Shift Cycling Culture: Cracked Earth x Pedal Progression Bristol
On a wet and windy night in March, Pedal Progression hosted a premiere of Shift Cycling Culture’s: Cracked Earth - which explores the question of what is the role of a cyclist in addressing climate change? Post screening we hosted an hour plus panel consisting of El Jaskowka, Fi Spotswood & myself.
Firstly, huge thanks to everyone that turned out and brought their energy. Ollie & I we’re definitely far from sure how the event would pan out.
Secondly, big well done to Shift Cycling Culture and all invovled with getting the film out!
A few takeaways I took from the discussion:
Action - it's everything, everywhere all at once as the UN SG says. All of us have a responsibility to make change through our own lives, which doesn’t have to be just about of personal choices/our own footprint but also: who we seek to influence, what we talk about, who we support etc etc;
Story - as a marketing mediated 'sport' (thanks Fi!), it's not surprising that our dominant story is one of competition and ego. Another set of stories that consider a broader set of experience is entirely possible and entirely needed;
Energy for action - in my experience you can find this out of both fear or love, advocacy-activism-action is a personal journey. Doing something from a place of love and compassion is far more sustainable for you. Community is the place to put your energy.
Industry - there's obviously a tension between consumers and industry, both need to change. But there should be greater responsibility put on industry to be part of the change, we don't have time to wait around.
Carbon offsets - i'm writing something...
A few things on the film:
Very welcome messaging! Great that such broad questions are now being ask of our community & industry, from our community & industry. We need to coalesce around this: What is our role in addressing climate change?
So pleasing to also hear questions like 'What does nature mean to a cyclist'. Our potential for change is centred around our special relationship to nature, and how we can use that for collective good.
Not surprising that in many ways this film feels like a start for the cycling community & industry.
Where are the Global South voices? Clearly, we're not going to hear a lot about leisure cycling from places on the front lines of climate change. But, you cannot properly contextualise what a rapidly changing climate means for humanity as a whole, without telling the story of those who have contributed the least and will lose the most.
Where's the agency? A myriad examples of where change needs to happen were signposted, from supply chains to food etc. But our audience in Bristol, and I, didn't come away feeling empowered as a cyclist.
Where's the industry pressure? Many audience members raised the role of responsibilities across society and familiar feelings of how I can feel to individualise climate action. We have to hold the cycling industry to higher account.
The restorying of what our time 'outside' serves continues.
