part.

And we need action from the bottom up and the top down. We can’t wait for the local, national, international governments, parliaments, legalisers and corporations to change, we all – as humans, as this is our shared species – can play a role in changing things.

Do we have to learn the hard way? Is this the only way for humans to learn? Tough love the only kind of love?

We have a choice.

Coming soon: A personal and collective regenerative culture. 

Also in: Campaigns

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