1. With Knowledge, Responsibility
Many new beginnings were born from the utter and unforeseen disarray that heralded the start of this decade. Studying International Environmental Law was mine, and it blew my mind. The changes humanity had wrought on the World during my lifetime came into a sudden sharp focus. As neoliberal and capitalist forces had shaped our lives, the resulting, insatiable need for natural resources to feed endless economic growth had caused suffering, pollution and the destruction of ecosystems. People had fought back. Many people, in many ways. They had fought with intelligence, with knowledge and with unbelievable courage but the forces they were challenging were too strong. I learnt of communities in almost every country facing the poisoning of their water, the deforestation of their land, the suffering caused by disease and violence. People who were forced to leave the places they belonged to and loved, to make space for the toxic damage that followed the discovery of fossil fuels or other valuable resources. International law, at its best, offered brakes to the juggernaut, but it was inadequate and lacked teeth.
I grew angry and I felt helpless in the face of this seemingly unstoppable problem. I felt like a small child, having nightmares that I could not control. My overwhelming feeling was one of fear for the future of my own four children. But there is nothing to be gained from this type of emotion unless it can be channelled into positive strength. No one person can change the World, but every single person can change a little bit of it. As I explored very local solutions, I began to see that inspiration is everywhere. All around us, our neighbours and friends care very deeply about these issues. Millions of people have been quietly finding solutions and working in a myriad of ways to reverse the harm that we are witnessing. I believe that we are now at the point where we are all looking up and, in wonder and relief, seeing that others care too and that they have also noticed what we have.
Solving this problem is not going to be a passive experience. Seeing it and feeling concerned about it will not be enough. We need to actually do something, and we definitely need to work together. As the economist Paul Romer said, “Complacent optimism is the feeling of a child waiting for presents. Conditional optimism is the feeling of a child who is thinking about building a treehouse. ‘If I get some wood and nails and persuade some other kids to help do the work, we can end up with something really cool.’” Change, at least the positive type that we so urgently need, will not happen on its own. We all need to be conditional optimists.
So why community energy? I recently had the privilege of becoming a Governor at my children’s school. Looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the school and opportunities to empower and educate the school community, I researched installing solar panels on the roof. That is when I first found out about community energy, this wonderful network of groups delivering low-emission, community-owned, energy-generating solutions. They were doing this without fanfare, without seeking wealth, power, or glory, without any real support from the Government. They were doing it because it was the right thing to do; this movement seemed rooted in a place of love. It seemed like the perfect antidote to everything I had been worried about. The innovation and incredible problem-solving ability of this sector was an inspiration. And every renewable energy installation was a tiny victory against the fossil fuel giants and the millions they have spent on deception and greed. I knew I wanted to be a part of this. How could I become involved and bring community energy to my small part of London?
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