The idea
You Talk, They Listen is a series of events we’re hosting at universities around the UK – each focussing on the topics you care about most in the run-up to the election. From climate change, to freedom of speech and immigration – young people talk and politicians listen.
Rick Edwards, TV presenter and writer, will host each night – so you may get the chance to quiz him on his new book, None of the Above, on why young people aren’t voting and why they should be.
The topic
What should politicians and the media be doing to save the world from climate change?
The venue
University of Sussex, 15 April 2015
The panel
Ivor Gaber, professor of journalism at the University of Sussex
Paul MacInnes, Guardian journalist and editor of the Guide
Lucy Siegle, Observer journalist on environmental issues
Adam Vaughan, editor of the Guardian’s environment site
Jim Watson, professor of energy policy at the University of Sussex
Five top demands on climate change
1) Divest from fossil fuels. Sussex student union president Abe Baldry kicked off the evening praising the national student-led campaign for university divestment from fossil fuels. Adam Vaughn said the call for divestment is relevant to everyone from universities, to the church, politicians and the media. And Lucy Siegle said the Guardian’s Keep it in the ground campaign is reinvigorating passions about the environment.
2) Modernise how we talk about climate change. “Climate change denial is so five years ago,” said Vivek Rajcoomar, 26, a Sussex student running to be a Green councillor in a Brighton and Hove ward next month. Young people all know how climate change works. So let’s stop rehashing old arguments. The journalists on the panel agreed that the media’s coverage is often doom-mongering and off-putting – to engage readers you need to give them something positive to aim for. And young people must find ways to get their own stories about the environment across. “With social media, we could be doing more ourselves to share environmental stories and evidence of climate change,” said one student, “using apps like Meerkat and Periscope.”
3) Take lifestyle choices seriously. Alternative lifestyles are not to be scoffed at. Young members of the audience spoke with passion about their quest to reduce carbon emissions by becoming vegan, cycling everywhere and boycotting flying. “We need to build a better picture of what a zero-carbon lifestyle looks like,” said Green MP Caroline Lucas from the floor. People might be more encouraged to reduce their carbon emissions if wearable devices, along the lines of Fitbits, existed to gamify the process, said Paul MacInnes. We need to stop tinkering around the edges and be more radical.
4) Our current climate change targets aren’t robust or ambitious enough. The key target of the 2008 Climate Change Act – reducing UK emissions by at least 80% by 2050 from 1990 levels – is still risky in terms of holding back global warming. It doesn’t go far enough, said Lucas. Panellists pointed to the cursory mention of climate change in the parties’ latest manifestos and in the election campaign so far. We need to hold the parties to account, they said. Apart from the Greens, the parties all want to build more roads, expand airports, support fracking and continue fossil fuel subsidies.
5) Don’t let austerity take the focus off the environment. Use environmental initiatives to help us out of the economic crisis. MacInnes highlighted a community solar panel project in Hackney giving people control over their energy supply. Lucas said investing in home insulation would create green jobs that could benefit young people and those out of work, while reducing our fuel bills and emissions and addressing fuel poverty. “This is just straightforward common sense,” she said.
- For more information about these issues, stay up-to-date with our environmental coverage and keep it in the ground campaign.
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Next in our series of campus talks: we’ll be discussing tuition fees, student loans and university funding at Manchester Metropolitan University on Friday 17 April. Book here.
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Follow the debates on Twitter: #youtalktheylisten
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Keep up with the latest on Guardian Students: follow us on Twitter at @GdnStudents – and become a member to receive exclusive benefits and our weekly newsletter.
