I am planning to start a monthly Zoom discussion group. In part this will be an exploration of the ideas in my book ‘System Change Now!’ and in part it will be about all of our various efforts to help create a better future, or at least to avert the worst catastrophes.

Most of you will have tried some or all of these:- writing letters and lobbying MP’s, signing petitions, supporting consumer boycotts, trying to live ethical lifestyles, voting and being active in political parties, going on demos, occupying buildings or city centres. Some of you may have tried inventing things or other entrepreneurial efforts to effect change, or setting up or investing in renewable energy co-ops. My own efforts for these last couple of decades have mainly focused on envisaging a different future, and writing and speaking about it.

Where best to put our efforts? I have in some small way tried all of the above. In the 1960’s I wrote my first letter of protest to LBJ about the Vietnam War, and gave my first talk on climate change and planetary scale pollution in 1972 while still in 6^th form. I have in numerous ways been an activist all my adult life, as I’m sure many of you have.

In theory most of us support numerous groups but in practice, time, effort and money are all limiting factors. What is the most effective use of our own resources and energy? What have we individually found most enjoyable, inspiring and energising? Can we form temporary alliances to achieve identifiable, specific goals?

No doubt over the course of a few sessions all of this and much more will be explored and discussed. Ideas will emerge from the group that may help us all in some as yet unknown way.

Callum Coomber and I will be co-hosting these sessions. We will have our first session at 7.00pm on Tuesday 22^nd November. You can register here and a Zoom link will be sent out a few days before the session. We will be using the Green Party’s Action Network and Zoom account, but you absolutely don’t need to be in the Green Party to participate in these sessions. They are open to everyone.