A call for citizen climate action

Deeper thought reveals that the climate action movement has at least three strategic advantages that it has not yet developed to full potential. First, it already has much greater numbers than the Greenhouse Mafia and its front groups. As the climate action movement becomes better organised, these increasing numbers will be able to exert substantial countervailing political pressure against the lobbying and misinformation of vested interests.

Second, the movement has a wide diversity of groups and so can communicate directly with most of society, from farmers to workers to professionals.

Third, the movement has integrity, because it is working for the good of all humankind and our planet, instead for the profits of a few very wealthy corporations and individuals. Its recommendations are based on the best available science, instead of the pseudo-science trotted out by deniers. It adopts the ethical principles of a just transition to a better future for the disadvantaged. Thus it has firm foundations for further growth.

I have no doubt that the climate action movement will assist us to make the long-overdue transition to an ecologically sustainable and socially just society. But, whether it can do this in time to avoid irreversible changes to Earth’s climate is still an open question.

More details are given in my book Climate Action: A campaign manual for greenhouse solutions (UNSW Press, 2009).