Hi folks, we will be meeting as normal at the Crescent Club at 7.30, it would be great to see you if you are able to join us!
This week we take a wee break from exploring the bible and so i’m please that Claire Thew has agreed to write a blog for us reflecting on the language of the climate change. She lives and works in the North East and is Director | Environmental Sustainability Lead | Venture Zero North East CIC which is a Community Interest Company aimed at engaging businesses and communities around health, wellbeing and sustainability.
What is Net Zero and why is everyone on a journey to it….
In the few months since CoP26 in Glasgow in November 2021, the media has been awash with words such as Net Zero, greenwashing, eco-anxiety and we are now being told to reduce our carbon footprint, but what does it all mean? In the following blog post we attempt to jargon bust some of the more commonly used words around climate change.
Climate change is finally big news. In the decades since scientists first began to suggest that there was a negative anthropogenic impact on the earth there has been relatively very little in mainstream media over what is now considered the greatest threat to humankind (not withstanding the current situation in the Ukraine of course). Now “climate” has its own tab on the BBC news website and programs such as David Attenborough’s “Climate Change – The Facts” the BBC’s “Shop Well for Your Planet” and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s “War on Waste/Plastic” are shown on prime time tv slots.
The term climate change, which is often used interchangeably with “global warming” is of course a natural phenomenon. The true definition of climate change is “a change in the average conditions — such as temperature and rainfall — in a region over a long period of time.” Global warming refers to the long-term heating of Earth’s climate system observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning and refers to both human and naturally produced warming and the effects it has on our planet. But in the last few years the dialogue has shifted from conversations around climate change/global warming to a full on climate emergency.
Climate Emergency is a much more emotive term that has been around for over a decade and is being used more readily as it better reflects the situation we are now in. It was declared “word of the year” in 2019 by the oxford dictionary as its use had gone up 100 fold. (Interestingly 2020 could not be captured by a single word but “lockdown” and “circuit breaker” featured highly and in 2021 it was “vax”).
Carbon footprint, first coined in 1999, became word of the year (2007) yet it’s a term that many people are still confused by. Put simply it’s the amount of carbon entering the atmosphere and is largely the result of our reliance on the extraction and burning of fossil fuels. In scientific terms it’s the total amount of a number of gases (known as greenhouse gases) but as carbon accounts for 2/3rds we just call it a carbon footprint. To measure it you used to have to be some kind of data analyst but nowadays there’s an app (or 2) for that (see links at bottom).
Greenwashing is another word that often provokes a flicker of confusion. Greenwashing is when a company/brand makes people believe that they are doing more than they are to protect the environment. It’s all around us and when attempting to be an environmentally conscious consumer it can often be difficult to see the wood for the trees (excuse the pun). It will come as no surprise to hear that the fossil fuel industry is guilty of this, Shell started branding their Helix brand of car oil carbon neutral because they claimed to have bought sufficient carbon offsets to account for the carbon emissions of their hydrocarbons. Many other sectors are just as guilty but that’s another blog post…..
Lastly, I have to mention eco-anxiety. Literal in its meaning – anxiety over the environmental and ecological crisis – it’s on the rise, especially in our young people, coming out of a pandemic and with the future uncertain, it is absolutely no wonder. But we live in hope, and “action is hope” (Ray Bradbury), so what action will you take today?
Some Questions
Apart from the Hulk, who is the “greenest”/most environmentally conscious person you know?
What concerns you most about the state of the planet?
What realistic changes could you make to your lifestyle that would have a positive impact on the environment?
Can you think of any brands you have come across that you would say are guilty of “greenwashing”.
What advice would you perhaps give to someone who was experiencing eco-anxiety?
Carbon Footprint Calculators
https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/
Rob Wylie is the founder of BeachcomberFX and guides its leadership team. He has worked in the North East for over 20 years and has vast experience from various roles he has held. He has a passion for Fresh Expressions of Church and Pioneer Ministry as well as beer, beaches and Miniature Schnauzers.