In anticipation of the forthcoming Eastbourne Carbon Neutral 2030 Symposium on Saturday April 26th at Emmanuel Church, Upperton Road, Eastbourne (free tickets bookable here), Andrew Durling, Executive Director of the Eastbourne Eco Action Network CIC, provides a personal perspective:

The phrase ‘carbon neutrality’ sounds very dry and technical, doesn’t it? Hardly a phrase to set the pulse racing! But let’s unpack what the phrase really means and why we should actually get very excited about it.

First off, there’s nothing neutral about carbon itself. Far from it, carbon is one of the most positive and amazing things one can talk about.

For carbon is the fundamental building block of all life on Earth. Its unique ability to form stable bonds with itself and other elements allows for the creation of the complex molecules that make up living organisms, including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids like DNA and RNA. Without carbon, life as we know it would not exist.

But because carbon manifests in  so many different forms and interacts in so many ways with so many other elements and life forms, it forms one of the key cycles on Earth, helping to maintain a dynamic equilibrium of Earth’s ecosystems. This carbon cycle is the continuous movement of carbon atoms between the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, land, and living organisms. This cycle is crucial for sustaining life in several ways:

• Regulation of Earth’s Temperature: Carbon dioxide (CO2​) in the atmosphere acts as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat and keeping the planet at a habitable temperature. The carbon cycle helps regulate the concentration of CO2​ in the atmosphere.
• Foundation of Food Webs: Through photosynthesis, plants absorb CO2​ from the atmosphere and convert it into organic compounds, forming the base of most food webs. Animals obtain carbon by consuming plants or other animals.
• Nutrient Availability: The decomposition of organic matter returns carbon to the soil, providing essential nutrients for plant growth.
• Ocean Chemistry: The ocean absorbs a significant amount of atmospheric CO2​, influencing its chemistry and supporting marine life.

But, human activities, particularly the burning of carbon in the form of fossil fuels and deforestation, have significantly disrupted the natural carbon cycle, leading to an increase in atmospheric  CO2​ concentrations. This enhancement of the greenhouse effect is the primary driver of global warming and climate change, posing existential challenges to human societies and ecosystems worldwide. Understanding and managing our impact on the carbon cycle is crucial for ensuring a sustainable future for human life on Earth. Carbon neutrality is therefore simply a technical way of saying that we care about the carbon cycle and want to restore it to its normal function of sustaining all life.

So we need to bring the carbon cycle back into balance, by significantly reducing carbon emissions and capturing the carbon emitted through activities like tree planting and soil restoration, so that the excess of carbon emitted is balanced, or neutralised, by an increased ability of the land and ocean to absorb the excess carbon; hence the term ‘carbon neutrality’. Now, each one of us can assist in this process in a myriad of ways. But we have to be strongly motivated to do so, otherwise we won’t collectively engage with the carbon neutrality strategy with the necessary enthusiasm that such a great challenge demands.

 Of course, we each have our own motivations for engaging with carbon neutrality, or climate actions and sustainability strategies in general. But here’s my perspective, one that helps to keep me motivated anyway: what greater motivation can there be than for each of us to feel we can become an integral part of the work of Gaia, our planetary home personified by the Ancient Greeks as the Earth Mother? Gaia was the name given by renowned scientist James Lovelock to Earth’s ability to function as if it were a living system, regulating itself constantly to keep the planet viable for all life. So whatever we do to facilitate carbon neutrality could be seen as an act of care towards Gaia – Earth as a living being – and a gesture of solidarity with all of life, even – especially if one is religiously or spiritually inclined – a demonstration of one’s love for all of God’s creation. With this recognition of a deeper meaning to engagement with carbon neutrality, then any action in support of it becomes meaningful and positive in itself, affirming one’s deep connection with all of life and all that supports life, especially the carbon cycle itself.

Therefore, whatever targets are set, like making Eastbourne carbon neutral by 2030, becomes achievable simply because it is no longer just a technical exercise but rather something that is ethically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually good and worthy in itself. Furthermore, the strength of the collective motivation of all those  strongly engaged in actions that facilitate carbon neutrality becomes enough to enable any target, including the 2030 target, to be met whatever the challenges may be, just as the collective motivation of the  British people in 1940 to stand up against the threat of fascism despite incredible odds was enough to ensure not only that defeat was avoided but that victory over fascism would eventually be achieved.

Perhaps ‘carbon neutrality’ should be replaced with a new phrase? How about ‘carbon positivity’? Any other suggestions?