23rd March 2008

See Cllr Philip Booth's letter for Stroud Life next week. 

Many of us are trying to live greener lifestyles, but we must also challenge our political establishment who are trying to inhabit two parallel worlds. It simply isn't possible to infinitely increase economic growth and simultaneously reduce carbon emissions to safeguard our future.

Climate change is a symptom of our economic system that is based on increased work, consumption and inequality. Our economics encourages rampant consumerism that we use to distract ourselves from meaningless lives that no longer connect to the rhythms and abundance of the natural world. While many have higher 'standards of living',  almost all of us are poorer, when it comes to quality of life. Indeed Oliver James's book 'The Selfish Capitalist' shows how our obsession with economic growth has led to extraordinary increases in people's insecurity and unhappiness.

We need to move away from the obsession with free markets, privatisation and accumulation of material wealth to safeguard not just the environment, but also our physical, emotional and mental welfare. It is exciting to see more of us seeking ways to challenge our current economic system. Transition Stroud, our Farmers Market, local currencies and local food initiatives are some examples. Let us hope such visions gain ground to coalesce into a critical mass in time to divert a catastrophe.

A zero carbon future doesn’t have to be a future shivering around a candle in a cave – it can be a comfortable and a more secure one. We need to push for some serious political will for real change and to use the best science to build a secure future for all rather than profit for the few..

Philip Booth