I was glad to read Jonathan Freedland’s thoughts on why environmentalists are failing to get the message of the planetary crisis across (As heat records break, the climate movement has the right answers – but the words are all wrong, 14 July). However, I don’t agree that here in the UK the main obstacles are ignorance and disbelief. Despite the lack of sufficient media coverage, I think that a large proportion of the adult population is aware of what is happening and anxious about the future (though not necessarily following through on sufficient lifestyle changes). They are preoccupied with the demands of everyday life and not convinced or inspired to join collective action.
The main campaigning organisations in which I am involved have so far failed to get across the message that we are all, as humanity, in the same precarious situation and must unite in demanding that our governments act with proportionate urgency. We must speak as one and act in ways that are inviting to others to act with us or alongside us.
We need to convince politicians that we are in a global emergency and that they cannot carry on as if that were not so. Our current essentially two-party, adversarial system must be transformed, so that addressing the climate and ecological crisis becomes a cross-party agenda; and international policies of contest for dominance must give way to serious and urgent efforts for cooperation to meet the survival needs of humanity, and of the Earth as we know it.
Diana Francis
Bath
• The planet is indeed burning, as we hear and read about in terrifying detail every day. And some people are acting. Just Stop Oil are on the streets of London and have been every day for 13 weeks. Booed, shouted at, manhandled off the road and arrested. This is what happens to those who try to sound the alarm. This is what happens to those who demand that the government immediately halt all new oil, gas and coal projects. We cannot just “hope that we still have time to avert the worst”. We are in a climate emergency. We have to make those who take the big decisions, those who run the country – our government – act now and act responsibly. The futures of young people all over the world are unbelievably bleak. Our government is failing in its duty to protect its citizens. We don’t need “ad men”. We need leadership at this time of unprecedented crisis.
Anne Taylor
Oxford
• I take exception to the suggestion in Jonathan Freedland’s article that the climate emergency is in some part the fault of climate scientists for not using stronger language. I remember the reaction when stronger language was used. Up went the cry of “scaremongering”. We were told to moderate our language or we’d not be listened to.
Climate scientists have behaved with integrity, knowledge, determination, persistence and self-sacrifice. They made sure that all governments were well acquainted with the facts. In doing so, they hoped they would be dealing with rational, responsible, resolute people. Who else would you go to? But they were wrong; governments were soon shown to be poorly educated – more swayed by belief than by evidence – and also supine.
Climate scientists, not perfect of course, are nevertheless the only people to emerge with any credit at all from the climate catastrophe.
Dr Barrie Dale
Charney Bassett, Oxfordshire
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