The Age of Stupid (Part 2)
Following on from my last entry about this important film, there is an aspect of it that I was not happy with…
Why? Probably because my company is about delivering pragmatic and commercially viable ways to reduce the corporate footprint (whilst reducing the bottom line); in other words, we are about action and results.
“The Age of Stupid” is probably the most graphic and realistic visualisation of our self-made destiny in a decade or four, if we continue to behave, corporately, as we are at present. It knocks “An Inconvenient Truth” into a cocked hat - this film is based on hard science, undisputed facts and projections that I felt were actually a little conservative based on the knowledge I have been fortunate to acquire in this area. But that was it… the after film discussion and attacks (I’m sure it was just the adrenaline of a live simulcast that made it come across this way) were centred on two things: Copenhagen and Ed Milibank; support for the former and the manoeuvring of the latter into an uncomfortable corner on a live broadcast.
Which misses the point somewhat, doesn’t it? The content of the movie was plain as day; the business community has got us to where we are today – that means you and me. Us. So why spend a precious half hour on a national multi-broadcast calling on political willpower and the signing of yet more accords that will, no doubt, be as hard-hitting and have as great an impact on the future of the planet as the Kyoto Accord – in other words, slim to none.
If you have read this column before, you will have read my reflections on the effectiveness of the political arm of society. Why not address these concerns to us? We are the ones that are causing the harm, we are the ones that can, if not solve, at least alleviate the harm and we are certainly the ONLY ones that can deliver an 80% reduction in carbon emissions; no matter how much hot air we may think emanates from out political leaders, shutting them up will not bring about any meaningful carbon reduction.
So, Franny (Armstrong – Director of the film), I think you missed a trick here. You started well by showing us our future; one that you would not wish on your worst enemy… and then you stopped. At the very point that I was moved to action, you pulled the rug out from under me and reverted to type (middle class militant). What we want, what we need, is for people like you to follow through on these messages and end with an action plan for us to do ‘stuff’; stuff that we can implement tomorrow, that we can communicate to our employees, that we can raise at the next board meeting. Doing ‘stuff’ is what we do – if you want to wait for Copenhagen at the end of the year, have a ball; I will be out there in the trenches, talking to companies about what they can do right now, today, to reduce their carbon footprint (which, by the way, can save you a ton of money in the process).
And let poor Pete Postlethwaite keep his OBE; forcing him into that corner may just be viewed by mainstream observers as also being ‘stupid’.
