Eco-alarmism: grassroots or astroturf?

The cynical bandwagon-chasing that you always suspected, is not only going on, but going on at a rate you would not believe.

This week we will witness the grisly spectacle of heads of government flying on private jets to attend COP26, where they will decide how many restrictions they can impose on their populations, how many liberties they can retract, how many new taxes they can raise and how they can prevent the speech of those who counsel moderation.

Well, you would if you turned on your television. However, since March 2020, when broadcast news exposed itself as more of a control system than an information-distribution system, ever fewer people have put their trust in the mainstream media. You’ll have to forgive us if the we, the public, decide to skip mainstream media coverage of COP26. After all, the governments intent on punishing us have decided to skip public consultation.

Regardless of what the exact situation is with global temperatures, macro-weather systems and threats to biodiversity – and what role human activity plays in those – you are possibly sceptical about how this data is used. Politicians, charities, billionaires, NGOs and international bodies – and they are increasingly working in concert, so it is difficult to draw meaningful distinctions between public and private sectors – are taking advantage of the fear they have seeded through education programmes and media campaigns. It is hard to tell apart a corporate advert selling a product and an NGO warning of catastrophe (and implicitly blaming you for your heedless contribution). In effect, they overlap. Fear and shame are what both company and NGO use to nudge your behaviour. “Eat the bugs, bigot” and “Buy the product, bigot” have reached convergence point.

What you may be unaware of is the massive exploitation of COP26 by public-relations firms. As a critic-journalist, I am on a lot of mailing lists, few of them voluntarily. How did I end up on the list of a packaging-products-industry firm? (And how can I unsubscribe?). Who thought I was going to review super-hero series on Apple TV? Why are fancy restaurants in London inviting me to launches? How do my articles overlap with “a great range of home-crafting products for children aged 6-10”? Am I really going to cover a “heart-breaking memoir of courage and survival” by a survivor of child abuse (author available for interview)?

Here are recent subject headings in my deleted email folder: “CLIMATE CRISIS FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED”, “COP26 Host City of Glasgow Reflects on Climate Crisis with Multi-Site Public Art Installation by British Designer Steuart Padwick”, “Art at COP 26 | Artist and activist Mary Ellen Carroll to install monumental neon beacon making climate emergency visible across Glasgow”, “COP26: upcycle craft ideas and sustainable makes. From the catwalk to our homes, LoveCrafts puts together top eco-conscious craft projects”, “A unique project bringing together climate solutions and art - artist open call”, “ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART PRESENTS THE TERRA CARTA DESIGN LAB AT COP26”, “Game-changing ideas on creativity, climate and community”, “THE PHOTOGRAPHERS’ GALLERY: 50 SUSTAINABLE PHOTOGRAPHY [sic] IN AN UNSUSTAINABLE WORLD”, “COP26: crafts that will help you go zero-waste”.

You can imagine the tsunami of virtue-signalling garbage that surged into my inbox during ‘Gay Pride Month’ and ‘Black History Month’. I couldn’t resist including this gem: “Black History Month: Punch needle Angela Davis, embroider Stormzy & crochet Oprah Winfrey”.

These are just examples in the creative field. Imagine all the exploitation by COP26 in the science, manufacturing, business, transport and education fields. I don’t begrudge makers, firms and associations selling their wares by linking them to current trends. I don’t intend to be (too) mean. However, what you need confirmation of is this: the cynical bandwagon-chasing that you always suspected, is not only going on, but going on at a rate you would not believe. There is enough astroturf to cover the whole Earth and that’s just not environmentally friendly.