Consuming Less, But Having More

We can solve our problems and live better lives

Our tiny, precious blue ball is everything to us

What if everyone was rewarded for consuming less? What if we could reconstruct the pillars of our economy by remaking our core values? What if we could lead happier, healthier, more meaningful lives by letting go of what we have been taught?

We are in trouble my friends. The earth is rebelling against us. We have an ongoing pandemic and ever more destructive weather events that are either killing people or destroying their lives. These events can happen anywhere, although certain areas are more vulnerable than others. They are threatening our economy and collective security. California, responsible for a third of our vegetable production and two-thirds of our nuts and vegetables is drying and burning up. Entire communities are being consumed by fire. Lytton, British Columbia, Canada experienced 121 degree heat in June and more than 230 people died. Hurricane Ida in August leveled much of New Orleans and left millions without power there and in Mississippi. The storm traveled northeast and killed at least 45 more including 13 people in NYC who drowned in their own apartments. In July never seen before flooding devastated villages in Germany and Belgium killing more than 220 people. Extreme weather events are going to become ever more frequent and powerful. We are all in jeopardy.

Our political leadership is corrupt and broken. The longer we wait for politicians to solve our problems, the more of us that will lose our financial security and lives. It is up to each of us as citizens to create the changes we so desperately need. Voting is important (there are still a few political leaders with the greater good in mind), but our government has been dysfunctional and incapable for decades, corrupted by corporate power.

The Earth is a closed system, it’s resources and capacity to absorb our actions are finite. Science warned us for decades, but we’ve chosen to ignore the facts. Now the facts are in our face and we have two choices, continue business as usual which is suicidal, or to take actions that reverse the course. It’s overwhelming and seems insurmountable, but it’s not if each of us does a little and some of us do more. We need to be angry about how we have been misled and harness that anger constructively to facilitate change. We need to be gentle and patient teachers. We need to focus on what makes life meaningful and reject the rest. We need to lead by example.

Perhaps our most powerful tool is our pocket books. Where we spend our money counts. Get angry at Mark Zuckerberg for undermining our elections and contributing to poor mental health. Boycott Facebook and Twitter. Give the finger to Jeff Bezos and Amazon for treating their workers like dirt and putting thousands of small businesses and dreams to death. Boycott Amazon. Ditto for Walmart. Screw Elon Musk and Tesla. Anyone who concludes life on Earth is over and wants to colonize Mars with the billionaires who can afford to fly there deserves to fail spectacularly.

Educate those who need to learn. Millions of otherwise good people have been brainwashed by corrupt, malevolent media and politicians who make billions of dollars by lying to and dividing us. Be patient, forgiving and gentle. The misled need to be heard before they can listen. The change we want can’t happen in one conversation, but we need as many along for the ride as possible. Our power is in numbers.

Think hard about what you really need in life, what makes it meaningful. It’s not about stuff, it’s about family and friends and doing for someone else. Fill up your soul, not your house. Every unnecessary purchase is destructive to the planet and ultimately our own future.

I will be writing more about these issues and more in weeks to come. I hope to make new friends, stimulate thoughts and make at least a small difference. Thank you for reading.

Geoff