Do and Bloom. Not Doom and Gloom

In today's Guardian Blog there was an interesting and well-linked piece by Matthew Weaver, entitled Naturalist wisdom, discussing Sr. David Attenborough's pitching into the climate debate.

I was moved to reply, but directly rather than on the posting site, as I seldom respond to blog/forums of this nature as I find the often frustratingly unpleasant result to be flaming 'e-scalation. Which is why I don't have a reply feature on this blog, though I am reviewing this stance. 

Another reason is that often the effort put in is poorly rewarded. While adding to a debate is Oooooo...k, if it doesn't go anywhere then all that has happened is a venting. In some blogs (like the Telegraph), your company URL can be added, which does lead to fruitful relationships and makes the investment in considered time worthwhile.

Here at least I have some blog material, with or without a reply...:

"Can't fault a thing you have read, or quoted. In fact I'm pleasantly surprised to find most of those links you have provided already reside in my files. They are now mostly under the category 'Climate Change/Global Warming', which is already sadly vast, gets added to daily... and is now gathering e-dust.

I have pretty much given up worrying about it. At least, to clarify, what is causing it.

It would be wrong to say I don't care about the causes, but I really am overwhelmed by the amount of effort going into debating this issue. It is great that media such as the Guardian, Indy and latterly BBC have and are throwing their considerable weight behind it all, but to me it is still too much talk.

Quite simply, it is clear is that something is not going in the right direction, and whether it is through the earth tilting on its axis or the collective efforts of Hummer drivers is now moot. What is surely clear is that not doing anything, especially that which we need not, really makes little sense. 

And while I think it is tee-top-triffic that Sir. David has at last weighed in on the side of the Green Elite, I am slightly saddened that it is mainly to 'raise the alarm'. My ears are already ringing!

As an organisation that champions choice, I have very much respected his stance(s), but it is telling that I even now get a sense of 'don't do as I do, but worry about what I'm telling you enough not to do it too'. And that is a hard thing to swallow as I plan our camping trip to a local site up the road (no great eco-statement... simply broke. At least we may have a nice summer here in the UK).

Especially when we are getting a ton of mixed messages from the political and economic brigade that quite frankly are at total odds with what seems to me pretty obvious.

There is a finite amount of planet to live on, and off. The global population is expanding. This suggest an end-point. 

Most are also getting richer, and hence more land-hungry, material-acquisitive and wanderlusty, which inevitably means consumption and pollution. Which can only hurt the planet's ability to cope still further, and suggests the end-point is being brought forward exponentially.

As to the details, I am not qualified to even guess. Like most, I am just an average Joe.

I want to do what I can, when I can, how I can... if not for me, but for some future generation who may thank me for at least trying when at last I knew I should, and still in hope I can make a difference.

All this big stuff is waaaay to much for me. The only thing I know is that it is a shame to waste, and seek to devote my efforts to tangible, fun (if possible) ways to avoid this waste -  of  energy, time, money and stuff. 

It simply isn't sensible to throw away that which is unused (leaving a TV on standby), can be better used (not having a low energy bulb), reused (anything on Junkk.com!), repaired (ditto) or recycled (cue a horde of very well-funded initiatives whose public-moving messages and ROI I often question). 

We need to get this drummed into the public's mind, and in ways they will respond to, with skilled global brand-level marketing techniques and incentives leading the charge. Any life assurer will tell you the last way you sell a policy is telling folk they are going to die. You look for end-benefits (excuse the pun) they can respond to.

I hope I am not being too idealistic in seeing merit in more 'do and bloom' rather than so much, or at least in stronger complement to, 'doom and gloom'."