CHOICES SHAPE YOUR FUTURE
By Judith Ashton
I was going to write about homeless, when it occurred to me that we could all be homeless if we don’t look after our one true home…. Mother Earth. This is where everything we hold precious has ever happened. All our ancestors, achievements, events in history, cultures…. It’s all happened here, (ref:YouTube: Carl Sagan. Pale Blue Dot) on our little ball of wonder and beauty that is revolving in space. As a child, I saw the very first photo of The Earth from outer space… it blew my mind. My generation was the first to see such an emotional image. Since then, we cannot deny that EVERYTHING is connected and ALL IS ONE.
Like you, I’m just an ordinary planetary citizen. I don’t fully understand the complexities of global warming, but I know that we borrow the world from future generations…What kind of world will they inherit? More natural disasters, droughts, floods etc., or a place where humanity has learned to live in harmony with Nature. It’s up to all of us. Climate change is not in the future, many nations are really suffering right now and here in Ireland, we are reasonably OK at the moment.
The U.N. Climate Change Conference, COP30, is on in Brazil, attended by scientists, environmentalists, activists and politicians (and big money interests) all trying to agree (or not) on how to limit rising temperatures. International consensus is vital but so is grass roots activism and personal responsibility for our own planetary footprint. We are at a big crossroads… can we, all of us, tip the balance in the right direction or not? Or are we going to be like lemmings and run over the cliff?
Mother Earth with all her finely balanced eco systems, oceans and forests sustains us all at the moment but everyone’s reliance on fossil fuels has contributed to global warming, natural disasters, extreme weather issues, rising sea levels and biodiversity loss.
So, what next? It’s easy to feel helpless in the face of such huge challenges. Can we as individuals and communities do anything? Yes! We can all really look at what we eat, how we travel and the products we buy.
Much of the Amazon rainforest is being felled to become cattle ranches, so our diets play a major part in climate change. Reducing our meat and dairy consumption would be a good start. Being vegetarian a few times a week is a good idea. I check where food comes from and if possible, I choose local produce to reduce its airmiles. Food security is also an issue. Reduce food waste, cook bulk meals and compost peelings.
Regarding energy, I turn off lights and appliances when not in use. If it’s not too cold, I put on an extra layer to save on the heating. I only use the washing machine for a full load and try to limit my car journeys. As flying has a heavy environmental cost, I only fly when necessary to see family and if I need to go to Dublin, I take the train. I recycle, repair and buy all my clothes in charity shops (apart from underwear and shoes!) Please Google: Clothes mountains in the Atacama Desert and you will see why!
It may be COP 30 but we all need to COP on. If billions of people, make small little actions it all adds up. Are your parcels from Temu and Amazon essential? Why hop in the car to go half a kilometre? Why have a wedding abroad or a long weekend in Dubai? Really!?
I am neither a climate scientist…nor stupid and cannot deny the changes witnessed in my lifetime. The species extinctions, the weather, fewer butterflies and bees, hardly a salmon in the River Nore, dwindling numbers of sparrows…. The list goes on. I love Nature and for my part, have planted countless trees and I ban weedkillers in my garden.
The planet will survive… will humanity? The governments of the world joined forces for crisis action during the pandemic…so it can be done. Where there is a will, there’s a way. (Unless profits are at stake!)
We can all do our bit, plus vote for politicians who will step up to this global climate emergency and listen to Elvis Presley: “A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action”
Change begins with awareness and then must be acted upon to make it effective. We’re all in this together and collectively we can consciously create change.
