10:10: Time to stop being climate stupid

The people behind “The Age of Stupid,” a dystopian film about a future wrecked by climate change, are launching a new campaign today aimed at helping society get less stupid about global warming.

The 10:10 initiative, aimed at cutting carbon emissions by 10 per cent in 2010, kicks off at 4 pm this afternoon (1 September) at Tate Modern in London. The first 1010 attendees to sign up for the campaign will receive free champagne and free tags made from a recycled 747, along with free entertainment in the form of a concert with Sara Cox MC, Reverend & The Makers and Stornoway.

Released earlier this year, “The Age of Stupid” stars Pete Postlethwaite as a man living in the future wondering how society could have allowed catastrophic climate change to happen. According to director Franny Armstrong, the 10:10 campaign was inspired by a question that’s since been asked at every screening of the film.

“10:10 is The Age of Stupid’s answer to the question of ‘what can I do?’ ” Armstrong writes on the Age of Stupid Website. “We’ve been being asked that question ever since the first public screening of Stupid, and at every screening since. It’s very hard to give a clear, simple, positive answer to a question like that. I mean, what can an ordinary person do in the face of a threat so vast and unassailable?”

Armstrong continues, “We realised that effective action on climate change means collective action. While scientists say we need a roughly 10% cut in emissions in the developed world next year, even governments like the UK’s — who are genuinely leading the world in terms of concrete commitments to emissions targets — have nothing like that level of ambition, or sense of urgency.”

Citizens concerned about the need for action need to realise they can no longer sit on their hands “waiting for somebody else to do something,” Armstrong says:

“All we need is a clear place to start — and that’s where 10:10 comes in. By committing to cut your emissions by 10% in 2010, you will join thousands of individuals, schools, hospitals, businesses and organisations all actively helping to combat climate change by making simple changes to their lifestyles, homes and workplaces. More importantly, your voice will help to put pressure on the politicians to cut Britain’s emissions as quickly as the science demands. If we in the UK can prove that fast, deep cuts can be made at a national level, then we may just inspire all the other big polluting countries to follow suit.”

While the 10:10 effort is beginning with a UK focus, organisers have plans to “take this thing global,” according to Armstrong.