Stand Together For Systemic Change
"Even marine plastic is in large part a fishing issue. It turns out that 46% of the Great Pacific garbage patch – which has come to symbolise our throwaway society – is composed of discarded nets, and much of the rest consists of other kinds of fishing gear. Abandoned fishing materials tend to be far more dangerous to marine life than other forms of waste. "
Quote from the article, "We won’t save the Earth with a better kind of disposable coffee cup" at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/06/save-earth-disposable-coffee-cup-green
The overarching truth contained in this article is one we need to focus on. Do I try and personally live a simpler, greener life? You betcha. But are our individual greener actions enough to clean the planet? Not a chance.
After all, 100 companies are responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions. Even if you and I and a hundred other people offset our carbon, that is a drop in the bucket compared to these guys. "The report found that more than half of global industrial emissions since 1988 – the year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was established – can be traced to just 25 corporate and state-owned entities." (quote from second linked article) HALF from just 25 corporations/state-owned entities. Let that sink in. As the saying goes, the people poisoning our planet have names and addresses.
So, what to do? Give in to despair? Live a throwaway life because it's all going to shit anyway?
Or just focus on the tiny steps you personally can take, because you can't control what those corporations do? That's what they would like you to do.
We need to completely change the system. We need to show up for direct actions like they did at Standing Rock. We need to push our local (because that's where shit gets done) governments to become 100% renewable energy-wise ASAP. We need to push entities we do business with, like our banks - to divest from fossil fuels, or take our business elsewhere (and tell them why!). Push our cities and unions and universities and retirement funds to divest. I'm glad to say Denver just recently pledged to go 100% renewable by 2030, but our state governor is pro-fracking.
There is something that everyone can do. Call your city and county and state representatives. Write them hand-written letters. Call your congresscritters. Call your retirement fund. Call your bank. Go to a rally. Help send supplies to direct action folks in the paths of pipelines, if you can (I don't know of any funds just now, I think there is probably one for Bayou Bridge, but I haven't vetted any so I'm not linking any).
And yes, ride your bike or walk, or do meatless Mondays, or compost ...but not at the expense of taking a bite out of the big polluting monsters. If you have to choose one, take a shot at the big guy. If we all do, we might have a chance.
Be good, Steemit.
The corporations are a huge problem. Funny how much responsibility is pushed to the masses when these companies do the most damage and make profits at that
YEP!
We all have to do our part. We have to start small and work up big. You might be surprised what effect your small actions have. I have seen massive changes through the ripple effect. When we moved here to the homestead 9 years ago, no one was composting or recycling (upcycling). Every one burned garbage and used plastic to start those fires. Everyone threw plastic bottles in the river or creek. Laundry water was tossed into the street to run down into the creek where they fished for conches (muscles). We showed by example and campaigned for recycling and garbage pick up. We helped people put gas stoves in so they wouldn't burn plastic to start cooking fires. We composted for gardens now we have community gardens. It takes time and patience to do things, but every small action has results.
That's great that you were able to have such an impact!
It has been a lot of work on our part, but a least now I can breathe easier!
I'm so glad you posted this today. I've been having "what am I going to do with myself" reflections and had just decided that I wasn't going to become involved in local politics (like going to the local branch meetings of one of the political parties) or re-invigorating my membership of the two local neighbourhood forums.
For one thing, I feel like I've done that kind of thing for a million years and for another, as soon as they realise you are breathing, you're asked to go to that thing and lead this working group and could you just [insert long list of things that need doing]. It's not that they're not nice people or that these are not important, worthy things to do ... it's just I have other things I want to do.
So, your post, coming just at this moment, reminded me that I can have a clear and simple goal about the environment, that I can pursue quietly, on my own, without a committee and still be chipping away, letter by letter, phone call by phone call, email by email, a little piece at a time.
Yes, and you must also take care of yourself! Burnout is real. <3
That's true ... it's more my delusions of being an artist that I want to pursue. They're not compatible with committee meetings in draughty rooms 😎