OXFORD CLIMATE SOCIETY
  • About
    • What We Do
    • Who We Are
    • Our History
    • Advisory Board
    • Our Sponsors
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Videos of Past Events
  • Education
    • The Oxford School of Climate Change
    • Capstone Projects
    • Climate Change and Policy Lecture series
    • COP information
    • Climate Library
  • Action
    • Sustainability Action Guide
    • Decarbonise Oxford
    • College Sustainability Workshops
    • Legacy Campaigns >
      • Sustainability in the Curriculum
      • Oxford Climate Action Plan
  • Media and Arts
    • RISE zine
    • Anthroposphere: The Oxford Climate Review
    • Interdiscplinary Fine Art
  • Blog
    • Articles >
      • International Climate Policy
      • Global Perspectives
      • What you need to know about...
      • Past Blogs
    • Event summaries
  • Get Involved
    • Join Our Teams
    • RISE Submissions
    • Subscribe to our Newsletter
  • Alumni Network
  • Contact
  • Donate

Past Blogs

A variety of blog posts

Information, Exchange and Cooperation: Unlocking climate solutions

7/11/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Author: Felix Heilmann, Oxford Climate Society Vice President 2017/18 and Convenor of the Oxford School of Climate Change

The facts are clear. The most existential threat to our common future comes in the form of emissions created by what our economy runs on at the moment – fossil fuels that heat up the world’s climate. This is the astounding simplicity at the heart of what seems to be one of the world’s most complex problems. It is important to recall this as the climate negotiations make headlines over the course of these two weeks.

It is also worth recalling that there is, all in all, a surprisingly broad agreement from corporate boardrooms to civil society marches on the most fundamental principle on how a liveable future should look like – it is a future in which all major sectors of the society and economy have been successfully decarbonised, e.g. through the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy, increases in efficiency, and the like.

Naturally, there are disagreements on what exactly such a future should look like, and even more disagreement on how to get there – should governments take political action, or should we just trust market forces? Should some countries move first when others are not doing their fair share? The fact that there’s disagreement on these topics, however, is just a sign of a healthy democratic debate.

This cannot be said about a fundamental issue at the heart of climate politics: Far too often are highly necessary points about making today’s policy decisions future-proof dismissed as being “ideological”, and categorically rejected. Too often is climate action seen as a bargaining chip in political negotiations when it is, in fact, in our greatest common interest. Diverse groups within politics still showcase a categorical opposition to climate action, which they claim is an ideological issue – at a time when even companies such as Shell and Siemens have acknowledged its importance. It’s wrong and dangerous that silencing the debate about climate solutions and the necessity for action, or treating them as a bargaining chip, is still a workable political strategy for many parties across the industrialized world. In a healthy democratic culture, problems should be acknowledged, the best solutions debated, and then subsequently implemented. It is time that we close the gap between the pressing importance of the climate challenge and its representation and discussion in politics.

When it comes to life-or-death issues such as the climate crisis, it is not words but actions that matter. Every scientist will confirm that inaction is not an option in this case – we have to get our heads out of the sand, and face down this issue. That’s why it’s time to bridge across political divisions and build powerful coalitions that can create the future we want. This requires action on all sides of the political spectrum, and it can only be hoped that this is – finally – realized universally. In the meantime, we can work on what is crucial for a healthy democratic debate: having a good informational basis and getting the facts right. This is the spirit behind the latest addition to the Oxford Climate Society’s portfolio: The Oxford School of Climate Change. A select group of students will get the opportunity to hear about some of the most important issues in the climate debate from leading academics in the field, and there will also be ample opportunity to discuss solutions for the challenges ahead.

Words won’t safeguard our future – actions will. But words can lead to actions, and that’s why it’s crucial that we lead wide-ranging, expedient discussions on how to get into a safe future. The School of Climate Change will be a part of this effort.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    OCS Media Team

    The latest in climate science, policy, perspectives and more from the OCS team.

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017

    Categories

    All
    Adaptation
    BEIS
    Climate Justice
    Communication
    COP23
    COP24
    COP26
    Coronavirus
    DEFRA
    Eco Guide
    Economics
    Event Summary
    Extreme Weather
    Food
    Food Reviews
    Fossil Fuels
    Gender
    Global Perspectives
    Government
    Impacts
    International
    Local
    Nature
    Oceans
    Plastic
    Policy
    Pollution
    Race
    Solutions
    UK
    UNFCCC
    USA
    Women And Climate Change

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • About
    • What We Do
    • Who We Are
    • Our History
    • Advisory Board
    • Our Sponsors
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Videos of Past Events
  • Education
    • The Oxford School of Climate Change
    • Capstone Projects
    • Climate Change and Policy Lecture series
    • COP information
    • Climate Library
  • Action
    • Sustainability Action Guide
    • Decarbonise Oxford
    • College Sustainability Workshops
    • Legacy Campaigns >
      • Sustainability in the Curriculum
      • Oxford Climate Action Plan
  • Media and Arts
    • RISE zine
    • Anthroposphere: The Oxford Climate Review
    • Interdiscplinary Fine Art
  • Blog
    • Articles >
      • International Climate Policy
      • Global Perspectives
      • What you need to know about...
      • Past Blogs
    • Event summaries
  • Get Involved
    • Join Our Teams
    • RISE Submissions
    • Subscribe to our Newsletter
  • Alumni Network
  • Contact
  • Donate