Choices

There is always a choice. Life isn't binary. 

We are sentient & intelligent beings, but we have made many choices & decisions for decades that are harmful or wrong. We are now realising that & paying a high price. Importantly, we now have crucial choices to make to either put things right, or go on mindlessly with those destructive & disfunctional ways of living, ultimately destroying the world we inhabit. 

It is your choice. Each & every one of you. It isn't a choice to be made on your behalf by someone else.

Every day is full of choices - mundane routine ones, what time to get up, what to wear, what to eat...we develop habits & we then mindlessly follow them. Some of those routine choices need to change. For example our idea that water is going to remain drinkable & instantly available in any quantity we need.

Water is a finite resource in a climate emergency world. Yes, we have just had a very wet spring, but if that is followed by a very long dry summer water will be rationed. If the climate continues to get more & more extreme we won't be able to rely on our water system. Our privatised water companies have already polluted every single river in the UK. In a world where millions don't have access to clean water we may well see mass population migrations & water wars. So, do you leave your taps running when you brush your teeth & wash? Do you ensure that you fill your washing machine & dishwasher? Do you use a pressure washer & garden hose? Do you flush every time you pee? Do you make the effort to save waste water? 

Choices, choices. Choices that matter, all the time, because every bit of water you waste cumulatively puts huge pressure on our creaking water system. 

That is just one example of choices that matter. The food we choose to eat also matters. Is it local & in season? Is it fresh or highly processed? Has it travelled miles? If so how, air, sea or land? 

The clothes we wear matter. Do we slavishly follow the dictates of fashion? Some fashion chains change their range more than 4 traditional collections a year. How long do we wear the clothes we have? (I reckon I don't need to buy any more clothes in my life except possibly underwear). What do we do with clothes & shoes we no longer wear? The fashion industry is notoriously unsustainable. https://hbr.org/2022/01/the-myth-of-sustainable-fashion

 

In a year of elections, world instability & the climate emergency make our individual choices matter more than normal. It is critical that we put people in power who do have an understanding of sustainability issues, who are not tied into powerful, wealthy, lobbyists, who will make the difficult decisions necessary in order to come out of this very challenging world situation. We need good leaders because we have had too many self seeking, power & money grabbing ones for a long time. 

Everyones choice matters, both on a daily basis & politically.