Politicians love to talk about individual rights and responsibilities – you have the right to welfare if you need it – you have the responsibility to get a job if you can – is the general sentiment of modern Australian governments – and the vast majority of us would say fair enough.
I believe that it is the same when it comes to climate change. I have the right to safe climate (as should we all).
I have the right to a government that will take action to protect this right.
And I have a right to an international political system that ensures the future of humanity by working together to deal with global problems.
In return I have a responsibility to reduce my personal emission levels by as much as possible, but perhaps more importantly …..
I have a responsibility to ensure that my voice is heard, by my family and friends, by my community, by my government and by the world.
It sounds difficult to do – all that effort in writing letters, finding email addresses, phone numbers and taking the time to actual put something together can be a real hassle, which is why we have written the letters and found the appropriate people to send it to.
All you have to do is follow this link – It is as easy as typing in your name and postcode – if you believe you have the right to a safe climate then perhaps it is your responsibility to take action….
Photo: Rodney Dekker/OxfamAUS from the exhibition Tides of Resilence
