After the hints of optimism that emerged from the UN Climate Change Conference in Montreal earlier this month, it might be apt to revisit the somewhat poignant ending to George Monbiot's speech delivered at the Climate Change march on the 3rd of December lest we forget where the real struggle lies...
"...And we find ourselves in an extraordinary position. This is the first
mass political movement to demand less, not more. The first to take to
the streets in pursuit of austerity. The first to demand that our
luxuries, even our comforts, are curtailed.
These are the greatest political challenges any movement has faced.
But we are rising to it. We are rising. But let no one tell you it
will be easy. If it were just a matter of slagging off George Bush, we
would have won by now. But we must struggle not only against him, not
only against our own government, not only against each other, but also
against ourselves. The struggle against climate change is a struggle
against much of what we have become. It is a struggle against some of
our most fundamental urges.
We cannot call on others to stop flying if we still fly. We cannot ask
the government to force us to change if we are not ready to change.
The greatest fight of our lives will be fought not just out there, but
also in here."
George Monbiot 2005
For streaming video footage of the speech from Indymedia, click here (about 15MB).
