So the cracks are starting appear.  The consequences of the world’s plundering of natural resources are finally coming to bare.  For those that doubt the seriousness of the situation, the next 30 years, which  see the world’s population grow by several billion, will put it beyond any shadow of a doubt.

What we are witnessing now is start of an unravelling of the entire infrastructure we base our civilisation on.  From the weather, to the way we get about,  to the animals that surround us, the food we eat and the illnesses we suffer.  The environment in which we live is going to fall apart and we, almost without exception, are all complicit in this degeneration.   Even if we meet the strictest targets on global carbon emissions, we still won’t be able to avert disaster on a massive scale.  Technology and renewable energy sources wont save us, neither will GM.  The only way is a more complete approach to the way we live and manage the earths resources, and that requires initiatives not just from governments and organistions on a national and global scale, but also a new resourcefulness on a local and personal level.

I’ve spent considerable time over the last few months thinking about where the weaknesses lie in terms of our current lifestyles and what moving to greener living actually means for our day to day lives.  I’ve boiled it down to these main points which i think will shape the way we live:

1. Limiting our number of offspring. In a world which is going to be vastly overpopulated, it’s just not cool to have lots of kids any more. Particularly if you live in the western world, every person currently uses a huge amount of energy, and this isn’t likely to change overnight.  Collectively, having no children obviously isn’t a solution either, or for that matter realistic, and so the obvious goal is to hit a ‘steady state population’ which can be comfortably provided for by local resources.  This will inevitably mean massive migrations of people as global warming renders some areas of the world unlivable in.  The more we choose to ignore this, the more the world will impose it’s own population control measures – a greater concentration of people makes the spread of disease easier, and so we will effectively be breeding an unhealthy population.

2. Living near where you work. Traveling long distances everyday by car, train or even plane isn’t fun and it isn’t wise.  People who live within cycling distance of their work undoubtedly have a higher standard of living, spend less on travel and don’t rely on the exploitation of oil reserves.

3. Holiday locally. Weekend breaks by plane wont be possible when the oil starts to run out.  This will have it’s own way of regulating itself as the price of flying escalates with oil price.  Just like people did quite happily in previous centuries, we will go back to holidaying locally – resulting in the resurgence of local holiday spots.

4. Buy quality. Quality items last longer and save you money in the long run.  The culture of disposable items will die away in favour things which can be serviced.  This again will be a move back how it used to be when, for example, you got your shoes resoled.

5. Reusable packaging. As most packaging is again derived from the petrochemical industry, we wont be able to use it once and throw it away.

6. Domestic Energy use. Very few things in your house need to be on permanently.

7. Micro power generation. Geothermal, solar and wind power are all possible on a small scale.

8. Clean Energy. Even once we’ve limited our domestic energy use, and developed any opportunity for micro energy  generation, particularly in a urban environment it’s unlikely you’ll be able to supply all your own power.  While currently it’s very difficult to source completely green energy - current schemes usually only claim a higher percentage comes from renewables - supporting green energy schemes will surely make it possible in the future.

9. Building design. Well insolated buildings need little more than our body heat to stay warm and can also make use of micro energy generation

10. Clever food production and distribution. While the ultimate might be to grow your own food, this doesn’t offer an realistic solution to food supply in urban centres.  The local shop vs supermarket debate continues, but ultimately the supermarket wins out  because it offers people a service which is easier to use.  Supermarkets history has however been tarnished by the way they’ve used their buying power to ship food around the world, and to force the price they buy food for down.  This has ultimately forced farming towards intensive methods, where the direct effect on animals health can be seen with the emergence of diseases like CJD.  The fundamental concept of a supermarket is not flawed however, just the way it’s been implemented.  In essence, supermarkets will supply what we buy and so if we buy locally produced food, that’s what they’ll give us. While the government could impose stricter laws on making it clear how food has been produced (acurate labelling), there is, even as it stands, usually an ethical option you can take in supermarkets.  The rise in oil prices will make the shipping of food from the other side of the world uneconomical, and so we’ll have to eat seasonally, as it wont be possible to get anything at any time of the year (unless Genetically Modified Crops make this possible).  The rise of internet shopping and food delivery services mean individuals don’t have to make lots of separate trips, infact making the process of buying food easier.

11. Plants. Lots of plants = healthy planet.  Even on a tiny scale, a few plants in a room make a massive difference.

Interestingly, all these changes will infact make for a higher standard of living, and are becoming more desirable due to the clamour and bustle of modern living.  The parts of our lives which need to be changed are things that we’ve convinced ourselves we need, but aren’t actually any fun (you can’t tell me that being stuck in a traffic jam or queing in an airport is any fun).  Implementation of this kind of lifestyle on local level would suddenly make a global solution plausible.  As it standswe dont have a hope.

Tags: environmentally friendly, global warming, green issues, lifestyle of the future, population control, practical ecology, practical ways of being greener

Posted in Man on Earth, Musings |