Culture Declares Emergency – St Johns Society SE8
Declaration
We declare our commitment to supporting global and long-term environmental imperatives. Where helpful and practicable we aim to partner with appropriate organisations, whether local, national or global.
Why have we declared?
The Earth is in Crisis. Humanity faces the combined catastrophes of global heating, a mass extinction of vital biodiversity and a degradation of ecosystems health.
This is the Climate and Ecological Emergency.
Of these, global heating is the major threat multiplier because it is non-linear, containing many systems that feed back on each other and accelerate change, indirectly destroying ecosystems. Direct destruction of nature – or ecocide – is resulting in major impacts on people and other species, including the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more about the truth and the science.
This has been an emergency for decades, because governments and industry have not shown the necessary leadership, and, so far, have not acted fast enough. We are not waiting for more efficient wind-turbines or cheaper solar-panels. What is lacking is visionary and empathetic leadership. What is needed is urgent, comprehensive action to decarbonise, support places to adapt, restore nature and make reparations.
Fortunately, humans are capable of responding in a remarkable variety of ways to accelerate solutions and adaptations, and culture can help stir up human response as well as breaking old habits and creating new stories and visions for our world. We in the cultural sector have immense potential to be generators for transformation.
There is no room for guilt and shame, and this is no time for excuses.
What Next?
We are now developing our own strategy for action and will be posting information and guidance here for ways that you can help and get involved. Everyone can help address the impact of climate change, but we need to act now!