I read the news today … oh boy
It was a gloomy morning on 24 July 2023. The Beatles song, A Day in the Life, came to mind about depressing news that often forms the tapestry of life.
On this particular day, the wildfire ravaged Greek islands, Rhodes and Corfu, were being evacuated. ABC News sounded yet another warning about the failure of Antarctica to recover its sea ice through winter [1]. Veteran finance journalist and emerging climate commentator, Alan Kohler, wrote in the New Daily about the inadequacy of our efforts to reduce atmospheric carbon [2].
Perhaps I should improve my reading list. Maybe I’m a victim of the social media algorithms that have learned over time that I read this stuff. The answer to both is probably ‘yes’. But it doesn’t deny the reality that these things are happening and, despite the noisy denial of a predictable cohort of conservative commentators, climate change is wreaking havoc, with worse to come.
Like many concerned about these events and trends, I ask myself: what can I do? It’s easy to look at all this and say the scope and scale of change is beyond the power of the individual – even the most well-heeled – to make any noticeable difference.
The mathematics of chaos theory suggests otherwise [3]. It says every small action can substantially influence what happens elsewhere. I’d like to think this applies to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, which are inextricably linked even though the latter is only a relative newcomer to media headlines.
We can all take positive individual actions to improve our prospects of avoiding the worst climatic volatility and promote local biodiversity. Small behavioural changes like switching off appliances, walking or cycling instead of driving, recycling waste, composting and choosing native over exotic plants for the garden can be the butterfly wings that waft the change through our own chaos.
To paraphrase an old call to action: Act locally to impact globally.
As individuals we can amplify our impact by acting in unison. Advocacy and action for change as a local collective can achieve measurable change in our own environment, rippling our influence through the intertwined threads of national and global challenges.
I am fortunate to live in one of the communities embraced by the Western Port Biosphere Reserve, an area that boasts some of Australia’s greatest natural assets. Spread over more than 2,000 square kilometres centred on Western Port in south-east Victoria, the natural habitats of its terrestrial and marine environments can make a considerable contribution to dealing with the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.
The Reserve was recognised more than 20 years ago by the United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which admitted the Mornington Peninsula and Western Port Biosphere Reserve (full name) to membership of its international network of reserves. These now number 738 in 134 countries, with five of these in Australia.
Two decades later, the Western Port Biosphere Reserve Foundation, on which I have served as a board member for the past three years, is steadily building awareness and interest in the Reserve’s unique environment, not only for the intrinsic value of its natural assets and the quality of life they support, but also the economic benefits of protecting and restoring those assets.
The marine environment and particularly its protected Ramsar wetlands [4], is blessed with substantial areas of seagrasses and its fringing mangroves and saltmarshes. These are scientifically proven to have enormous capacity to sequester carbon into seabed and soils. In fact, they absorb 30 to 50 times more than an equivalent area of terrestrial forest. Through blue carbon, these can make a solid contribution to offsetting carbon emissions.
On land, the Reserve still features considerable stretches of native bushland, estuaries and wetlands, some within national parks, but others needing proper planning and management to survive and thrive under the pressure of urban, agricultural and industrial development.
The complexity in striking the right balance between environment protection and development in this and other parts of the world is something in which, by default, everyone is involved and from which everyone will benefit, including future generations.
In our case, through the auspices of international UNESCO Biosphere membership, our impact can increase through sharing our learning and experience with the 737 other members of the network. The ripple effect from collective individual effort can be enormous.
So while the despondency of the 24 July news bulletins sometimes feels like rinse and repeat of the previous days, it is possible to act with impact. Just start by making simple changes at home or amplify your effort by joining and supporting a locally based organisation.
There’s always something you can do.
For information on the Western Port Biosphere Reserve Foundation’s work, visit www.biosphere.org.au
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[1] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-24/antarctic-sea-ice-levels-nosedive-five-sigma-event/102635204
[2] https://thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2023/07/24/climate-change-crisis-kohler/