one.point.zero - Colin O'Brien's weblog

Thanks to all the people who’ve been endlessly forwarding me an invitation to switch off the lights tomorrow for a few minutes before 8pm in order to “create global awareness of the climate and energy situation”. You can stop now, really.

If you want to act, switch the damn things off most of the time and use low-energy bulbs when you can’t. Don’t leave your TV on standby, don’t drive you car to the corner shop, take the heating down a notch, give up on flying halfway across the world just because you can.

You know the story, but you don’t want to hear it. It’s much easier to participate in some feel-good action than actually doing something. The problem with doing something being that you have to sacrifice some of that comfort you’ve gotten so used to.

Have a good answer ready when your kids ask you why you didn’t do anything even though you knew, because that question is coming.

It’s not about going back to the stone age, just making some adjustments. We’re all guilty of not doing enough, but let’s at least do something with a bit more impact than being in the dark for 5 minutes. Every time I get that email I’m reminded of a BMW X5 I recently saw sporting a Greenpeace sticker.

On Friday morning, work began on painting a cycle path on the central boulevards of Brussels between De Brouckère and Midi as well as reducing car lanes to 2 instead of 4. These modifications had been planned for a long time as part of a global traffic reduction plan for the city centre and were approved by the various instances in charge of these matters. This was also to be a real-life test and open to revocation after the test period if things didn't work out.

However, it never got that far. Within minutes of the work beginning, several business owners (who, it's said, have a reputation for these things) complained directly to the Mayor (Freddy Thielemans) who intervened personally and immediately cancelled all work. The next city council meeting on Thursday the 8th of June will confirm or infirm his decision.

For this reason, as many voices as possible are needed to question the mayor's unilateral decision and show him these changes do matter. Quality of life in the centre affects everyone who goes there, not only people who live in the area. If you can, please be present at the consultative commission taking place on the 7th of June and let your voice be heard. The mayor will be there and so will the business owners who complained. It's time our “leaders” looked further than their own nose.

The event takes place on June 7th at 20h15 at:
Athénée Léon Lepage
30 Rue des Riches Claire
1000 Brussels
(map)