Fiona Crouch

Impact Narrative

Fiona’s plan for OVER:

“I am planning and writing a series of lectures which I will be giving for free in as many locations and at as many events as I can find. I am an activist who has been independently studying economics and the environment for many years and I have been inspired and influenced by the work of David Suzuki, George Monbiot, Derrick Jensen and Naomi Klein. My interest is in the way that the dominant ideology and vested interest drive the economy which in turn drives the devastation of the natural world.

Doesn’t sound so interesting when I put it like that, does it? Which is why I don’t want to be relying on that sort of dry language for my talks.

I have given one lecture already, which was a little underdeveloped compared to my more recent work. It was entitled ‘Why economics is destroying the climate; for beginners’, and it was very well received. I just feel that over my years of study I have gained a perspective which allows me to passionately talk about the issues in a simple and engaging way and I think I have some things to share which would really help people to see what we are doing to the world, and why and how it is happening.

I don’t participate in the economy a lot, if I can help it. I have a small online shop which earns me just enough to live on, supplemented by a little work doing layout and design. I actually live in a yurt, which I have to say is rather wonderful (practising what I preach, I suppose) and so I don’t always have as much money for buying books as I would like.

I really feel that two or three copies of your amazing book would give a brilliant visual aid. I expect to be talking to relatively small groups of people at a time in fairly intimate settings so it would be very easy to share and pass the books around to illustrate the state of the world, because that is what people really don’t see. They watch the news and they think they know what is going on, which is so untrue. The population issue is a difficult and emotive one, but I would like to bring it into my talks. It will be interesting to see how people react. I think it is an issue which people are becoming more open to discussing, although there is always a danger in the western world that you will mention it and people will just think about how many people there are in third world and developing countries, and not take into account the fact that populations in the western world have much higher levels of consumption and really are the ones driving the global catastrophe.

Well, that is enough from me. Whatever the outcome of my request I thank you for your hard work and all the good things you are doing to help raise awareness. Let us hope we can make a difference. I know it is what I am going to try to do, with all my might.”