Climate Justice Fast

Convincing a policeman that climate change is real and needs immediate action.

Submitted by Marcella Brassett on Sat, 14/11/2009
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Marcella Mike and Paul argue with a policeman on the protest lawn.

 

Today, one of the policemen that circle parliament house on a bicycle stopped to chat. We are at our usual spot on the protest lawn outside parliament house.

Mike asked whether he had a steak sandwich in his back pocket for us, a friendly jibe.

P: [quite seriously] hey, no cheating!

M ‘nah we don’t eat mate’.

P: Do youse eat sugar lollies to keep you going?

M: No the only think we get to eat – pause- is ice!

 

He said he didn’t want to argue with us but... ‘I don’t disagree with you, and I don’t agree with you’. ‘I m not for climate change, I’m not against it’. A veritable fence sitter. I don’t know how you can be for climate change. It just goes to show he really hasn’t thought very deeply about his stance at all.

 

 Mike explained some science to him. Paul gave him some metaphors for the lack of an appropriate response by our society to an emergency. He was not receptive.

 

 He went on to say, he didn’t know how ‘the developing countries’ could get in line with what’s needed to stop climate change, as they couldn’t ‘even stop killing their own people’. This got me up. I was lying down. Up on my knees and sitting up, with new energy, and all the reactive outrage my body could muster.

 

I asked him if he thought it was their fault. I didn’t let him answer. I described the lasting destructiveness of colonialism rapidly, the words tripping over themselves in the rush to come out, driven by heart-felt argument. I suddenly felt myself on familiar territory, after all these days of being hazy in the first days of the fast.  

 

I pointed to the historical responsibility of western countries as they have emitted carbon for 100 years, while developing countries, like China, have not. He did not seem to have an answer to that. However, when I said we in the west are also responsible for the suffering in the global south, because we buy clothes made by children who get paid close to nothing, he saw his chance. Pointing to my t-shirt asking where it was made.

 

M: Its organic cotton and not sweatshop made.

P: How do you know?

M: Because the label tells me so.

He hung his head and laughed, satisfied, at my apparent naivety. 

 

We asked him if he would buy an electric car, if it was available. He said no. Why? I don’t want one.  He said it would be ‘interesting’ to see we were right, to see what happens in the future. This made us all quietly gasp in exasperation. Interesting! To watch the water and food sources of billions of people vanish, including his own, and his childrens!

 

I talked about the government’s responsibility to look after us; they weren’t doing their job. We moved on to the bush fires in Victoria, and how more than a hundred people had died.  Firemen, police and service workers were the frontline, and most at risk when climate disasters occur. I pointed to him, you are going to be at great risk, and it’s only going to get worse. I continued to try to relate to him:

 

M: I understand that its a difficult thing to accept as it seems to be in the distant future, its hard for people to get their heads around.

P: Nodded in agreement. Politicians only react to things, when they happen, thats what they do.

 M: Its their job to protect us, their job to recognise the immense danger to Australians climate change poses, and respond and make adequate policy to avoid that danger.

Mike: You can’t go and build an electric car yourself can you.

P: Laughing, really wouldn’t know how to!

M: Governments need to make policy on the most up to date information.

P:  We don’t ever get any up to date information, we don’t know what’s going on.

 

We told him to look at the NASA site, he agreed they had good information on everything, not just climate. The Haddley Centre, CSRIO. He nodded, ‘you guys look after yourselves’. We were exhausted, but felt we had given it a good go to convince this man.

 

This policemen’s position is many western people’s position. They go to work, drive their cars, pay the bills, look after their families. They are comfortable and fighting to stay that way. Most people are not exposed to science, and aren’t disposed to think critically about the information the media disperses.  It’s our job to provide good information; it’s our duty to listen, and be kind; to relate to people on their terms, to find common ground.

 

I should not have gotten so fired up in arguing with the Policeman. I want to be gentle, perceptive, intuitive and understanding when trying to persuade someone. Gandhi said you had to convince your opponents, rather than sticking to your position, even though it may be unreasonable. You should listen carefully, acknowledge, understand, and respond patiently. Keep at it until you convince the other person of the truth. This technique is pragmatic, as it the most effective way of winning, while keeping intact your moral integrity, as Gandhi-ji demonstrated.