We need system change not climate change - that’s what we were discussing about nearly a year ago at the Venice climate camp. Yes , a system change that would revolution every aspect of our lives - a system change that will not induce migrations with its extractivism and then proceed to treat these refugees as animals or even worse. I have not yet spoken about the racism event(s) in America and the subsequent protests that have emerged from it. You might guess , if you know my train of thoughts, that I believe the issue is even more deep rooted than that. And somehow all of the #blacklivesmatter posts on media madden me , not because I believe they don’t, on the contrary, but because those same people are the one voting to send away the migrants from our shores. It’s easy to judge what goes on at the neighbor house and not see the issues under our own roofs. If you are wondering what the heck does this have to do with my blog , I would like to say that I am a believer of viewing the world in a holistic way. You can’t separate it into little compartments. The ppm of co2 are at an all time high and some people behaviour is at an all time low (and even more low if we are looking at those who govern us and are meant to protect us) and the two things are extremely connected .
This great interview article on the Yale environment explains it in much more eloquent way that I could and even if it’s a bit long I definitely recommend a good read But to summarise it in a sentence it’s all capitalism fault . Which brings me back to the recent discussion I was having about the sustainable development goals and the fact that maybe sustainable and development (when intended as economic growth) cannot really be together. We should have sustainable wellbeing and shift back the focus to core people values. Solidarity. Sharing. Caring. Working hard for fullfillment rather than the extra cash. There are things that can only be done ‘from the top’ , sure, and for those we can protest and demand change and go to vote and take the right decisions while in the booth. but most importantly it makes no sense if we don’t also adjust our perspectives and maybe make little adjustments to our lifestyles . Start with your job. I know that we must work to be able to afford life, I am not that naif, but I also know that I would never sacrifice my core believes just for some cash. So here is my challenge for you (challenges are so in vogue these days): think of your job and what kind of economy is fuelling. Is it one based on capitalism and extractivism? Are there people that are suffering because of what you do? What are the environmental implications ? Write it down and ask yourself - do I like what I see? Can I put my skills to something better ? I am not saying 'quit right now' , but starting to see some of the issues and make some plans towards a change might give you the strengths and possibilities to contribute to a better society . Things can be changed from the bottom up - but empty protests (and I am not saying they all are) and Instagram posts just to look cool (also not saying they all are) are not gonna be enough to change the world. They can trigger worse reactions. Boldly leaving an industry without employees might make a much bigger impact. And putting useful skills to good use in an industry that want to make a difference will mean that changes to the system can happen faster . And then the markets will adapt and maybe money will be secondary and people (of all genders and races and backgrounds ) and nature will be at the forefront of the new changed system. Utopistic? Perhaps . But we have to be brave, also with dreams .
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