Global warming is such a massive problem that the temptation is to do nothing. This initiative shows that individuals can make a difference. How it came to be is a lesson in itself

by David Holt

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead

Flying into Denmark in the spring, I saw windmills sprouting like cabbages. This country was ravaged by the oil price shock of the 1970s and decided to do something about it. The economy is now far less dependent on fossil fuels and is a leader in environmental technologies. Germany has taken a similar path.

Before effective action can be taken by human beings, two things are needed: the right blend of thinking and feeling. This is the real trick. Confronted by the enormous challenges of greenhouse gases (GHG) and climate change, it is natural to be so overwhelmed on both counts that little action is taken. This has been the case in Canada where, since signing the Kyoto Accord in 1997, GHG emissions have risen 20%.

Nova Scotia businessman John Roy is a man of action who helped to build Canada’s largest real estate trust. I met John at the Shambhala Institute for Authentic Leadership summer program a few years back. Every year the issue of climate change came up during the program. Leading thinkers such as Peter Senge of MIT, Brian Bacon of the Oxford Leadership Academy, and “natural capitalist” Hunter Lovins spelled out not only the magnitude of the problem but also our systemic inability to deal with it.

“The problem is so vast that there is a sense of helplessness,” John Roy told me. “You can either throw up your hands or you can dig in, or you can jump in and try to make a difference.”

Two years ago John and I found ourselves in a module at the summer program called Solving Tough Problems. Led by Adam Kahane of the Generon Group, a former physicist and economist, it followed the Change Lab model that had been used to help replace apartheid in South Africa. “Kahane’s work is based on the premise that you can’t solve a problem with the same thinking that created it,” said John. “He creates a safe space where people from different sectors can let go of self-interest and come together to share expertise and knowledge.”

Inspired by these models, John helped found the 3E Initiative (for economy, energy, and environment), an organization of influential people committed to moving Canada toward a more efficient, low-carbon economy. “The goal was to bring together people who believe we have a narrow window in which to act to reduce the worst ravages of global warming.”

At the first workshop in the fall of 2007 everyone agreed on the magnitude of the problem, including the energy executives in attendance. John called the event “an experiment and an adventure.” The non-partisan group wanted to persuade politicians to set better public policy and make stronger laws, setting a price on carbon emissions and implementing both cap and trade rules and a carbon tax. “Canada is a laggard,” says John now. “No party took Kyoto seriously enough. Leadership in the PM’s office is critical.”

The group concluded that there was a missing piece: outreach to the public to make informed choices of political leaders on the issue of climate change. Then came a piece of serendipity: John met Bruce Lourie, who did public outreach; economist Mark Jaccard (the co-author of Hot Air: Meeting Canada’s Climate Change Challenge); and David Keith, a leading climate scientist at the University of Alberta. “Bruce and I hit it off,” says John. “We needed each other.”

The group learned that Canadians are concerned about climate change but are confused about the causes—and even more confused about what policies would start to solve it. The next step was to launch a public education campaign called PowerUP Canada (www.powerupcanada.ca) to define the problem and potential solutions and action steps. Organizers worked through the summer, planning the launch to coincide with the Toronto International Film Festival.

A non-partisan group of influential Canadians, including five former prime  ministers, signed a statement calling for “dramatic cuts in emissions and investment in climate-safe technologies at a staggering rate.” Then came another bit of serendipity: the launch in early September coincided with the federal election campaign. “We want politicians to compete for the high ground of good policy and effective laws on climate change,” says John.

There is one litmus test citizens can use to evaluate the platforms of politicians. “We need to put a price on carbon, starting in 2009 at $30/tonne for CO2 equivalent, and rising predictably,” says John. “Economists, scientists, and policy advisors all agree on that. The expertise exists so we can do the right thing to fight climate change and also help the economy.”

Check out www.powerupcanada.ca, which contains solid information you can use to take action. You will feel that you have power to make a difference. “Getting off the carbon habit will be a difficult transition,” says John, “but the environment and the economy will be better off when we get to the other side.”

David Holt is a writer and consultant on strategy and communications. He can be reached at dholt@eastlink.ca.