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| A River of Rain. |
We want to have our cake and eat it too. That's the saying anyway. I see this whenever we talk about climate change. We seem to think that we can go on about our merry wasteful so-called middle-class lifestyle. We nip around the edges with companies pretending to go green, IE Greenwashing. We come up with schemes like carbon tax carbon offsets and green energy that's not really green. A huge solar farm covering hundreds of acres is less than ideal for the bugs, plants and animals that used to live there before we humans stole their sunshine so we could watch TV. We are reminded almost daily stopping climate change is up to us as individuals, while ignoring these huge corporations that are responsible for the lion share of greenhouse gases and other forms of pollution. And don't forget the clear cutting of forests to feed the cows! Other than making us feel good, current green measures do little to combat the problem. A much, much larger change in how we live, work and play is needed.
We need a cultural change that I think is all but impossible. One that gets away from cars, dirty power and most importantly, consumerism. Unfortunately, our current society is built on these. Both autocratic and democratic governments the world over have been captivated by massive conglomerations whose primary interest is money. Even worse, they want money as soon as possible. There is little if any long-term thinking. The purpose of a corporation is to make money for its shareholders Not only that, but also to make the money as fast as possible. There is little thought beyond this quarter's bottom line. If that means wrecking the Arctic, polluting the oceans or ruining what's left of our farmland, so be it. We are in the middle of an unprecedented mass extinction event. It is going to take more than switching to electric cars and throwing up some windmills to slow climate change. It's going to take a cultural shift far beyond anything I believe we are willingly capable of. (Biden Administration and Alaska anyone?) The current Democratic Party is too entrenched in the status quo to bring about radical change. The Republican Party is similar but with extra helpings of racism, homophobia, xenophobia and now authoritarianism. We can't simply surrender.
It is never too late to start moving in a better direction and one way or another we will. The Earth, physics and ever worsening conditions will force a massive change sooner or later. We will have to learn to live within our means. I'm thinking local, local, local. We need to be close to the things essential for life, food, clothes and shelter. Sure, there will be room for electric vehicles but just not at the scale we are used to. In time we will no longer be able to afford the luxury of hiding in our houses watching TV and not even knowing our neighbors. We will become more and more dependent on those in our immediate vicinity. The days of fruit and other commodities from other Continents will pass. I can see the future as a strange cross between 18th century America, Blade Runner, with the grittiness of aliens thrown in for good measure. We cannot undo the damage that has been done in the last 50 or even 100 years. That is pretty much set in stone. It is never too late to start making better decisions. And while I'm not responsible personally for climate change, I still feel like I need to do my part. Essentially, for me, that means driving less, less air travel and paying close attention to whatever I buy.
