Today's challenge is up:
Think about how we are depleting our resources at an unsustainable rate. Reflect on the facts that the richest 20% of the world's population consumes 80% of the world's resources, and those who contribute least to the causes suffer most from the effects of climate change.
Until tomorrow ...
WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!
While it may be true that the richest members of a society use the most energy and affect others who may not be using so much, I can't do much about that. But I can take a look at my own actions and evaluate them in terms of sustainability. For example, am I conserving electricity so that less needs to be generated allowing for more affordable energy for all. Hopefully all of us, rich or not, will think seriously about our actions.
ReplyDeleteWe can still consume, but we can waste less, and recycle more. I know ( growing up in a third world), it is a big ask for the rich country to cut their consumption, but if they waste less, it is a big step forward.
ReplyDeleteMay I quote two examples,
ReplyDeleteIn Singapore, it is hot as it is in the tropics. In the modern buildings, they keep the temperature a freeing 22 degrees, and people have to wear cardigans. What a waste.
In freezing countries, thery keep the central heating so high, that people wear shorts and thin tee shirts.
The 80 per cent of people are NOT going to stay in poverty forever; something is going to happen, even if I don't know what; the best thing to happen would be for them to get out of poverty: all the other possibilities would be global disasters. But if getting out of poverty means consuming resources at our rate, clearly there's going to be a huge problem.
ReplyDeleteWe need to Welcome the 80 per cent and not be silly geese!
http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2011/03/save-world-use-natural-materials.html
ReplyDeleteMy take for this week, sharing what you cannot consume was what my students did.