Whether the weather be hot,
or whether the weather be cold
We'll weather the weather together,
Whether we like it or not.
But will we?
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| My low tech high/low thermometer. Today's range 8.5 - 14 deg C. |
I was already thinking about the weather because the rain put paid to my kitchen building plans and this was going to be a little light hearted post about that.
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| Mist rolling up the valley late this afternoon following a pretty soggy day. |
Then I went wandering down the
She posted about a book she has been reading.
She included this quote from Paul Gilding's book, 'The great disruption'.
"It's time to stop just worrying about climate change, says Paul Gilding. Instead we need to brace for impact, because global crisis is no longer avoidable. The Great Disruption started in 2008, with spiking food and oil prices and dramatic ecological change like the melting polar icecap. It is not simply about fossil fuels and carbon footprints. We have come to the end of Economic Growth, Version 1.0, a world economy based on consumption and waste, where we lived beyond the means of our plant's ecosystems and resources."
- from The Great Disruption: How the climate will transform the global economy by Paul Gilding
And even if it was only about fossil fuels...
The ordinary bloke over at
posted about Peak Oil today
and will be following up tomorrow.
Have a read.
Of course, all over the news for weeks (months) we have had the pollies in Oz arguing about how to deal with global warming. I am so over their bickering and their Mickey Mouse 'solutions' which all involve fiddling at the edges of the problem...fiddling while Rome The Earth burns. If the Carbon 'tax' ever gets of the ground properly, at least it will be something.
But I am with Paul Gilding, we need to take a good look at the real problem....capitalism and the orchestrated consumerism we have all been lured into since WWII. All sorts of environmental (and humanitarian) disasters have been caused by the hunt for profit and our belief that we should have the biggest, newest, bestest, latest.....
Money or the latest fashion/gadget isn't worth much if there isn't any world. But it is so hard. If you are trying to be an ethical consumer, advertising and packaging make it very difficult.
The lovely Rose is carrying out her own detective work over at
She is tracking down the sources of her daily food.
What is in the product,
where it is produced and packed...
and who owns the brand.
Even a humble carton of orange juice
with the label 'Berri since 1943' and 'Australian Grown'
contains additives produced in China
and is owned by a multinational.
It feels as if there isn't a lot the individual can do...
proselytize...but who will listen?
proselytize...but who will listen?
Vote...who for?
Another blogger, Nick, over at , Make Believe, has made a few
changes to the way he lives now and is
making plans for the future after reading
Gilding's book.
So here I sit, chipping away, doing the little I can to make a difference.
Growing a few veggies,
turning off lights,
installing solar panels,
avoiding processed foods,
cooking from scratch,
eating mainly vegetarian,
cooking from scratch,
eating mainly vegetarian,
keeping chooks,
ignoring advertising,
buying only what I must,
making do,
recycling, re-using, repurposing,
op-shopping,
volunteering,
reading,
educating myself about the issues,
trying to become self sufficient
(in skills and knowledge as well as the usual)
trying to become self sufficient
(in skills and knowledge as well as the usual)
and blogging about it.
Whether the weather be hot,
or whether the weather be cold
We'll weather the weather together,
I hope,
I hope,
Whether we like it or not.
Remember Winter Wednesday tomorrow.
Write something that is good about Winter
and join in the fun.
Remember Winter Wednesday tomorrow.
Write something that is good about Winter
and join in the fun.
Well said Hazel. Gotta say I've been so miserable lately. Seems much of Australia doesn't share our concerns and is motivated by self interest. Had a laugh reading this the other day though
ReplyDeletehttp://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2794652.html
The link that veggiegobbler left in her comment is worth a read (probably only really relevant to Aussie readers). Thanks for the link VG.
ReplyDeleteI am normally a very positive person and always see the good in every situation, but over the past few months I have been overcome by a feeling of unease. Unease because we keep reading about meetings and conferences, but I see no change. There are more cars on the road each year, airports keep expanding to cope with the ever increasing demand for International travel and the Big C keeps marching on, exporting their inferior goods worldwide, most of which will end up on the rubbish dump within a year. They are crippling local manufacturing businesses and feeding consumerism with their cheap " have it now" goods. The importing of these goods leads to higher unemployment levels and in a country like SA that translates to higher crime levels. When I look at the big picture it makes our own small efforts seem futile. I know there are many concerned people that would like to bring about change, but how do we make our voices loud enough for our deaf power/money hungry politicians to hear?
ReplyDeleteThank you Hazel, I love reading blogs because its full of people who think as I do. The general world around me thinks Im chicken little. But Im not and very soon instead of laughing they will be asking me how do I do that.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Hazel! I'm with you. Sick of this endless bickering. Also realise the earth is beyond 'prevention'.
ReplyDeleteI got calls about joining projects in the horn of Africa, the famine there is overwhelming...drought....frequent catastrophic 'events' that are far too regular to be just 'events'. Knowing where the things you buy originates and how ethical they are is important for the planet, for yourself, but impossible to know sometimes. I learnt a lot from the ethical consumption challenge I set myself:
http://thebokflock.blogspot.com/2011/03/ethical-purchasing-of-supermarket.html
The ethical consumer guide has a handy card sized leaflet to keep in your wallet. http://www.ethical.org.au/
But I learn most from people, interesting and interested bloggers like you and people in the cultures I visit - people who have so little yet are happy, kind, friendly and nicest to the earth:
http://thebokflock.blogspot.com/2011/02/importance-of-having-roof-over-ones.html
Hi Hazel, as soon as I posted my comment I tried to remove/edit it as I realised it is probably very bad manners to put links to ones own blog in a comment! Can't do it though :( Can you? x
ReplyDeleteWhen I watch the news on the climate crisis ,I wonder do they know what I know?
ReplyDeleteWhen I listen to politicians make promises , I wonder do they know what I know?
When I look at the coal mines and other huge companies pumping out pollution, I wonder do they know what I know?
It feels lonely wondering and worrying.
Then I read a blog like Hazels or a blog like Linda Woodrow's post today (witches kitchen) and I read the comments underneath. I feel uplifted and I feel sure that as long as there are people who see things as I do ...then the world still stands a chance.
Mahatma Ghandi once said, 'Be the change you wish to see ' ...I see many people here today living his advice.
kim
Well said Hazel! Whenever the topic of climate change comes up most of the time I steer clear of it, so much politics and manipulation involved with the subject. But we can all do out part, in our own small ways to help the environment, without worrying about it too much.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of weather, I think gardening/gardeners and keeping an eye on the weather goes hand in hand, inseparable even :)
Very true, Hazel. I was actually talking about this today with a colleague, and he said (tongue in cheek,) "but it will all be OK because people will be sitting inside with their playstations."
ReplyDeleteWe do what we can, but we can always do something more.