THE OASIS: Fresh thinking on climate change

IT’S hard to imagine that anything sustainably substantial will come out of this year’s Cop17 (Conference of the Parties on climate change). This assumption is based on the fact that this will be the 17th attempt to reach agreement and that climate change remains a heavily heated issue with much to be done by way of solution.

Basically, if things continue the way they are with regards to industry practice and global carbon emissions, we will all be cooked within the next 20 years.

Only acting after the shit squarely hits the fan and the sea levels are on our doorsteps, seems to be the consistent tale of humanity. It is known that if you place a frog in a tub and gradually increase the temperature, the frog will not react until it quite literally boils alive.

We have come a long way since evolving from amphibian-hood and we are better equipped with knowledge and technology than we have ever been before. Let’s hope to hell that this year a real plan of action will be set in motion at Cop17. We need fresh thinking around climate change. Our lives may depend on it.

Fresh thinking on climate change

One of the central issues regarding combating climate change is that big, profit-driven businesses are often reluctant to reduce their carbon emissions if this means a reduction in profits.

But increasingly some big business is coming around to the necessity for change. This year more than 300 businesses have signed the The 2°C Challenge - a document that the Corporate Leaders Network for Climate Action – calling on governments to break the deadlock at Cop17 and reach agreement. Governments must decide how to divide up the carbon budget available to us if we want to keep global temperatures below 2 degrees (a target agreed at the last COP held in Cancun).

Obviously some countries are in a stickier position than others and this will mean a sweaty slap in the face of economic growth for many. Countries and business need to get a lot more creative if they want to find alternative ways to grow without destroying the planet.

Frustratingly, green technologies, in general, are not yet cheap enough for mass use. Older technology - specifically power-generating technologies, are still being pawned off to poorer countries such as South Africa, which puts them firmly in the category of “high carbon emitters.” Then there is the painful attitude of those who plead ignorance and deny that global warming is a scientific reality.

Perhaps what is needed is greater incentive to go green. For one, the country of Bhutan for example is one of the only countries on Earth that is actually a carbon sink. Not only that, but Bhutan’s major export is hydro-electric power. Surely such a role model to the world should be praised and rewarded?

By the same token, businesses of all shapes and sizes should not only aim to meet their new carbon budgets, but be given the incentive to go further - greater rewards for being greener than thy neighbour. But then of course there is the issue of where reward funding would come from.

It will be interesting to hear what businesses themselves have to say on such matters and what some of them aim to do in the coming decades. I’m sure we can expect a lot of PR speak and lobbyist chatter at Cop17, but much of it is likely to be interesting.

Fresh thinking on climate change

One to watch is the discussions that are set to take place at the Fresh Thinking Oasis. This will be convened by the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership – the organisation behind the Corporate Leaders Network for Climate Action. The CPSL is also widely acknowledged to be a champion of progressive international business when it comes to sustainability issues.

While the world’s governments sweat it out next door around the negotiating table, the folk at the Oasis will be hoping to generate some fresh thinking on the old challenges in a more relaxed environment.

• To keep up to date with all the events and programmes planned for Fresh Thinking Oasis at Cop17, follow @CPSL_SA on Twitter or “like” the CPSL Cop17 Fresh Thinking Oasis Facebook page. More information is also available at www.cpsl.cam.ac.uk

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THE INTERNET: Feel free to be a jerk

Guest post by Tharuna Devchand

SO a little while ago the Mail & Guardian suspended a journalist intern for an anti-Semitic comment on Facebook that amounted to hate speech and was therefore in conflict with the South African Constitution. Without a warning, the kid’s career was ruined because of a social networking site where groups like “My name is Khan” (a group that disrespects Hinduism) and “F*** Islam” exist with thousands of followers who spread the hatred.

I’m not justifying what Ngoako Matsha said, nor am I implying that M&G was wrong in suspending him, but consider the medium in which he said it — cyberspace.

In cyberspace, every person should be seen as a figment of their own imagination­. Nothing is real. Nothing we say is a true reflection of who we are. On the Internet, we are all Tyler Durdens. There are no boundaries, no policies and rules to keep us neatly between the lines, no reputations to uphold or cultural conventions to keep us in place.

