What path are we on?
environment·@steevc·
0.000 HBDWhat path are we on?
If we ignore talk of celebrities and other 'scandals' the signs are plain that our civilisation is on a very dangerous path. George Monbiot in The Guardian often writes about this and [a recent article](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/24/end-civilisation-take-different-path) resonated with me. As you might expect he talks about Trump and his efforts to curtail legislation that hinders industry from wrecking the environment in the name of profit, but he also criticised the UK government. I think there was a comment that said the people have chosen these governments, but they tend to be motivated by things like tax and jobs. The industry lobbyists are the ones who influence policy by promising that they can provide more jobs if those nasty pollution laws just went away. The people need to be aware of what damage is being done and decide if the price is worth paying for our lifestyles. A lot of the products we enjoy have never been cheaper. Food and clothes used to make up a larger part of our spending, but now we can buy far more 'luxury' goods. A lot of those are made of plastics that will end up in landfill or the ocean. The recent BBC Blue Planet series highlighted this problem and seems to have had an impact with politicians finally taking notice and retailers [promising reductions in plastics](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42692642). The problems have been obvious for years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4QNolP7Khc @trevor.george wrote about [compostable bags](https://steemit.com/nature/@trevor.george/don-t-be-a-turtle-strangler). This is a good idea, but we should be trying to reduce how much of everything we use. Get some tough bags and take them to the supermarket. They can last years. Of course much of the food comes in its own packaging. The UK has a tax on plastic bags that has greatly reduced how many are used, but we can do more. It's not just about plastics. Our energy, transport and food production all cause pollution. I know some are sceptical about human effects on the climate, but the pollution is plain to see, literally in some cities that are choking on smog. To make a difference we have to compromise on how we life. Turn the heating down a little and wear a sweater. Eat less meat. Fly less. The sheer number of people on the planet who want a better life means things are getting worse. Those at the top of the tree can definitely do with less so there is scope for those at the bottom to have a decent quality of life. I'm by no means perfect. We have a couple of cars, but I drive a lot less recently. I'm not into buying loads of stuff and try to make what I have last a bit longer. I recycle all I can and I gave up meat many years ago for various reasons that included its impact on the world. Being a veggie is so much easier these days with a great choice in food. People are even making burgers that could fool many meat eaters. I know some say they just love the flavours, but the meat industry uses massive resources and causes a lot of suffering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak_x96eouNU All it needs is for people to stop and think about their actions. I know some will say "I can't be bothered" or "why should I spend more", but we should be doing this for future generations and the other life we share this very finite planet with. I was fortunate to visit the Great Barrier Reef a few years ago on a rare long-haul holiday, but it seems to be in serious danger from warming seas and industry. Once lost these treasures are gone forever. I think we can do so much better and we can make a difference as individuals with our own actions and our influence on those in power. End rant. <p><b><div class="pull-left"><img src="https://steevc.keybase.pub/steemit/steevc.png"></div> I'm Steve, the geeky guitarist. </b></p><p>I'll buy <a href="https://steemit.com/guitar/@steevc/steem-for-picks">guitar picks for Steem Dollars</a></p> <p>If this post is over seven days old you can vote up one of my newer posts to reward me.</p> <p><b>Spam comments may be flagged</b></p>
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