I Want to Have a Big Environmental Footprint
What would you think if someone said to you they wanted to have a big, in fact, a massive environmental footprint?
Your first reaction would probably be to wonder exactly what was going on in that person’s head. After all, don’t the recommendations of the IPCC and others point out that we must radically lower our environmental footprint and emissions if the effects of catastrophic climate change are to be avoided.
Or is the statement more of a “is the glass half full or half empty” kind of quote?
And the more I thought about it, the more I realised that most of the advice and guidance we get is of the glass half empty type. To avoid disaster, we must lower our environmental footprint.
It is advice that tells us to hunker down, be afraid, develop a belief that “someone” will find the solution, and not even think about other possibilities.
Let’s turn all that type of thinking on its head.
Let’s think about the glass being half full. Let’s think about each of us having an absolutely enormous environmental footprint.
What would that look like?
Some would say it would look like V8 cars and lots of international air travel. And they would be right. V8 cars and lots of international air travel have a substantial adverse environmental impact. But I am not talking about these sorts of effects.
Instead, I am thinking about what I could do that celebrates doing stuff and taking part in stuff and escaping the doom merchants. I am thinking about, yes, I/we can do it!
We can be part of the solution. We can do stuff!
We can get behind community tree planting projects and wetland restoration.
We can take part in pest control programs.
We can lead by example.
We can make a noise, speak the truth and challenge those in power or business who put money before all else.
We can insist on good nourishing food.
We can get off our couches and do stuff.
Or, as the philosopher and author Charles Eisenstein wrote as the title of one of his books, we can create “The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible.”
Let’s get on with it!
The glass is half full.
Brian Megaw
Tree Planting – Planting a hillside with Thornless Honey Locust & White Mulberry trees
Pest Control – We service 100 stoat traps (kill traps) covering about 20 kms of the Rangitikei River
Nourishing Food – Spray free vegetables grown at River Valley Acres
