https://youtu.be/b_yP5wsGmM8
https://youtu.be/Im9_y6lo8m0
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Im9_y6lo8m0#dialog
As billions of people suffer economic adversity along with the negative effects of climate change, an entitled attitude is no longer socially acceptable.
People who grow up not knowing scarcity,hardship, poverty. ..feel they are deserving of (entitled to) their privileged status and their lavish high-consumption lifestyles. They take for granted thst thry will always be surrounded by abundance and have no cause to live frugally.
They are self-indulgent, self-obsessed, and morally irresponsible.
We can no longer live extravagant , high-consumption lifestyles wch plunder the planet of its resources and generate vast amounts of waste and pollution.
For yhe sake of the health of yhe planet and future generstions we must live simply and frugally.
Rebellion against consumerism and materialism:
Minimalist living (living with less):
"Man should live like a dog--everything else is excess"--Diogenes
For yhe sake of the health of yhe planet and future generations we must live simply and frugally. Everytjing we do affects the world we leave to our children.
Houses have become spaces for storing stuff/possessions as much as for living. Material objects(materialism) do not enhance our sense of fulfillment and meaning (quality of life). The consumerist myth that you can buy happiness by buying more "stuff" has been exposed as illusory. We need to change our sense of values and our measure of personal success and personal worth.
Cultural shift: the new reality
We need to transform our way of transport, our way of life, and our way of thinking! We need far-reachi.g changes in all aspects of society.
Carbon-emitting behavior has a cost and must be punished.
Driving gas guzzlers and taking annual tropical vacations are no longer socially acceptable/enviable symbols of status as our society recognizes thst such extravagant lifestyles are raping the planet and are not sustainable. . Anyone persisting in such a socially unacceptible lifestyle may not be overtly judged/shamed but will be perceived as morally irresponsible. Anyone who damages the health of the planet will be looked upon with social disapproval just as anyone who damages their own health by smoking is seen today..
We must all become responsible stewards of the earth. Anyone who is not reducing their carbon footprint is contributing to the problem.
Bernie Sanders was right: the correct and appropriate object of fear and anger should be people like Donald Trump and those he represents (the 1%) whose greed and selfishness has poisoned the planet.
By deriving our fulfillment internally we can live simple, fulfilling lives with minimal external resources.
Advocating a simple minimalist lifestyle within the prevailing consumerist culture is neither popular nor politically expedient. Carbon taxes and austerity are punitive and politically unpopular.(Consuming less slows the economy and kills jobs)
But real leadership is not just about telling people whst they want to hear. It is about having the courage to do what needs to be done. Politicians must have the courage to do what is necesssry to reduce CO2 emissions.
The cost of inaction will be catastrophic!
**
You are preaching asceticism to hedonists. ..and it won't work.
ReplyDeleteThose who have priveleged status will fight "tooth and claw" to retain their comfortable lifestyles.
"No one likes to change the comfortable way of life to wch they have grown accustomed"
Protectionism
DeleteDestitute economic migra.ts are at the gates demanding that the rich countriez share yhe wealth a.d the planet's resources that ybey have disproportionatly appropriated for themselves.
Europe a.d America pull up tbe drawbridge out of fear tbat shari.g with tb migrant "invaders" will dilute their standard of living and erode the higb-consumption lifestyles to wch yhey have become accustomed.
The workingclass poor are also fearful that the migrsnts may jump the queue and beat them to yheir fair share of ybe pie--a share they feel they have priority to.
Increasing hostility toward asylem-seekers
DeleteThe way America under Trump has chosen to avoid burden-sharing for migrants is to label the refugees as terrorists/invaders (dehumanize,crininalize,demonize)
ReplyDeleteAs the devastating effects of climate- warming become increasingly prevalent, individuals will be motivated to change their behaviour and this will compel a cultural shift/transition, and bring forth leadership that has the courage to implement "carrot and stick" policies to solve the problem.
Jonah preached to the people of Ninevah...and they heeded and repented --thereby saving themselves from perdition.
Trump's intention may have unforeseen,unintended,and the opposite outcome.
ReplyDeleteDonald Trump's intention to protect and further US interests by imposing economic sanctions on Russia, Iran,North Korea,...and punitive tariffs on US imports could have the unintended consequence of triggering a global economic recession.
a global economic recession might be tbe best thing that could happen to the planet in terms of slowing climate change and saving the biosphere from rampant degradation
climate change (global warming) is the cost of economic growth/activity---that's the tradeoff!
A recession would force governments and citizens into a "saving" mode(i.e. austerity/reduced spending)
Yes,economic recessions are disruptive, but they would reduce greenhouse gas emissions drastically.
Recessions sre periods of transition when yhe economy has to reinvent itsrlf. It is a time of tearing down, but also of rebuilding and rebirth. Companies have to rewrite their business plans and rationalize their production methpds (transitioning to clean technologies and clean energy); workers have to retrain for new jobs as old jobs cease to be viable. But the new economy always re-emerges revitalized and strengthened....and more ecofriendly(more sustainable).
see "the upside of the downturn"
When you live a life of privelege,
ReplyDeletethe idea of equality
can feel like oppressjon.
ReplyDeletepersons born into a privileged family (high socioeconomic class) have an impaired understanding of the lives of low income people ( the poor and the working class).
Their emotional responses are conditioned by the circumstances of their upbringing
They have an attitude of entitlement and support political policies that protect and enhance their privileged status.
They are unable to identify with and to empathize with marginalized minorities.
Those gifted with beauty,freedom from pain and suffering,obstacles and exertion are deprived of all creative impulse,all spiritual aspirations and the urge for deeper knowledge.
Delete.It is suffering that drives one toward God!<
https://fb.watch/lyPdkDEki2/?mibextid=Nif5oz
ReplyDelete