Simple Post-Copenhagen Activism

In My Humble Opinion
1

Following the disappointing Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, it has become apparent that – despite the many on-line and on-the-ground demonstrations by thousands of ordinary folks of their concern about climate change – national leaders around the world were not moved. I started to think about what could be done to send a stronger message.

I have been trying to come up with some direct, but completely non-violent action that the silent majority – ordinary soccer moms, couch potatoes, green consumers, and the like – could take on. Nothing too arduous, nothing too system challenging. Something based on purchases, because that’s often all that seems to count in this world. How about something that would shift things for the powers that be. Cause them to sit up and take notice. I am not seeking to destroy everyone’s computer processing systems.

Let’s see. What about something that, if it went viral, would show up as more than just a blip in the daily economic indicators. Something WSJ, MSNBC and the like might notice if… On April 1, if everyone simply did NOT use their credit card or debit card to make transactions. What if everyone just paid cash on April Fool’s Day, to indicate they know we are fools to think we can continue our normal lifestyles after Climate Change reaches the tipping point. If enough people did this (I figure it would take more than a year to attain a critical mass, so my target date is April 1, 2011), maybe it would send a message that consumers are concerned.

But what good will it do? That’s where I got stuck. So, I came up with a second idea: On the same April Fool’s Day, ask people to call up their home insurance providers (I know, this assumes people are affluent enough to have insurance) to ask them if they are covered for extreme weather conditions caused by climate change. This would create one of two things.

  • They would be told that there’s no way their insurance would cover them: not their problem – just like insurance companies plead act of god, nuclear disaster, war.
  • The insurance company would be most pleased to sell them additional coverage to protect against climate change.

Either way, this would start them thinking about the implications. And maybe, just maybe, cause a shift in seeing the world – will I be affected?

Now, I am not claiming that these 2 ideas are the best ways to harness the power of consumers. And I don’t even know if consumers can do anything to cause the policy shifts needed.

If you are concerned about climate change, do YOU HAVE A BETTER SUGGESTION. (If you aren’t, then don’t bother commenting).

2

I love your idea. Just invent a time machine so we can go back to April 1.

3

I don’t understand how either of those would be effective in any way whatsoever. Why would anyone even notice if a million people used cash instead of credit cards for a day?

4

As far as home insurance goes, I would guess that climate change would be covered to the same extent weather-related damage is now: If it’s caused by wind, it’s covered, it’s caused by flood, it’s not.

5

Unless and until you buy this messageboard, and/or become a duly appointed moderator/administrator thereof, I think I’ll post whatever the hell I want, in any thread I want.

In this instance, I think both the cause and the proposed plan of action are silly, and I laugh heartily in their general direction. Like this: **HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
**

6
  • If the idea caught on in a couple of years, say by April 1, 2012, then the banks and the credit transaction processing companies would notice. Journalists might pick up on it and report about it in the Wall Street Journal or on MSNBC – anything unusual in the markets that cannot be explained by random chance gets noticed sooner or later.
7

The silent majority? You really believe that? Wow. You have a higher opinion about what the majority spends their time thinking about than I do.

You wanted other ideas, right? Instead of thinking of one day feel-good activities that accomplish nothing at all - you know like Earth-Hour and single day boycotts - you should be thinking about solutions that are far more long term. Gather people to convince others to stop buyng SUVs until car makers at least meet if not exceed the new standards the goverment is going to implement this decade sooner. Fundraise to help the poor and the elderly retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient, and gather volunteers to help them accomplish the work once you have funding. Get a grant to do a summer program that teaches children about enviromentalism. Start a grassroots campaign to convince a manufacturer of your choice to use more enviomentally friendly practices and materials.

Bottom line, if it’s simple to do, it’s not going to change anything at all.

8

People have been trying to do that for years with not buying gas on a particular day. A serious amount of those not-made credit purchases would be merely postponed to another day, just as would happen with not buying gas. The media coverage? More chuckling over ineffectual protests.

9

You could save yourself alot of time and trouble by just taking another hit from the bong and forgetting all about this over a few slices of pizza.