The way in which a change will be realised with climate change will be through the empowerment of Youth, Junior Youth and Children. The reason why change is so hard is exemplified by this quote from Abdu’l Baha:

“It is extremely difficult to teach the individual and refine his character once puberty is passed. By then, as experience hath shown, even if every effort be exerted to modify some tendency of his, it all availeth nothing. He may, perhaps, improve somewhat today; but let a few days pass and he forgetteth, and turneth backward to his habitual condition and accustomed ways. Therefore it is in early childhood that a firm foundation must be laid. While the branch is green and tender it can easily be made straight.”

This quote clearly explains why the world is locked in immobilisation and denial about climate change, and why those elderly people in charge refuse to change their habits and tendencies. The obvious benefits are all there, but their ego has become attached to what is safe and the same and they refuse to let go. As an interesting aside, some adults find it very difficult to juggle because they cannot release the third ball, which is a metaphor for their entire life. These adults stick to their hurt when wounded, (emotionally, physically) and they wallow in it, e.g. after 5 minutes of meeting someone you know the latest tragedy of their life.

This refusal to let go has caused dramatic problems around the world. However, the clear solution, as shown by the quote, is to get in before these habits and ego set in. Most children and youth are all supportive of Solar Panels, Wind Farms etc. and many youth are quite angered by the world’s inability to do nothing. Yet these youth do nothing themselves and wait for the government to provide a solution which appears at the moment to be nonexistent. What if, however, each of these youth were active in their anger/protests and supported the sustainable industry.

Traditional Adobe Bricks

What if each of them installed solar panels in their new house, along with a water tank (we have drought in Australia). What if they used new more energy efficent and insulating materials than the traditional adobe brick that our culture has become so attached to. A movement of youth, run universally, could overturn the world and create a sustainable revolution. Thus here is a clear solution, educate and empower the Youth in these techniques and you will overturn the world.

The EV1, a protype electric car discontinued in California.

Electric cars, a little looked into alternative to conventional petroleum run cars, would be an excellent way for reducing carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and NO/NO2 emissions throughout the world. The electric car runs on a fundamentally different principle from the internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine works on the principle of compressing and exploding petroleum, thus producing a lot of excess heat. This process is only around 16% efficient with84% of the energy lost as heat to the surrounding environment. However the electric car has an efficiency of over 90% where energy is lost when charging and in the braking system. Granted that some say that this already comes from a coal fired power station, yet these power stations are more efficient than the internal combustion engine, and so energy is saved. Also, if a charge at home electric car was to be used in combination with solar panels, there would be no problem. The only downside to an electric car is making long distance journeys, as the batteries needed are all very expensive and owned by the petrol and motor companies, who have little incentive to make the latest batteries, having bought them and designs for electric cars to stop the takeover from petrol to electric.

The Smog covering Beijing

Pollution is also a great reason why the electric car is so much more favourable than the combustion engine. Many cities in the world, such as Beijing and Shanghai suffer a perpetual cloud of pollution due to the outputs of the automobile. Photochemical smog (ozone) is produced from harmful nitrogen oxides which cause health problems. This was proven when at the Beijing Olympics, the stopping of traffic removed the cloud from the city. Thus if everyone had electric cars, our cities would not be as choked as they are, drastically reducing cancer and respiratory problems, a common one being athsma.

So why has everyone not yet switched to electric cars and solar panels? Why not use a greatly more energy efficient vehicle for day to day travel? The answer again lies in the world’s greed but also the world’s resistance to change. Apathy towards the next generation, the greed of the oil companies who have tried to stop the electric car as promoted by the documentary Who killed the Electric Car?, and those who do not wish for the faithful and handy internal combustion engine to change. But the fact of the matter is, these are incredibly inefficient machines wasting a great deal of energy and so the world must change to the electric car if it is to keep the environment alive.

Solar Panels are an excellent way that any one of you at home can help to contribute to the problem of Climate Change. For around ten thousand dollars (AUD) you can power your home and this should pay itself off in around 10 years, depending on your local electricity prices. All that is required is the space on your roof, and there is no need for elaborate, government run solar power plants. Surely, this is a simple solution to climate change, have each new house built with compulsory solar panels.  Obviously it is not the whole solution, but could be an essential part. The reason behind why people are not more supportive must be a spiritual one in essence, centred around the issue of greed. This quote from Baha’u'llah aptly explains why the solar panel is not even considered as solution:

“O SON OF BEING! Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants.”

The coal, oil and mining companies, who will lose their business as soon as the world converts to solar panels, use a great portion of their resources to ‘lobby’ and stop things that lose their business, namely solar panels. This greed is an issue spiritual at heart and is contributing greatly to the problem. Again a spiritual solution must be found to it, and the answer is above. We must understand that gold is simply a test – life is not about money.

However, solar panels also have many problems. In Australia, the sun shines all the time and they produce a great deal of energy, but in other countries where the weather is more erratic such as Great Britain, they are not a completely viable solution, as more expensive panels are needed and they produce less energy, as there is much less sunlight. Nevertheless, these could be considered as a compulsory addition in those houses situated a viable location, such as Australia where the sun shines a great deal.

“No welfare and no well-being can be attained except through consultation.”

This is a reason why the world was unable to solve the current climate crisis at the recent Copenhagen summit. The principles of Baha’i consultation were not present. These include “Purity of Motive”, “Humility and Lowliness” and “Patience.” Each country’s representative did not have purity of motive at all but merely followed instructions to do what was the best for the country’s economy, or the country’s sea level, or the country’s coal industry/oil industry. Abdu’l Baha, the son of the Baha’i prophet, outlines the principles of Baha’i consultation in this way:

Abdu'l Baha, son of the Prophet Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i Faith.

“The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and absolute unity be nonexistent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that assembly be brought to naught. ”

 

Here, harmony of thought was nonexistent and so the gathering was dispersed and the assembly was brought to naught. Through using Baha’i principles for consultation, set down by Abdu’l Baha in Selections from the Writings of `Abdu’l-Baha, the global climate crisis could be solved, otherwise each country will most probably continue to promote its own interests and these gatherings will simply become squabblings over material wealth.

If each person at Copenhagen followed this simple message the world would be well on its way to solving its climate issues. The problem is one of a spiritual nature: Greed from the oil companies, selfishness of governments etc., therefore it makes sense to find a spiritual solution such as the above solution. The climate change crisis could be easily solved, if only each country decided to have in its interest each human in the world rather than continuing hold more power.