Category: Climate Cafe Brentwood

The BCA were thrilled to have as our guest speaker Professor Jules Pretty, OBE. Jules Pretty is Emeritus Professor of Environment and Society at the University of Essex. He is an award-winning author, writing about nature, climate and people, creating stories about transformations that lead to action and change. He is Chair of the Essex Climate Action Commission and President of Essex Wildlife Trust.

Jules presented his talk:

Story for Climate and Nature Recovery

‘Climate and nature recovery starts to happen when we’re able to turn anxiety to agency’

The nature of story-telling is at the heart of Jules’ message. It is an age-old means of passing detailed information from one generation to the next and story as a form is far older than any ancient written language. Story carries with it moral tales, traditions and history, reinventing itself through the course of time.

Synopsis: The pattern for our own story to tell, around the needs of the climate crisis we face, follows the same distinct pattern of all story telling however ancient. So, how do we tell our story? We speak to those around us. Negativity with the subject will only breed hopelessness and lethargy. We must, therefore, present positives that lead to action (agency), by presenting ideas of the ‘little things’ people can do. Who then could a) pass on to others and, or b) try a second, third or other ways of doing something positive, whereby each difference has a positive outcome for that individual e.g. saving money, healthier diet, exercise etc.

Jules used a metaphor, whilst stating, that this is the first time humanity has been caught in a very dark and very ‘deep hole’, driven deeper by an undercurrent of political selfishness and profits over people, which was spearheaded by the Thatcher years and has continued, becoming more imbedded within our society. Our economy too, is run on a ‘scarcity’ model, promoting public anger and negative outcries about situations that have been literally manufactured e.g. cost of living crisis, etc. However, there are positives: green technologies and imaginative ideas,concepts and inventions have been springing up of which we can all be apart of, especially if we all come together and act as one.

To finish, Jules presented all who were there with two flyers: both titled ‘Thirty for 30’. The first one is ‘Thirty Actions for Nature Recovery by 2030’ and the second, ‘Thirty for 30: Cutting Your Carbon’.

Jules stated that just starting off small, even choosing just one action, is the first step on a pathway to free ourselves and escape this dark place that we have found ourselves in.

Jules then concluded by saying that if everyone could reduce their carbon footprint to one tonne a year, our planet, ourselves and nature could avoid being stuck down that ‘black hole’ forever.

Jules Pretty is launching his new free podcast in May: ‘Heat, Camera, Action’