‘Business, agriculture, government – all of us need to change’ ~ Gavin Harte

Since its publication before Christmas the Climate Change Response Bill 2010 has stirred up quite a considerable amount of resistance from three significant lobbies. IBEC the IFA and the ICMSA are now all cranking up their opposition to the bill.

We all find change difficult. Elisabeth Kubler Ross a Swiss-born psychiatrist defined five stages in the process of change. Denial, Anger, Fear, Bargaining, Acceptance.

As I listen to the concerns raised by IBEC, the IFA and the ICMSA their collective denial, anger, fear and bargaining over the legislation is obvious. It is clear all three groups are not yet ready for change in a world where our atmosphere is changing faster than they want to admit.

They are in denial. Not once do they point to the rapid warming our planet is experiencing. Not once do they reference the overwhelming scientific evidence and the challenges humanity faces as they carry on business as usual. All three organisations present a veiled indifference centred on self-interest towards the issue. Climate change is somewhat of an inconvenience, an annoying secondary concern that the three organisations just don’t want to deal with.

They are angry. They criticise the government for an “ill-timed and badly thought out” piece of legislation. They attack the bill as “lunacy” and brand those that promote it (us) as “people who don’t care or don’t know about its full impacts”

They are fearful. They say that tackling climate change will wreck the economy, lose jobs and cost €4 billion. Trying to instil fear.

They are bargaining. They suggest that in negotiating our EU position. This “Ireland may not necessarily have to meet a 20% reduction target”. And what’s the point in doing anything anyway because Brazil will just continue to produce high carbon beef.

But where is the acceptance? The science of climate change is now unequivocal. If we continue as we are, business as usual, we have the potential to destroy ourselves our economy and our society over the next 100 years!

It is understandable that people and organisations are fearful, angry, bargaining and in denial when it comes to dealing with climate change. But real change only happens when we accept.

Business, agriculture, government – all of us need to change and a robust climate change bill offers a first step to help us in that journey.

~ Thanks to Gavin Harte for kindly letting us reproduce his ‘musings’