A Climate Camp Experience
We’d like to announce the publication of an elective report from Mohsin Ullah, a final year MBBS student at Allama Iqbal Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan on his clinical experience in New York. Read it here. Meanwhile, today’s blog comes from Amy Alice Carson who returns from Climate Camp last week full of energy for a new way of organising, living and campaigning. She tells us of about her experiences and debunks some of the traditional myths surrounding the Camp for Climate Action.
If a small percentage of the population can create a camp for a week, with food, sanitation, water, electricity, education and much more, then this gives us hope and inspiration for our future.
I have just returned back to the city of London, from nearly a week of Climate Camp. Gut wrenching nostalgia hits me as I realise I have now entered the real world of the city. Not this utopia that was collectively created for this past week. I join in with a crowd of people heading the same way, swept into a constant rush of rhythms, a close proximity to so many people, yet I feel separated from them greatly. I instantly notice a lack of community; everyone seems to be heading somewhere, including me. Climbing our own ladders, but the ladders seem to be separated from the bigger picture, unable to stand by themselves. Almost instantaneously I feel myself join in, perhaps it is this dissociation from the earth that has contributed to this escalation of ruin, simple things such as not really knowing what happens to the rubbish I throw in the bin, to the waste I flush down the toilet with litres of fresh drinking water, where things come from and go, I sit here now, viewing the world news from this computer screen. Taking for granted what we have access too, yet feeling disempowered to be able to tackle changes, why is it again that we now ship apples from New Zealand and close down the orchards here? Who knows, what I know is that whilst I was at climate camp, this gain of knowledge and understanding definitely felt better.
Climate Camp was split up into different geographical regions, such as London, Yorkshire and Wales, a little country in the space of Blackheath Park. The days began with the early risers who wanted to cook up breakfast for their region; others rose early for a Yoga class. Whilst breakfast was being eaten each area had a meeting, discussing plans, jobs, ideas and any issues from other regions of the camp. A constant communication was in place with the other regions, of which all convened in another meeting after, made up of speakers from each section. Every meeting was held in a consensus manner, encouraging involvement, throughout the camp, this thread of encouragement was kept strong. The washing up would need to be done, so a few people would volunteer to wash up. The lunch would need to be prepared, so whoever wanted to cook would cook, it all worked thoroughly well. Everyone helped set up the camp, building toilets, tents, plumbing systems, donations were made for all the food, a huge amount of ripe fruit that was “liberated from land fill” was completely free. A form of creating less landfill waste, by collecting the food that is thrown away; perfect apples, mangos, kiwis and bananas, going to be thrown away as rubbish. A bicycle was set up outside the boxes of free fruit, attached to the blade on a food processor – free smoothies for all!
In each region affinity groups would be welcomed to be initiated, an opportunity to meet those that are tackling the same thing in a similar manner as you. It was fascinating to link up with other people, hearing ideas and stories. Workshops would go on throughout the day, ranging from climate science to building wind turbines, however the camp has been portrayed over the past week I can safely say that all the workshops I attended were packed out, with some of the most knowledgeable and intelligent thinkers of today in the audience. Climate camp was not just a fun protest as portrayed, but an important gathering for those on the vanguard of the current climate situation. The camp attracted a scope of people. Those that feel that this is the only way to take action against climate change, by taking direct action against our state, living autonomously, outside the hands of the corporations.
Knowledge is sometimes difficult; knowing what we are heading for is quite hard to accept and stay positive. Yet when placed with not just hundreds, but thousands of others that feel the same way, solutions can be made, ideas can be shared and progression can persist. If a small percentage of the population can create a camp for a week, with food, sanitation, water, electricity, education and much more, then this gives us hope and inspiration for our future. And as Caroline Lucas said at Climate Camp; it is a privilege to live in this era, as we have been given this opportunity to change.
Amy is an active member of the Medsin campaign Healthy Planet (http://www.medsin.org/campaigns/healthyplanet).
If you would like to know how to take action and cut your carbon footprint, why not visit the10:10 website at http://www.1010uk.org
Related Blogs
A Healthy Planet? - http://www.thelancetstudent.com/2009/06/30/a-healthy-planet/
Climate Change and Health Winners – http://www.thelancetstudent.com/2009/06/08/%E2%80%98climate-change-and-health%E2%80%99-winners/
The Key to Compliance: 5 things doctors can teach politicians about climate change – http://www.thelancetstudent.com/2009/05/24/the-key-to-compliance-5-things-doctors-can-teach-politicians-about-climate-change/