Porritt on optimism and action

Jonathon Porrit gave the second Richard Sandbrook memorial lecture on 25th June, three extracts of it are up on YouTube and worth a listen in my view. He talked about reactions to climate change, the case for hope and optimism, how we can ward off despair and why we should get angry. He argues history has showed that leaders of change can't motivate through preaching Armageddon. He identifies three kinds of optimism

1. Lovelockian school of optimism - the world will be a better place in 2-300 years because 5 billion people will have died. This is based on his understanding of life in Earth.
2. War footing optimism. Where is the Pearl Harbour moment? Moving onto a different footing, a war footing. Perception that climate change has to be addressed in the way that war is addressed. (Rationing, controls etc in interest of greater good)
3. We still have a window of time' optimism that enables us to come through into a better world. [This is the camp Porritt identifies with]. If this window were to close he wouldn't know how to cope with the despair - a response that it's too late to act.

He went on to talk about how to take advantage of the window, the diminishing opportunity, who will be the agents of change and political leadership that recognises the window of time for action. How we ward off despair?

1. Anger. He is surprised at low level of anger at what is going on in ratcheting up irresponsible economic activity. Difficult to get people motivated to act without anger.
2. Positive visions. Martin Luther King didn't go around the world saying 'I have a nightmare' but 'I have a dream'. Historically we have been better at the negative stuff than the positive. But, as Richard Sandbrook used to say - how can we get anywhere without being able to summon up positive visions? Need to be better at celebrations than wakes.
3. ....the third isn't covered in the video clips. I'll look out for it....or perhaps think about one for myself?