The Internet is like a global Fight Club. It’s where we can guiltlessly des­troy something beautiful and return to our lives feeling better about ourselves. It’s cathartic and, since we all can’t be Jackson Pollocks, it may sometimes be our only outlet.

I constantly hear people complaining about how perfect their Facebook friends’ lives are or what interesting lives other people on Twitter have. It’s not true. It’s just what people choose to show you on the website that makes it all seem perfect.

Social networking sites house a giant­ community of people all suffering from small-penis syndrome. There is a constant war to keep up with the cyber Joneses. Saying that people exaggerate on the Internet about their lives, their feelings, their opinions and how great their lovers are is an understatement. If peer pressure in real life can drive one to do things one normally wouldn’t do, the pressure to be infamous on the Inter­net can land one in a mental institution. Gosh knows what Anthony Weiner was thinking when he tweeted a photo of his, um ... weiner­.

While it is never easy to work out the true nature of a person in real life, it is 1 000x harder in cyberspace. On the Net, you can be anything and anyone you want to be.

Those who aren’t that popular or who lack friends may upload albums of them being cool with photos of them sloshed with their heads in a toilet just to show that they can party with the best of them. People who are going through tough times may exaggerate all the positive things in their lives and leave out the hardships. And people who are quite restricted or oppressed in their real lives, may go cyber crazy, voicing outrageous opinions and desires on the Net — probably under a pseudonym. It’s a safe outlet that we believe has no consequences — until we lose our jobs for letting loose.

The problem is that there is no line that determines how far is too far until we cross it. We constantly push the boundaries of what is right and wrong just to see how far we can go, whether it’s driving at 129 km/h in a 120 km/h zone or voicing mad love for Adolf Hitler and his beliefs.

Contemporary society has become mostly unaffected by things that are shocking or at least used to be shocking a decade ago, and to deal with this, people try to raise the bar. Cartoonists, comedians and teachers are continually trying to shock people into thinking about things on a different level. Look at how far advertisements have gone to prevent people from drinking and smoking excessively, and to encourage people to abstain from sex, and you’ll see just how just how numb our society is.

Is it okay for me to call my black friend a k***** on her Facebook wall knowing that she won’t be offended? Is it okay to tweet angrily about how upset I am about something the DA said and in turn label it as racist, not because I think that they are racist, but because I just feel the need to put the party down? No, but it feels good.

The South African Constitution currently doesn’t apply to the Internet. Maybe it should, but I doubt that will stop people from saying things, uploading videos and creating images that are shocking. Every day there are more stories of people being judged by their online images. Employers hire people based on their tweets, courts implicate people because of Facebook profile photos, people are fired because of some YouTube video that shows them spray painting expletives on a wall. But it’s those things that make us cool on the Net, that get us hits, that make us believe that this could one day make us famous.

• Tharuna Devchand is a features writer for The Witness newspaper in Pietermaritzburg. Read her blog Blotching Dali with Tharuna-isms

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POLITICS: The possible political position of non voters

I’M not ashamed to admit that I am politically ignorant. I think a lot of people are. What does concern me is the well-being of our country and its people, which is largely dependent on our government and our political system.

To know that less than 60% of registered voters chose to vote in the municipal elections on Wednesday, to me, represents a problem. However, to direct blame entirely towards the non voters and label them as apathetic or even as bad citizens lacking in civic duty, is not constructive in my books.

So in the spirit of constructive debate, it would be useful to put ourselves in the shoes of the non voters, so to speak, and try to better understand their possible position. In a country where political party posters are hidden in basements, polling stations are burnt to the ground, and violence is used to deter or instill fear in voters, one might understand where the non voters are coming from.

This is not an apathetic viewpoint of “my vote won’t make a difference”, but perhaps the idea that our democracy and political system, at least a significant part of it, is corrupt, and the chances of the voting process being tampered with are so high.

So how do we move forward and address this? It is undeniable that we live in a capitalist society which arguably creates a mentality of achievement, recognition and status. Being the president of the country or ‘high up’ in politics is no doubt a powerful position that comes with a large salary, prestige and numerous benefits.

