The determination is admirable, but are the current methods effective?

My second foray into street campaigning recently was less than inspiring.
Trying to look earnest, enthusiastic, but non-threatening, I didn’t get far enough to ask most people how they felt about climate change, as they mumbled, “No thanks” and shuffled along with haste.

The fact is I usually walk past campaigners, without noting the cause.

If I stopped for every street campaigner on my way from the bus stop to work for instance, I would probably sacrifice two hours of my day to them, which I haven’t the time or inclination to do, so I understand their perspective. I feel compelled to 'do my bit' to tackle the problem of climate change but the minimal level of success I enjoyed with regard to actually engaging someone in conversation, let alone securing their support in the form of a signature on a postcard, I wondered whether my efforts and those of my fellow campaigners were warranted, at least in the form of street campaigning. Do environmental campaigners still need to be on the street, keeping this issue in the minds of the public?

The issue of climate change is addressed in the media on a daily basis. In a speech on the 14^th September 2004, our Prime Minister called climate change the world's greatest environmental challenge. Numerous surveys tell us that the public is concerned about the threat. And yet, carbon emissions continue climbing at an alarming rate, so it is essential that environmental campaigners maintain their efforts to remind the public about the challenge we are facing. But is street campaigning effective?

Even if a few members of the public stop to talk about the threat of climate change, when the invigorating chat is concluded, 'concerned citizen' then climbs into their 4x4 and continues the day as before, engaged in small activities that in collusion with millions of others continues to contribute to the problem, content in the knowledge that someone else (like the nice campaigner they spoke to) is addressing the threat of global warming … so they don’t have to.

Fellow campaigners, what should we be doing to inspire the public to actively participate in tackling the problem of climate change?