When the news broke that the UK government had approved the Jackdaw gasfield, I was at a Guardian climate event at the Royal Geographical Society(英国皇家地理学会). Appropriately, the theme suggested by readers was what can the public actually do in the face of what feels like paralysing climate doom?(说来也巧，读者提议的主题正是：面对那种令人动弹不得的气候末日感，公众究竟能做些什么？)
英国政府批准杰克多气田的消息传来时，我正身处皇家地理学会的一场《卫报》气候活动。说来也巧，读者提议的主题正是：面对那种令人动弹不得的气候末日感，公众究竟能做些什么？
There is so much going on that is hopeful: biodiversity tracking, river protection, rewilding(荒野复育). Shruti Suresh, from the independent watchdog Global Witness(全球见证组织), told those in attendance that if they wanted to effect change(推动改变), they should protest against Jackdaw and the Rosebank oilfield project. The message was so well understood that it didn’t need labouring(无需多费口舌). The mood in the room when the news came in was one of audible dismay(沮丧、惊愕). People had just watched the minister for climate transition declare that she could see the challenges ahead and was ready for them.(人们刚刚听完气候转型大臣宣称，她看得到前方的挑战，也已做好准备。) The Jackdaw announcement will face immediate protest and legal challenge, but it sends a very clear signal from the government: we don’t mean what we say(我们说话不算数) about ending emissions.
眼下有太多值得抱有希望的事情：生物多样性追踪、河流保护、荒野复育。独立监督机构“全球见证”的什鲁蒂·苏雷什对在场者说，若想真正推动改变，就该去抗议杰克多气田和罗斯班克油田项目。这番话的意思再明白不过，无需多费口舌。消息传来时，全场一片清晰可闻的沮丧。人们刚刚听完气候转型大臣宣称，她看得到前方的挑战，也已做好准备。杰克多的决定必将招致即刻的抗议和法律挑战，但它向外界发出了政府再清楚不过的信号：我们在结束排放问题上的表态，并不当真。
It turns out(事实证明) you can take all imaginable personal responsibility to arrest(遏制、阻止) the climate crisis, make lifestyle adjustments that even five years ago you wouldn’t have dreamed of, miraculously summon the energy to take collective action from what is often private despair, but it will be insufficient as long as corporations – assisted by the government – are working against you, in effect with impunity(免受惩罚). At some point(到了某个节点), you need to get the people you elected to do what we all know – and they acknowledge – is necessary.
事实证明，你尽可以承担一切能想象到的个人责任来遏制气候危机，做出五年前连想都不敢想的生活方式调整，甚至奇迹般地从往往属于私人的绝望中攒出力气去参与集体行动——但只要企业在政府的协助下与你作对，而且实际上毫发无损，这一切都远远不够。到了某个节点，你必须让你选出来的人去做我们所有人都知道——他们也承认——必须做的事。