It is arguable that entering this position from a less privileged position in society can have a profound effect on ones values. Egotism and ambition in the context of political power may manifest at the cost of principle. “Power breeds corruption” so the saying goes.

So I put it to you: if the prestige and prosperity that comes with being in a position of political power were defocused, would more politicians who are genuinely interested in leading on principle, not surface? Perhaps at the loss of those who are not?

With regards to the democratic voting process; in my philosophy, where there’s a queue, there’s room for improvement. Why are we not afforded the option to vote electronically? We all have unique fingerprints and computers are far more accurate and efficient at handling numbers as opposed to people. I understand that the major issue would be that an electronic system of some kind could be subject to being rigged or hacked, but is there really much difference in risk when voting with pen and paper?

Please excuse my ignorance. I am more than willing to be educated on such matters.

Daily Maverick article: Don't vote. It's your right

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DEMOCRACY: And South Africa's political system

I have a friend; let’s call him Ken. Ken supports and believes in democracy, but refuses to vote. He is proudly South African, but does not support the South African political system.

In a country where political party posters are hidden in basements, polling stations are burnt to the ground, and violence is used to deter or instill fear in voters, I can see where Ken is coming from. This is not democracy or a democratic system.

This is not an apathetic viewpoint of “my vote won’t make a difference”, but rather the idea that our democracy and political system is corrupt and the chances of votes being tampered with are so high. Watch the news after voting day and I guarantee that you will hear or read about several cases of corruption.

Ken has an idea for democracy: electing a body of representatives from different sectors of society who regularly bring key decisions to the table and then offer these to the public to vote on. I believe the last civilization to really exercise a truly democratic system of this nature where the ancient Greeks with the senate. I understand that Swiss politics operates in a similar manner today.

No El Presidente. No single person with absolute power. If history is ANY guide, power corrupts, and no one man should ever be given so much power whose decisions affect everyone. We should be cautious of anything that is so powerful, even in a so-called democracy.

Spread the power. Give more people a stronger voice in politics. While we continue to endure a state of social and political evolution, there will always be differences and conflicts of interest. If one particular party with a particular agenda is elected, this evolution will be moulded in their favour. The voices and opinions of the public will be drowned out; at least until the next elections a few years down the line when this whole process happens again.

Part 2: The possible political position of non voters
Daily Maverick Article: Don't vote. It's your right

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OBAMA: And racial equality in the United States

I WATCHED Obama’s acceptance speech followed by McCain’s address quite intently and was disheartened to realise how racial prejudices still prevail in the 21st century.

Now I’m not one to stereotype, but during the cutaway shots of the booing McCain supporters I noticed either really old (possibly backward-thinking) white supporters or ‘redneck’ resembling folk – with one sporting a handle-bar looking tache with a baby slung over his shoulder. I half expected to see some of the McCain supporters holding guns.

What I found more disturbing were some statistics concerning the racial demographic of the United States. According to Reuters:

• The poverty rate for ‘blacks’ is still three times that of ‘whites’
• 'Blacks' are twice as likely to be unemployed as ‘whites’
• 'Blacks' are six times more likely to be murdered than ‘whites’, and
•  Seven times more likely to end up in jail.

People in the streets of Chicago spoke of how Barack Obama has achieved the dream of racial equality that civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. described on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington some 45 years ago.

This was a man who saw drug addiction rip families and communities apart, saw gangs turn neighborhoods into war zones, saw schools in inner city neighborhoods crumble with neglect after whites fled to the suburbs.

Such violence, crime and social problems which plagued the black community set in after the civil rights movement failed to deliver equal opportunity alongside equal rights.

It was a time when people remained hopeful yet was also a time when people saw that hope die in 1968 when King was assassinated.

If racial equality is to be achieved this time around, the black community will have to hold onto the hope and optimism which erupted the crowd during the Obama speech.

“The country is changing”, said Obama. “Anything is possible now. [But] this victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change."

Obama's election was "a historic moment in breaking down racial barriers in the United States" but it remains to be seen if "this moment in history inspires us to significantly change our behavior and the way we treat each other" (Conrad Worrill, co-founder of the National Black United Front).

- original text supplied by Reuters.

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