A small but determined group gathered in Gothenburg on Friday evening to remember the victims of climate change. Not only was this the last Friday in the month, it was also the day one year ago when the storm Katrina that devastated New Orleans reached hurricane force. Gothenburg was one of 28 Critical Masses around the world where this was remembered.
ghost bike
To mark the day we paraded a ghost bike around the city before parking it (legally) outside of the town hall. The idea being to remind our local politicians that the decisions they make have effect beyond the city limits. After a short speech we rode. Making a more solemn procession than usual.
As we were so few who bothered to turn up we could only safely occupy one lane. Even this seemed to overly irritate a number of motorists. I suppose it would be too much to expect car drivers to take a moment to reflect over the deaths their behaviour causes. The European drivers are a wealthy bunch measured on a global scale. Things might get better if the wealthy were to start caring about the malnourishment, displacement and deaths their manic consumption of resources inflicts on the world’s poor. But when have the wealthy ever cared about that.
As we were so few who bothered to turn up we could only safely occupy one lane. Even this seemed to overly irritate a number of motorists. I suppose it would be too much to expect car drivers to take a moment to reflect over the deaths their behaviour causes. The European drivers are a wealthy bunch measured on a global scale. Things might get better if the wealthy were to start caring about the malnourishment, displacement and deaths their manic consumption of resources inflicts on the world’s poor. But when have the wealthy ever cared about that.
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