Hope ahead.
We can’t rest easy, the future of our climate is still uncertain. But, while caution and vigilance are a sensible strategy… we at Duvet Hog want to stress that there is hope.
We may only make lovely, machine-washable, super-fluffy sustainable duvets from recycled plastic PET bottles, and we’re not going to get complacent, but today we’re going to take a well deserved rest from the panic. Today, we’re going to focus on what we, as a species, have achieved in addressing the future of our planet. We’re going to dare hope for one moment that we’re in the apex of that turn.
This year, we made a difference and today we’re going to risk a little celebration. It’s not a party... more a soiree. A cautious moment of calm in the climate change chaos because, let’s face it, we all need a break sometimes.
2019 may well be remembered as the year we turned to face the bully. It is our hope that future generations will open their neural scanners - or whatever the hell they will have invented by then - and look back at 2019 as the year the human race grew up. Yes, we’re not there yet, and much work remains to be done. But let’s take a subtle bask in what we have accomplished and hope that next year will be even better.
To understand why 2019 was so pivotal, in relation to our planet, we have to break down the steps which led us here. To that end, please join us as we celebrate five events in 2019 we can all be proud of:
Climate Change is now officially part of the Italian school curriculum
Italy’s political climate may be as turbulent as the global one, however, one silver lining to come from their fragile government was new bipartisan legislation. Legislation that ensures 'Climate change' becomes part of the national curriculum. The new law makes Italy the first country in the world to make climate change study compulsory for all students. The course will use data from the UN’s climate study as a base and students will have to spend at least 30 hours per year learning about the climate emergency. Italy may be the first, but it’s expected that other countries will follow suit.
The Rise of Youth Activism
It may seem like longer, but it’s less than twelve months since a Swedish teenager starting taking Fridays off school to protest outside the Swedish Parliament. In just a year, Greta Thunberg’s selfless actions and eloquent words have spurned young people across the planet into action. In 2019 Greta only missed out on a Nobel Peace Prize, due to a little known rule, requiring candidates to have been nominated in previous years. She was later named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. The fearless teenager has sparred with world leaders and earned deserved praise, not only for her climate activism, but for giving a voice to autistic people all over the world.
Climate Strike Rally
Inspired no doubt by Greta, over 6 million people (as reported by the Guardian) attended the 20-27 September 2019 climate strikes and protests, also known as the Global Week for Future. These were a series of international strikes and protests to demand action be taken to address climate change. As the biggest rally in human history, the movement highlights the global concern over the climate emergency. Needless to say, the more voices raised, the faster our governments are likely to respond which means it is good news about climate change.
Renewable energy now one third of global power
One of the most exciting and promising statistics to come from 2019: Over a third of all energy produced globally now comes from renewable sources. We may still have to sort the other 66%, but let’s take a moment to consider what an amazing step this is... a third of all our energy is now produced at little to no impact on the environment. That's almost an 8% jump from the year before and the momentum is showing no signs of slowing down.
The law is on our side
A new report puts the fossil fuel industry in legal jeopardy. A commission set up by Greenpeace South East Asia, and discussed at this year’s Madrid Climate conference, suggests corporations powered by fossil fuels could soon be sued for their contributions to climate change. This means that there may finally be a way to hit big business where it hurts most, their margins.
So, there we have it, five reasons to be hopeful for the future. From all of us here at Duvet Hog we'd like to wish you all the very best for the year ahead.
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