“We have to get out of the mode of stopping every project from being built. We’ve got to go and build, build, build all these green projects.” In other words, hurry up!”
Arnold Schwarzenegger was speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg during a climate conference in Vienna this week, where he called upon others from his generation to move with the times and take climate change seriously.
Setting A Precedence
Schwarzenegger himself, as governor of California back in 2006, enacted a landmark climate change bill, the California Global Warming Solutions Act, which established greenhouse gas emission targets for the state. Was this the beginning of setting a strange precedent relying on the celebrity to push climate narratives?
Using the celebrity isn’t a new phenomenon – it’s been happening for decades. Ranging from the hard hitting emotion through David Attenborough documentaries such as Planet Earth or Blue Planet, Leonardo DiCaprio making speeches at the UN or Greta Thunberg’s activism and Twitter pursuits.
It’s no question that utilising the star power of these individuals boosts the cause and the urgency of climate change – DiCaprio’s documentary ‘Before the Flood’ is one of the most watched documentaries of all time, with over 60 million views over multiple platforms. Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ went on to win an Academy Award. Its large reach and platform gave a boost that climate scientists could only dream of in the past.
Teaching New Tricks
Whilst awareness is generated, it’s those who are absorbing this media who are already more likely to be onboard and proactive in reducing their carbon footprint. The celebrity is applying its star power to the wrong demographic.
Continuing his conversation with Laura Kuenssberg, Arnold goes on to say:
“We have to change with the times. I would not want to drive a car that is 50 years old…The strong belief is that the technology exists to crack down on emissions, but the “boomers” might miss the chance. Politicians must move much faster, to preserve the planet for the generations to come”
‘Boomers’ referring to the post war generation, are statistically less likely to change their habits for environmental reasons. Just under a quarter (24%) of those aged 70 years and over reported being very worried about climate change in a poll by the Office for National Statistics. It’s also unlikely that the influence afforded by celebrity star power is going to have the same effect on the older generation.
If those in the upper brackets of age are going to adapt with the times, alternative measures and action must be taken. Those aged 65+ had the largest turnout in the 2019 general election. Politicians will know this and cannot afford to fall out of favour with such a large voter base.
The 65+ age demographic is also more likely to own their own home and has a higher level of financial independence – splitting the narrative into one that proposes, for example, the financial and comfort benefits of installing electric heating into your home, is more likely to have a result instead of proposing the environmental benefits.
Adapting Across The Ages
It’s not impossible to utilise the celebrity for the older section of the public – campaigns from companies such as SunLife, successfully featured Michael Parkinson as their face for decades. These adopted the focus on ‘being comfortable’ and the benefits of enjoying ‘peace of mind’. Any climate example would need to approach with softer tactics than those deployed in the younger directed ‘An Inconvenient Truth’
If the UK is going to be successful in its Net Zero goals, certain milestones need to be reached by 2030. Statistics published this week state how far behind those are: Thirteen times as many heat pumps are needed, twenty-three times as many electric vehicles, four times as much solar power and onshore wind and five times more overhead or underground cabling than has been built in the last 30 years. These won’t be reached without appealing to all areas of the population.
It’s time to start a diversified plan of action between age groups and demographics and not continuing with a one size fits all approach. 79% of those aged 65 and over live in a home they own. The potential for these homes to upgrade to clean energy sources such as Fischer’s Electric Heating or Fischer’s Air Source Heat Pump’s which can provide that level of warmth and future security is there, it’s about how you get the message across.
As Arnold himself says:
“Sometimes I’m not with the programme when it comes to technology.”
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