Am going around to various groups’ meetings and (with their permission!) asking people sets of questions. Went to Green Party, Friends of the Earth and now Manchester Climate Action. Next up is Greenpeace on Thurs 29 July, and any other groups who are interested. Once have done the ‘green ghetto’, very keen to talk to non-environmental types. If you are in such a group that might be willing to have C2RA (for anything from 10 mins to an hour, with more interactivity and fun the longer we have), then please email calltorealaction@googlemail.com
What’s the main danger in the November 30 conference?
Going through the motions -allowing this to become just another publicity exercise
Grand-standing by politicians and big business leaders (e.g. United Utilities) about how much they’re doing and empty rhetoric e.g. “Manchester led the world with the industrial revolution and now we must lead again” = greenwash
Letting self-congratulation get in the way of recognising how difficult this is going to be
not enough recognition of what small organisations are doing
The dogma of ‘growth for growth’s sake’ going unchallenged
not engaging people – “death by powerpoint”
Not striking the right balance – too self-congratulatory or too doom and gloom
What’s the most important outcome for Nov 30?
Agenda for the next year – concrete goals
understanding scale of changes needed
include the airport in climate change plans
enhance engagement in the successor conference
get lots of people involved before and after
putting personal responsibility in context i.e. Easier to make good choices if the social/political background is right, BUT personal responsibility is still essential.
How should people be kept informed about the conference?
Tell kids in schools – send people round and do a fun activity
Use billboards and other street adverts and Manchester Evening News and radio
NOT using endless fliers
By groups other than the council itself
Promotional events
Network existing groups
Facebook, youtube.
Who should “we” engage with?
Everyone!
Action for Sustainable Living
High Schools
Universities in Manchester
Religious groups
Human rights groups e.g. Amnesty
Trade Unions
Tyndall Centre
Local community groups
Local people
Allotments
Local shops
“Deprived” groups/areas who don’t normally respond to ‘this sort of thing’
Housing associations and developers
Benefits claimants and similar
What don’t you know that you want to know about Manchester and Climate change?
Effects of airport on C02 targets
Amount/type of energy used and future plans
How the city can become self-sustaining and less dependent on oil i.e. Producing own food and energy.
How can we achieve the second headline objective “to engage all individuals, neighbourhoods and organisations in a process of cultural change that embeds ‘low-carbon thinking’ into the lifestyles and operations of the city”?
Local small lots of inviting, social/friendship groups
events engage
actions
Visibility
Practical/popular
Allotments
Abundance
Energy co-op
Honesty
Make Manchester an example for other cities
Make MCFC/MUFC do high visibility engagement on a faster time-scale
Try to get the mainstream media on board
Frame sustainable living as something beneficial (see film ‘Power of Community’)
How should we be educating ourselves and others?
Schools- AfSL?
Oil dependence -everything! Food, plastics…
More frequent ‘teach-ins’ a la Concrete Utopia and Climate and Capitalism
Workshops
Things like MCFly that re about things other than the council
Mandatory time off work to learn mitigation and adaptation skills
Documentaries
Send the GMP drugs squad out in the community to teach people important skills rather than what they usually do- yes, retrain the Tactical Aid Unit.
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