Collective responsibility, the positive consequences of climate change, and cow farts.

end-of-fossil-fuels-co2-hockey-graphToday the scientific community is in almost total agreement that the earth’s climate is changing as a result of human activity, and that this represents a huge threat to the planet and to us.* [Time – The Battle Over Global Warming Is All in Your Head]

Sustainability is at the core of what we do at The Art House, and that extends to who supplies us with our goods and services. Ecotricity, then, is a natural choice for us as our energy supplier AND they help us out financially by donating up to £70 to us each time someone switches quoting TAHS1 (The Art House Southampton 1, see?! ‘Cos there’s only 1!)

Click above and you'll be switched over in 5 minutes! Ecotricity will send us up to £70 as a thank you, which helps us do our work too.

Click above and you’ll be switched over in 5 minutes! Ecotricity will send us up to £70 as a thank you, which helps us do our work too.

Ecotricity’s website points out that switching to green energy is the biggest single thing you can do to fight climate change. (Actually, going vegetarian is the single biggest thing you can do, but where you get your gas and electricity from has to be a close second. See ‘If we really want to cut down on global greenhouse emissions, we’re going to have to do something about cow farts‘)

So, how will society react to man-made/exacerbated climate change? In a report by the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and Global Climate Change, they say:

“Theeco2014-04-28_1048 cumulative and interacting psychosocial effects of climate change are likely to be profound. Heat, extreme weather events, and increased competition for scarce environmental resources, compounded by preexisting inequalities and disproportionate impacts among groups and nations, will affect interpersonal and intergroup behavior and may result in increasing stress and anxiety. Even in the absence of direct impacts, the perception and fear of climate change may threaten mental health. However, there is reason to believe that positive consequences are also possible, as people take collective responsibility for a shared problem.”

And if there’s one thing we know about at the Art House, it’s pulling together to solve a problem!

So, the good news is, you can be part of the solution. After all, your wallet is your weapon! shop-500x333You can have a direct and significant impact on the problem of climate change – eat less meat and switch to a green energy supplier. And we can help with both of those things. If you want to eat out and not harm the climate while you’re at it, here’s our menu!

If you want to switch to a 100% green energy supplier, Ecotricity has to be the way to go. Voted top in customer satisfaction by Which UK – don’t delay, switch today & they’ll donate some money to help us out, so we can be here to help you Eat More Green/s! A virtuous circle!

“If there’s no action before 2012, that’s too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future,” said Rajendra Pachauri, the IPCC chairman, when the report was released. “This is the defining moment.”

And a question for you.. do you support ‘fracking’? If you’re with British Gas, the answer is yes, I’m afraid. Fracking, to us, seems to be a last-ditch desperate attempt to squeeze the planet of it’s last ounces of fossil fuel.

ecofor-your-home_largeWe don’t use gas at The Art House, but if you do, consider sustainable gas from Ecotrcity..  around 18 million tonnes of household food becomes waste each year so this is where they started looking. They worked out this could make enough Green Gas to supply over 700,000 homes. But in a more sustainable future, fast reproducing algae has the potential to become an endless source of Green Gas and they are working on this too. It’ll also capture large quantities of CO2 from the atmosphere in its production process.

Ecotricity turns bills into windmills & are cheaper than the ‘big six’. It takes 10 minutes to switch. We’re proud to be part of an energy solution for the planet and we think you will be too. No one likes a break up but please, go on, Dump The Big Six.
2014-04-28_1113green-gas-hob


* – If you are an actively-researching climate scientist who does not work for the fossil fuel industry and you disagree with this finding, please do get in touch.. we would be genuinely interested in hearing from you. If you are not an active climate researcher (or are but are working for the fossil fuel industry) and you disagree with this finding, please do not contact us, but instead read this:

http://science.time.com/2013/08/19/in-denial-about-the-climate-the-psychological-battle-over-global-warming/

“Our response to disturbing information is very complex. We negotiate it. We don’t just take it in and respond in a rational way.”

About Bik

I am a founding director of a Community Interest Company called The Art House Southampton CIC in the UK. I am a community artist / promoter / facilitator / technologist / general tinkerer! I believe that through the arts, people can rediscover themselves (and thereby reclaim their power.)
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