Business as Usual or Willing to Change?
Re-doing, re-inventing and tightening bureaucratic structures, processes, procedures, legislation and services is on-going. The goal-posts frequently change. Those in governance can loose a lot of ground and waste a lot of resources just moving the deckchairs around; the population it is intended to serve can experience problems understanding and being able to use the system. There are SO MANY plans and layers of plans.
While this EDAP has looked at many different actions to contribute towards local resilience, much of this can only take place effectively and in the timescale needed, if supported through good governance and strong leadership. If those in power are willing to change, local governance could support the following priorities as outlined in Lester Brown’s Plan B 3.0 Mobilizing to Save Civilisation:
“Implementing Plan B means undertaking several actions simultaneously, including eradicating poverty, stabilizing population, and restoring the earth’s natural systems. It also involves cutting carbon dioxide emissions 80% by 2020, largely through a mobilization to raise energy efficiency and harness renewable sources of energy.”
Brown’s book talks about a great mobilization, on the scale and speed of preparations of wartime Britain. While issues such as global population may be outside the remit of local governance (indeed this is a challenge at national level), there are many aspects of these 3 fundamental issues that local authorities can address; essentially if local government departments are willing to open up to the challenges outlined in the Joined up Thinking section:
| Challenges & Possible Solutions | |
|---|---|
| Challenges | Possible Solutions |
| Peak Oil; power down from 9 barrels pp/y in 2009 | Local food production; public transport; fewer journeys etc. |
| Climate Change: getting carbon below 350ppm | Local energy efficiency & conservation measures |
| Carbon sequestration: removing some carbon | Planting schemes to absorb carbon |
| Stabilising Population growth to around 7 billion | Public education and youth opportunities |
| Renewable energy supplies at 50% of current use | Local provision of renewable energy |
| Reducing consumption and waste to zero | Local taxation on imported goods, zero waste policies |
| Repairing biodiversity | Replanting hedgerows etc., protection of green space & wildlife |
| Maintaining adequate clean water supplies | Water rationing, Re-open old aquifers, Protection of waterways |
| Society making an inner transition and taking responsibility | Provide a good example, promote & support communities and good citizenship |
To mobilize and implement these changes on a scale that will affect adequate progress, local initiatives will need to be supported all the way up from local authorities right up to UN level. Many of the laws and plans already exist that could make these changes happen. We simply and urgently need the willpower and strong, visionary leadership to take this forward.
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