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Personal Experience of the Climate Change Camp

Chris Philpott | 11.09.2006 22:11 | Climate Camp 2006 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Indymedia | Birmingham

The article gives impressions of what the climate change camp was like as a performer, workshop leader, and participant of workshops.

My Experience at the Climate Change Camp near the DRAX Power Station

Just lately, I've come to realise that I was born in 1950 at the time when the great industrial expansion started. As my standard of living has improved I have been contributing a lot of carbon to the atmosphere and so driving climate change . I had been part of the problem, now I was determined to be part of the solution. As a result of my lifestyle and those of millions of others I will leave considerable problems for my children to sort out in the future. It is they who will inherit the suffering generated by climate change when I will be long dead. The government and the majority of people do not understand the great significance of climate change to the age we live in. Most people think that we will just go on as before consuming more and more. I saw the Drax Power station action as part of a new radical approach to pointing out the causes of climate change.

When I arrived at the camp I thought I might face chaos but it very soon became apparent that this was a well organised event. Marquees were already erected, mains water supply connected, and biological toilets installed. I found out that the camp was arranged in districts according to the geographical location where people came from. So I opted to camp in the Oxford group area. Each district had a food kitchen to provide food for people camping nearby, which was totally manned by volunteers. Each morning, I found that there was a meeting in the local area, and any concerns taken to a larger meeting of the camp. I experienced the revolutionary way of working, where decisions were made by consensus, however long it took. Most of my life I had worked with hierarchical structures where elected leaders made all the decisions. I found out that the districts provided volunteers to do many jobs at the camp, such as looking after toilets, cooking, medical services , communications, providing security and mediation. Quite frankly, I was inspired and amazed by the depth and detail of the organisation of the camp which was the result of months of planning..

I'd come to make a contribution by putting on magic shows as Kristoff the clown. I wanted to provide some respite to green activist parents by performing for their children in the kids tent. I found the children appreciative, pleasant and responsive.

I’d also come to help provide music for members of the camp and hold a workshop on writing environmental songs. Our band, the Eco Worriers were well received throughout as people appreciated us entertaining them with traditional songs and our own eco songs.

The most inspiring aspect of the whole camp to me were the 150 workshops dealing with climate change. I attended excellently run workshops on permaculture, peak oil and green futures . This was a massive think tank where people could explore with others radical ideas about how to create an alternative society when climate change had completely and irrevocably demolished the mass consumerist lifestyle. I was honoured to offer my own contribution when I held a green spirituality workshop, based on a book that I had been writing some nine years. My workshop was well attended by deeply concerned Buddhists ,Pagans, Christians, and atheists who indicated that they were deeply concerned about how to change peoples current value systems..

I found the whole experience of the climate change inspiring and motivating. It was a privilege to be with people who were deeply committed to tackling climate change and finding answers. I discovered the people at the camp to be the most intelligent and compassionate I had met in a long time. At least the camp fulfilled the objective of getting into the mainstream media the message that we have to cut our carbon use now. The BBC , ITV, and even tabloid newspapers covered the story fairly sympathetically and it even made the front page of the Independent for two consecutive days.



Chris Philpott 10.9.06

Chris Philpott

Additions

Kristoff the clown pics

24.09.2006 13:49



A couple of photos of Kristoff the clown with Camp kids:

pics


Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

Fraud

11.09.2006 23:28

I guess happiness or silence is just too much "climate change" for some people. They have to come along and engage in fraud to give them something to cry about, and apparently they get promoted for it.

Just so they know, I was excited about a potential job, frauds.

Yeah, I know this appears to be a non-sequitor.

Hostage


How Nice! To bad it means nothing

13.09.2006 06:01

Nothing will be done aboput global warming - except to increase it!
If the campers are recruiting warriors to fight the final battle - then tally ho!

other wise - well there is no otherwise - just denial, denial,,, deny

the earth will burn or the Capitalists


no solution here, look elsewhere!

13.09.2006 09:59

But what we need is politics, not feel good new age nonsense. praying and meditation and chanting ain't gonna help, and it is not possible to 'convert' people to yr spirituality. i mean, i support these issues, but even i find this pseudo spiritual stuff a bit off putting and confused. i suggest you read the books of Murray Bookchin and try and find a more intelligent way of doing green politics.

bookchin's bulldog


Pseudo-spirituality?

14.09.2006 09:22

I also attended the camp and i assure you it was completely devoid of pseudo-spirituality bullshit. The people who attended were serious activists who wanted to seriously address the issue of climate change. You call for politics? In my view this is the opinion expressed by those who dont wish to act themselves and want to force others to act on their behalf.

alandawson


reply to alandawson

14.09.2006 10:50

Hey,

i am sure you are correct. i am NOT attacking the whole thing, and i am glad that such events are taking place. i am only criticising the growth of this kind of spirituality among some sectors of activists in green politics, both inside and outside the camp, and among green activists generally, in environmental magazines and websites, mailing lists etc. this kind of spirituality, to my mind, is something which should not be mixed together with politics as it is confused and it is also off putting for those who prefer to keep religion and politics separate. it stops people from taking it seriously by dismissing them as 'hippies', and it is also,as you suggest 'pseudo'. Apart from that, i wish you and all the activists the greatest success.

bookchin's bulldog


i agree

14.09.2006 14:34

and missed the division of labour. pbloody middles class twats taking the piss.

ivan


pagans about - ooh, run away...

14.09.2006 21:35

Oh it's all so confusing and personal...

Spirituality does not mean religion, and is a very personal thing. When ecological direct action stuff started happening in the UK (with Earth First!) in the early 90s, there were more people who were happy with talking about paganism and enjoying nature around them, at the same time as happily sabbing bulldozers in the full moon, or whatever other 'hard' politics you might mean. Then there was a swing to the 'black hoody' tendency, and though it's not swung completely back to 'rainbow jumper' brigade, I hope we can find a balance, where we accept our diversity.

To think about what you feel, and how you personally relate to the world should not be a class issue, you dismissive twat ;-)

happy camper