arup’s christmas message
Global Warming
As I look back upon this year it appears to me that there was one thing that hit the headlines more than anything else. And that was the issue of Global Warming and Global Climate change. There is still much controversy over the predictions and each expert seems to have a different set of figures. Nevertheless, the issue has been brought to our attention and we have witnessed some of the effects ourselves. Is it serious? Should we do something about it? Is it urgent? Perhaps.
I am 38 years old. And given average estimates I should live to at least 75 if not 80. That’s another 42 years. How much will the world change in that time if climate change continues at its current rate? I am in two minds. One is to ignore it. To take the stance of those who say that the threats should be taken with a pinch of salt and that there is not great risk to the planet. And the other of course is to take the matter in hand and to accept our responsibility as citizens of this planet. That it is not enough to just let the world leaders and large companies to deal with it for us. I seem to move from one position to the other. Perhaps I am just indesicive or perhaps I am adopting the stance of many others of my age group. Perhaps the shock of this knowledge is a little too much to bear and that we as individuals actually hold the future of our planet in our hands.
It seems that a middle way needs to be sought. One that neither asks us to become martyrs to the cause nor to ignore the whole issue as a mere theory. There is sufficient evidence to show that it is more than just theory. There are small things that we can do which would not alter our lifestyles very much but done en masse would create a great wave of change and perhaps ensure the health of the planet. Such as?
Well, you’ve heard it all before, but now it’s time to start doing it. Turn off the lights when you exit the room, put only the required amount of water in the kettle when you make a cup of tea, use energy saving lightbulbs and so on and so forth. Have a look on this site for more information:
The UK’s only real holiday
In the United Kingdom, christmas is the only festival that involves the whole nation. It’s the only one that we yearn for each year and one that involves so much preparation and anticipation. And the rest of the year seems barren in comparison. We have Easter of course, but that amounts to a long weekend and gorging ourselves on chocolate. It’s just a short break rather than a real holiday. We have bank holidays and we have our summer holidays too. But we are becoming more and more like Americans in our work ethic due to the rise in consumerism and we have the longest working hours in Europe. I won’t bore you with the figures but when you consider that as well as having lower working hours, other countries in Europe have more public holidays. Holidays like christmas where the whole country is involved giving more of a sense of a real break. If you want to have a look at the comparison chart then have a look here:
So much to do and so little time. But even if we didn’t sleep and worked a 24 hour day, we could still not complet the task. Once we start, we cannot stop and we make work for ourselves. But we have to stop. For our own health and our nations health, it’s time to take a break and limit our working hours and spend time doing absolutely nothing. Just that, nothing. We must learn to waste time. Inconceivable though it may seem now as there is so much to do, the concept of doing nothing and wasting time can appear to be the greatest threat to our lives. But it is not so and will bring us the greatest benefit and ultimately change the character of our nation. Consider the idea. At least do that.
Turkey overload
How many turkeys will be biting the dust this year? Any guesses? According to DEFRA the 2001 figures are 23 million for the year and 10 million at christmas. How many fields would that fill? Can you imagine 10 million turkeys? I certainly can’t. Now I’m not making a case for vegetarianism as I’m having turkey myself. But this is just one example of mass consumption. How many christmas cards did we send? And how many did we receive? And as a nation? How many trees were needed to produce the paper for those cards and envelopes?
Mass consumption gives the impression that resources are plentiful and supplies of raw materials can be easily replenished. But as the population of the world is growing at such a rapid rate and at the same time consumer goods are getting cheaper and cheaper, is it possible to sustain this rate of consumption? Not for very long.
Things to consider for the coming year. We cannot rely entirely on our governments to keep the wheels turning as it were. The onus falls on us as individuals to turn the tide. Are we going to deplete the earth? Are we going to work ourselves into the ground? It’s up to us. It’s entirely up to us.
Merry christmas y’all and a happy and prosperous new year.