Rethinking Lifestyle

Three weeks ago, the New York Times ran an article called ‘It’s the end of the world as we know it…and he feels fine’, about British economist Paul Kingsnorth, who is waging war over the ‘age of ecocide’ as he calls it.

He is concerned that those who talk about the need for action against climate change are selling false promises, because it is now too late – our actions will achieve nothing. Or ‘it’s the end of the world as we know it’.

That’s kind of hard to stomach isn’t it.

We must be able to do something? Why doesn’t someone do something? If not for us, for the children and grand children…somebody must be responsible, surely!

But things have changed – there is no denying it. We can’t replace the oil, coal and gas that were created millions of years ago in very specific circumstances. And the abundant metal deposits that were created during volcanic eruptions from volcanoes long dead – we can’t make those happen where we want them. The peat we have mined from the wetlands that took centuries to build it up, can’t be ‘grown’ artificially.

In recent weeks we’ve seen headlines about flooding and mudslides in North America and Asia, warnings of severe drought across US states and Australia, devastating tornados and there was talk this week of El Nino affecting our summer. The weather has become more variable and the events more frequent and more severe.

Do we want to give up and just let it happen to us – an authority much more powerful than us all running the show?

That seems a little hopeless to me, and what if we are wrong? What if we have given up on hope when there is something to be done? Are we going to be ready when things get worse?

There’s a funny thing about adversity – it stimulates ideas and invention. Many of the tools and ideas we use now came out of schemes to deal with wartime situations. The best in their field were brought together to think, to puzzle problems out, and to come up with solutions. It happened on a grand scale, because it needed to, to bring war to an end.

Across the world, in Universities and research institutions, and research arms of some of the largest energy consuming companies, great minds are working on some of the problems we face. But they are poorly supported and inadequately funded; governments and multibillion dollar companies that could use the technologies that they develop are not listening.

It’s easier to do the same old thing than it is to take on something new, and different. Few governments are brave – there are some exceptions. Look at Denmark and Germany where big changes in housing and transport planning, and energy consumption are happening.

Mr Kingsnorth is right – we shouldn’t build up false hope. But we shouldn’t suggest there is no hope.

I hope we can adapt to the changes that are coming our way over the coming decades. I hope that new technologies will enable to keep the best bits of what we have now. I hope that governments will listen to the climate change experts and support the development of resilient communities. I hope for a shift from growth to sustainability.

I need hope to survive – are you with me?