By Katy Obregon, Fossil Free Southwark
Part of being a parent involves trying to explain things about the grown-up world to my children.
There are certain topics (you know the kind of thing I mean) for which generations of parents have struggled to find the right words.
It’s only really in the last couple of decades though, that global warming has joined that list, and only in the last few years the full extent of the gap between what governments recognise to be the need, and what they are actually doing has become clear. I found myself needing to be reassuring in this conversation with my children, saying that I was sure that they would do something – how could they not with the information they have? But it seemed to me like our government might need a little help.
Looking around me I could see lots of people doing what they can to help, including an inspiring young woman I heard speaking at a lecture. She spoke with such clarity and passion, and showed how ordinary people could have an effect on the vast fossil fuel corporations who are slowing progress on climate change by moving our money away from the irresponsible industry.
A few days after this, I saw a post on Facebook saying that my Council – Southwark – was investing my council tax in fossil fuels. Though I’d hardly done anything like it before, I plucked up the courage to go along to a meeting to find out more. By the time I’d left I’d become a co-founder of a new campaigning group: Fossil Free Southwark.
Since then, my daughters and I have become activists.
We helped launch the new campaign at a film screening which, to our surprise, about 100 people came to. Since then we’ve been helping to collect petition signatures (nearly 1000 now!) and talking to local shopkeepers and other members of the Southwark community.
We found that as soon as people hear where the council is investing our money, they want to sign. So many people have a story to tell on these issues – from people with relatives in countries at the sharp end of climate change, to worries about the fumes that our kids are breathing in at playtime. So, ahead of last year’s climate march in London we teamed up with some other parents and children to make banners, and my youngest daughter even ran her own stall at a local bookshop.
The turning point though, was meeting a group of inspiring locals who were organising a public meeting with new Southwark councillor-turned-MP Helen Hayes. I was so nervous, but helped put the event together. That was the easy part. At some point someone would need to ask about fossil fuel investments, and I realised that person would probably have to be me. I put up my hand, and when invited to speak, I asked – trembling – if she supported the campaign for Southwark Council to divest from fossil fuels. To my surprise, she said she did! Everyone applauded and I sat down, relieved and delighted. I since met with her in a smaller meeting, and she promised to raise it with the appropriate people at the council.
Since then our campaign been really snowballing. MPs, councillors and London Assembly members have come out in support of divestment, and we’ve had emails of endorsement from the local Lib Dems and Greens too. We even finally got a meeting with the decision makers who have the power to decide to divest.
As I understand it, they haven’t said they disagree, but haven’t said they agree either. They did agree though, to a report about the financial risk of fossil fuel investments being made to the pensions committee, and helpfully suggested we should help inform current members of staff contributing to the pension fund about a survey they were running.
So that was what we set out to do; teaming up with some members of Fossil Free Southwark who worked for the council, we got all the necessary permissions for a stall in the lobby, and my daughters made some ‘fossil free cupcakes’ which I got up early to ice. Unfortunately by the time I got there, the group had been informed that someone ‘up high’ at the council had decided we were not allowed to do what we were doing there after all. So, we resolved, if we couldn’t be warm in the lobby, we’d just have to go outside and freeze, and do it there instead.
So that’s where we’ve got to after a year.
We’re awaiting news from the decision makers, and hoping they will do the right thing by starting the process of divestment from dirty fossil fuels. I’m still the same person, I still do all the ‘mum things’, it’s just that nowadays that doesn’t just include the things my mum did for me, but involves engaging in the political system to try and ensure a better world for my children too.
Sometimes my daughters ask me what will happen if people in power don’t make the right decisions. My answer is always the same. I’ve got every confidence that they will do the right thing. They just need a bit of help. And maybe a cupcake each too.
Katy Obregon is a member of Fossil Free Southwark (@fossilfreeswk). To contact the campaign, email fossilfreesouthwark@gmail.com
Click here to sign the petition asking Southwark Council to divest.
A shorter version of this article first appeared on the Peckham Peculiar blog.