Why climate destruction must become all our priorities
Howard Lake | 15 March 2019 | Blogs
“We are the first generation of fundraisers to know we are destroying the world. And we could be the last that can do anything about it.”
Today, young people all over the world will be going on the #SchoolsStrike4Climate to highlight their concerns that climate destruction is not being taken seriously by the authorities and our leaders. This is our chance to show them that we are listening and acting.
There is no time to lose:
• One in six species is at risk of extinction because of climate change.
• There could be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050.
• Wildlife population sizes have plummeted by 60% in under 50 years.
• We destroy an area of forest the size of a football pitch every two seconds.
• Food is a major driver of wildlife extinction. The food we eat in the UK alone is linked to the extinction of an estimated 33 species at home and abroad.
(Source: WWF)
Why should we make it a priority?
Aren’t our own missions more important than this? Will we have time? Will I get buy in from the organisation? Won’t it be more expensive?
Good questions, but there are answers!
1. This is what young people care about most
Young people are saying loud and clear that they see this as their most important issue. Maybe in the future, instead of people comparing our admin costs or CEO pay, we will be compared by our environmental impact. Those who don’t act now, might find they miss out on millennial donations in the future.
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2. Climate destruction will drain the resources of society
Inevitably, the more we destroy the climate, the more of society’s resources will be prioritised to be spent dealing with the fallout. Money that may have been allocated to our own causes at both voluntary and statuary level.
3. If we don’t stop the destruction of the planet, there won’t be anything left
And the doomsday response is that if we are truly on course to destroy our planet, why bother with our missions anyway?
What should we do?
Make a pledge
Pledges help us show long-term commitments, a holistic approach and adds accountability.
An example pledge from a challenge events manager is below and will be shared internally and externally with stakeholders.
We need to work with suppliers, event companies and other third parties to make real change possible.
But acting and making pledges will ensure many will adapt to survive.
Banging sticks are our plastic straws
Removing single use plastic is an important step and after Blue Planet 2, it’s high on the consciousness of the public and the fact that you barely see a plastic straw shows how quickly public opinion can shift, demanding immediate action.
For challenge event managers, the banging sticks we use at events feels the most obvious and urgent change to make. They consist of 2 strips of plastic, a plastic straw and a plastic wrapper. They last about 30 minutes and then get thrown away.
Please fill in this survey if you are interested in replacing plastic banging sticks with biodegradable material.
Also…
We launch on Friday…#YouthForClimate #Striking4Climate @GretaThunberg#Charities4Climate#ProjectBangBang pic.twitter.com/gPCcJOR9hQ
— Charities4Climate (@Charities4Clim1) March 13, 2019
Use #Charities4Climate to share ideas, thoughts and raise awareness.
Follow @Charities4Clim1 on twitter
Let’s keep David Attenborough smiling!
This has been published by a concerned fundraiser whose identity is known to UK Fundraising but who wishes to remain anonymous.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.