We can’t wait for politicians and legislation to put the world to rights in terms of conservation and the environment, to influence us by their actions. The boot is on the other foot now, and we need to start acting responsibly, and making decisions that will influence them.
Climate change may or may not be a ‘real’ thing, but the reality is that if it is real, there is a real chance that we could be in real trouble, as a race, and a civilization. The reality of course, is that it won’t happen in our lifetime, that of our children, grandchildren, and even their children, but we do need to take the prospect of its reality, seriously. And really, I have never written a paragraph with so many reallys in it ever. Really!
We can ignore it, and maybe it will go away, and we can say “well yeah, it might happen, but it won’t be that bad.” Really? You live in a desert nation, which has one of the hottest climates in the world, averaging between 30 and 40 degrees annually, and one of the smallest rainfalls, around 100mls each year… that’s nothing. Yet, you still put a roof on your houses so you won’t get wet! Yes, I know… there are more holes in that argument than a colander, but it is an indication of the ebullient nature of the debate.
Ban Ki Moon, former Secretary General of the United Nations makes a good point, saying “We are the first generation to be able to put an end to poverty, and probably the last generation that can take steps to avoid the worst impact of climate change,” and he is probably correct in saying how harshly history, as brief as it may be, will judge us if we fail to uphold our moral and historical responsibilities. I’m not a fan of the UN, as I think they have been a ‘paper tiger’ for too long, but in this… if he can back up those words with actions, it will be the greatest resurrection since Adam!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself as any kind of an eco-warrior, bleeding heart greenie, or the like, mainly because I have always felt that education and inspiration was the way forward, and that rather than parading myself as a dolphin-stroking, tree-hugging activist, I feel that if I pick up my own litter, recycle my own household waste, and buy recyclable goods, I can feel good about myself, provide an example and inspiration for others, and that’s what I feel like my ‘job’ is.
I’m sure as heck not going to get on any soapbox and bellyache at people to change the way ‘they’ do things… I’m not going to be critical of others… or force them to come clean’ about their environmental convictions, that’s their business, and I don’t feel like being an anarchist this week! I’m not even trying to ‘shock’ you, or you, or you guys, into changing your ways, but what I am trying to do is to show, or tell you, that ‘saving the planet,’ isn’t that big of a deal, and will leave you with a feeling of ‘goodness.’
I don’t get smug about choosing plain-paks, pack-your-own foods, refillable bottles and the like, but I do actually feel good about myself without feeling saintly. I now check for recyclable packaging, recyclable goods, and have even stretched to clothing, as I found a couple of pair of trousers I liked last week, and chose the deal-breaker as the one made from recycled plastic bottles. I gave myself a mental pat on the back.
But truly, it would be nice, wouldn’t it, if you and I, us and we, could convince the politicians and their ilk that we, their constituents, have concerns about our future… not our own, but our world’s. We are using the Earth as if we have somewhere else to go when we’ve finished with it… Really?
