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I’m pretty sure some of it is down to fake news.
You may not realise it yet but we are all subject to constant manipulation by the press. Currently we are being inundated by ‘climate’. Greta is being used to batter us into submission with guilt about not protecting either our environment or our younger generation.
Now ….I’m not suggesting climate change is not a real problem and I know that we have been careless with our use of fossil fuels and carbon emissions – but – I’m also pretty damn sure that things must be better than they were twenty years ago?
Surely, we continue to improve our pollution record? New requirements on house-building and commercial properties strive to make the strictest of controls on how properties are built, how they are heated and cooled and the carbon footprint created during their construction? Surely this must be better than it was twenty years ago?
Surely, modern cars with modern catalytic converters and cleaner fuel systems must be better than they were?
Surely, the burning of smokeless fuels and use of gas fired central heating must be better than the coal fires and uncontrolled factory emissions of the Victorian times?
Are we all really the ‘climate disaster generation’ that the press is painting us out to be …? or …are there other motives afoot?
I feel at times the press exaggerates the claims about climate change. I read this morning that Prince Charles has used a helicopter for recent visits to a university and to go see his mother. Now I’ve got to admit I hate the guy and I think he’s a complete idiot – who the hell uses a helicopter to go visit people to tell them about climate change ffs ??
However, the newspaper says these flights have caused 2.5 tons of carbon to be emitted on these two flights. Really …. just think about that…. 2.5 tons of carbon – duuh – where the hell has 2.5 tons of carbon come from on a helicopter …surely if it had 2.5 tons to emit it wouldn’t be able to fly? Surely that can’t be true – it sounds good – and it makes Charles look a moron – but 2.5 tons on two flights …. that just cannot be right?
Personally, I feel guilty about everything I do.
I have to drive to work. Guilt.
I have to drive up and down the country. Guilt.
I drive a powerful petrol car. Guilt.
I often buy food packaged in plastic. Guilt.
I do travel by plane when I go on holiday. Guilt.
My bins manage to be full every week. Guilt
But… I also manage to sort all my rubbish into the various different recycling bins. I cycle whenever I can and I walk everywhere that I can …I also use my ‘bags for life’ …I may have about 3000 of the bloody things but I do use them.
Surely though, we are all feeling this ‘guilt’ and we must all be making small in-roads in our lives to make the world a better place?
It’s not going to happen overnight though is it? And there will be repercussions. My wife’s brother shuns everything new. He won’t buy new clothes and he constantly upcycles everything he can – pulling stuff out of skips that he can re-use. He opted out of his job as a Pharmacist and now works on the land maintaining one of our stately homes. He has an allotment and he grows his own fruit and vegetables.
But dear reader, what would happen if everybody did this?
If nobody bought anything new anymore, what effect would this have on the economy?
If everyone recycled everything and never bought any new cars or TV’s or phones ….where would we all be? …
But I’m thinking maybe a bit of joined up thinking might help. Maybe it’s not just black or white. Maybe there are a million ways to improve our world without stopping everything that we do?
I have a sneaking feeling that the way the world is going is to make all the bad things – like using the central heating to keep us warm, flying and eating meat will be really, really expensive – so that only the privileged few can partake of such things.
Whilst the rest of us freeze, holiday in Skegness and eat tofu…
Prince Charles will be cosy and warm, flying above us in his helicopter eating rare beef …laughing and taking a shit on us.
Just saying.
Mike Clough
