It’s been hard to avoid coverage of the dramatic events in the News of the World phone hacking scandal over the last two weeks. Until now it would have been hard to imagine a 150+ year old newspaper being brought to its knees by the activities of a small number of its journalists.
Like a tidal wave, public outrage has swept away not only the UK’s best selling Sunday newspaper but its parent company’s bid for Sky TV and the tenability of its CEO.
It is a defining moment and shows just how pressure from both the public and Government really can change the policy of powerful organisations.
I wonder if the environmental movement can take heart and learn from these events. Can public anger be harnessed to tackle companies currently plundering the natural environment or Governments not signing up to tough emissions cuts?
Well, the tools are certainly there. For one, we’ve seen the power of social networking this year as revolutions swept across North Africa and the Middle East.
But there are some big barriers to overcome:
Can environmental issues stir up the same emotional impact on the public?
Just how tangible is climate change when most of us can’t see a visible change in our weather?
Certain practices just become the norm. We expect oil companies to seek and exploit new oil fields. We expect palm oil producers to continue to clear rainforest to increase production. And we don’t question why gas guzzling Formula 1 hurtle round tracks for nothing more than entertainment.
But the way old barriers are now being broken should give us some hope.
smartergreenerliving 