Covid has accelerated a change that was already happening. Jobs are vanishing: from our high streets, from our factories and distribution centres. Artificial intelligence, together with an increase in mechanisation and robotics is, and will be, transforming the world of work. Many of the jobs that are being replaced are ones that those with less academic qualifications may have taken up. At the same time, we are facing increasing challenges to our environment. The challenges are stark: increasing unemployment; perceived inequalities of opportunity for our people; and an environment that is clearly under stress. All this against a background of a rapidly changing climate leading to increasing numbers of severe weather events.
I propose the creation of an entirely new strand to our educational and civic life: planetary guardianship. Every school in the country would include a programme of practical environmental education: many already are. But this would feed into a strategic programme of educational and vocational initiatives that would encompass not only local, grass-roots involvement in local projects but also rigorous academic research. That research would provide the data to steer and inspire local activities to ensure that the whole initiative remained ‘joined up’.
Our young are scared of climate change, but they are also leading the way. Many are inspired by Greta Thunberg and ‘get it’ in ways that their parents don’t. And they are the very cohort that risks completing their education only to find that the jobs they might have been drawn to in a previous time no longer exist.
So, this is my proposal, starting where it has already seeded: with the very young:
1. For every kindergarten and primary school in the country to ‘care’ and be responsible for, something in their local environment. It could be a nature strip, a patch of scrub, or an individual tree. What each project would be could be sponsored by the succeeding levels of Guardianship. But whatever it is, and wherever it is, it must contain the essential element of Guardianship: more than caring for, more than ‘knowing stuff about…’ It must contain threads of care, responsibility and accountability, and be seen as, and linking with, other such projects by other schools.
2 Secondary schools would include Planetary Guardianship on the core curriculum. It would comprise a whole range of allied skills, crafts and knowledge. Practical work would include aspects of best practice horticulture, agriculture, meteorology and sustainable practices. Strands could be incorporated into civics, law, psychology and sociology: topics already on the curriculum. Environmental projects would be chosen in co-operation with local networks and societies and be of lasting and demonstrable benefit: community fruit orchards; managed scrublands; soft fruits propagated in biology classes, grown on, and planted wherever edible verges and patches would be of benefit to people and wildlife.
3 Universities would provide resources for advanced learning, testing ideas through rigorous research. Without good data it is hard to make good decisions. They would provide the key links with other Planetary Guardians in other countries, who would be working in different climates and environments.
4 In every community there would be a team of Guardians, responsible for co-ordinating projects and for continuous, visible reporting to, and communicating with, people. I don’t mean reporting to committees but chatting with, and engaging, all who pass by. Planetary Guardians should be recognised as something special: people whose lives and work are dedicated to making the environment better for all of us. They would also co-ordinate ad hoc local schemes and initiatives, and make sure that these too are incorporated into an overarching strategy.
5 The political dimension. This is a huge initiative, but practical. It addresses issues that are concerning politicians now: how to prevent civic unrest from unemployed and disaffected constituents; how to engage young people who want to take action right here and now rather than wait for others to ‘do something’; how to be seen to be taking action on environmental matters. If politicians wish to be seen as ‘doing’ something, then creating a workforce with pride, purpose and environmental relevance isn’t a bad place to start. There will be mutterings of ‘we can’t afford it’. Yes we can. Many of the jobs previously done by people will increasingly be done at the local level by machines. That will increase. The savings will be considerable. If we re-direct money spent on unpleasant and soulless jobs capable of being mechanised to others involving care for living things there can only be gains: in self-esteem, in civic pride, in environmental knowledge and sustainability.
Summary
My proposal for the post-covid world brings together three challenges: weaknesses in our current educational provision for the less academic; growing unemployment due to increasing use of AI and mechanisation, and on-going concerns for our immediate environment in the UK and for climate change. We human beings are social animals; we don’t like to be locked-down away from others; we need to feel valued and to know there is a purpose to our daily lives. Covid has shown us that there are opportunities to be had for making a difference if only we can conceive of them: ways of being together in the world, with each other, doing jobs that are recognised as fulfilling a need. As mechanisation increases we shall need jobs that put us back in touch with the natural world that we are an integral part of, but have chosen to ignore or under-value. If we can initiate an entirely new branch of national focused endeavour, valued, rewarded and respected at every level, we could be well on the way to addressing some of the key challenges that covid has presented us with. The opportunity for Planetary Guardianship to address these challenges in a long term, sustained initiative, is one that we cannot afford to miss.
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