Neo-liberal capitalism and our cultivated consumer addiction is the root cause- are we ready to reinvent economy, society, and the very human soul? what an adventure! good luck to all!
I am an advocate of globalism, however- it will, in our present consumer mindset, cost us our environment, and ultimately will destroy humanity as a whole- even if only the top most economically wealthy nations continue to drive it. We have to care about the land (environment)- as one human race, not nation states divided by economic lies. Keep buying plastic wrapped individual comforts at the cost of humanity- this is where we are as a people, and yet, most of our actions to remain in “first world” privilege will destroy us and any hope of future civilization. The action to take involves shifting away from unnecessary comfort- to offer a little of our extra, to others in dire poverty.
Tomorrow, if we North Americans went fully electric, and think we’d be stepping away from oil and gas, we’re living in denial. The extraction of finite natural resources is a race towards death- but within one or two more human lifetimes, the generations will continue sustain this consumption, and continue to literally dominate in the top wealthiest nations- even during a pandemic. Look at our handeling of vaccine technology- let alone the shots themselves. While “U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A” vaccinates and brags about stockpiling, many nations with much higher vulnerability to COVID-19, are ignored and shunned- “shit hole countries” we are happy to defend when it’s politically convinent, and just as happily ignore when we are cutting to the head of the line in pure entitlement delusion. Are we ready to give up driving? Flying? -whenever we feel like it? Transportation could be solved quite easily, if we-the-privileged-people were willing to let go of impulsive independence. We have to see our environment as our survival. It also means we have to start making sacrifices, mostly of a spiritual nature right now. We have to mourn- not just the loss of life in a recent pandemic, but in the loss of our quality of life, and the ultimate degradation of our natural world, which the future generations will inherit. Our water and air are not safe, and the worst way we perpetuate this pollution is to continue living in overabundance, without thought or care.
If you think you are taking enough time on this reflection, you’re not- none of us are, because we are still living the same way (single serving relentless consumption). Our consumer needs drive the destruction of our species. Oh wait- we’re jumping in the car to drive somewhere- several times, every day. When this is the expectation globally, our air will be toxic to breath. We can’t have it both ways in the current systems of human civilization. Our consumer culture will kill us. Stop and think, soul search, and ask what you should do. It’s not just economic, but also sociological. There is more disparity today, than ever before, and more and more people are being born into horrid living conditions. Let’s support our convenience at the cost of our world as a whole. Living in this continued denial, and fatal disconnect is optional for those of us who can sit in front of a screen like this.
Top 5 changes privileged people can make right now-
5. stop buying plastic- it’s not getting recycled!
4. buy food grown within 100 miles of your home
3. get directly involved in local civics- preferably governance
2. divest- it’s all a green wash
1. stop daily driving and fly as little as possible
Along with these challenging changes, work on your mindset- recognize that the current global economic system is broken and look at new ideas for global governance, the UN is a start, but not the perfect solution. We do have to work with all people, how are you working to open your understanding of world scale? What does “think global, act local” mean? How deeply political are you- beyond watching shows about current issues? Are you privileged enough to “walk away” from consumption habits? Are you aware of what those habits are, and how you condone them through your purchases? Since money is the game, how do you pay it? For me personally, living lightly within a landscape slated to return to nature is my way of halting the madness in one lifetime. It is such a privilege to do this, owning land, having financial stability, yet even this is a moment in time, with much unknown yet to come. If there is one thing humanity has to come to terms with, it’s change- may we all put the best foot forward, wherever the path takes us. Please remember, we’re all on the road together, no matter our destination.
EEC Forest Stewardship 