This post was written by Chris Garrard, who will be a key part of the action in London. To join him, sign up here.
Saturday morning, the start of the first weekend in May. Shoppers and workers bustle by. Beneath the imposing dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral is the churchyard. And there, at the centre, a Twister game is about to take place…
May 5th is Climate Impacts Day and OccupyLondon’s Environment Group and 350.org have joined forces to spread the word and make a stand. Our unique hand-painted Twister mat has added in the climate impacts, so players will place their “Right hand drought!” and then “Left foot flood!” As the game continues, players begin to connect the dots with their whole body, and start to build up the bigger picture. But Twister is just the start. It will be a vibrant day of talks and tours, discussion and a picnic, then a film screening and a photo stunt. What more could you want from a Climate Impacts Day?
In London, the offices of big business perpetuating environmental damage surround us. Under Big Ben, parliament debates and fails to take decisive action. The mainstream media on Fleet Street too often look the other way. For us, Climate Impacts Day is a prime opportunity not just to give information, but share it and invite others to participate. One of our speakers, Sabiha Teladia (Muslim Hands), has seen first hand the affects of flooding in Pakistan and Philippa de Boissiereand (UK tar sands Network) will tell us about why we must take action on dangerous fossil fuel extraction. Our day is about telling these powerful stories but posing questions too, showing people that once the dots have been connected, the environment is not something separate from them.
If people join us on our tour of “climate heroes and climate zeros”, they can get under the skin of business behaviours that are affecting the world’s poorest. Information and insight is a powerful thing – once you know there is a change to be made, it’s hard to turn your back. Many of us have already started, but on Saturday, Londoners will connect the dots.