It is clear that in order to adopt an eco-friendly life-style and build environmentally sustainable societies, we need to slow down. Slow down implies reducing the rate of consumption of natural resources. I will discuss some of the aspects methods of slowing down.
Main focus is to move away from consumption. There is an urgent and immediate need to reduce consumption. We need to look for ways to enjoy life without consuming a lot of energy or wasting a lot of materials. How do we start on this journey?
First and fore-most, we need to buy only the abolute minimum things in life. Never should we spend a dollar or an Euro more for something that we can live without. When we buy less things we do use less things. This reduces our energy consumption during usage. In turn it leads to producing less number of things and thus reducing the overall stress on the environment.
Some of the most difficult concepts that one needs to come to terms with, especially in the western world, are the following: that we don't have to buy everything possible and possess them as personal belongings and that we don't have to visit all possible destinations on planet earth or that do and enjoy all possible things.
Al Gore illustrates the following point in his film, "An Inconvenient Truth" very beautifully.
Old Habits + Old Technology = Predictable Consequences
Old Habits + New technology = Completely Altered Consequences
The scientific and engineering knowledge that we have gained so far coupled with the technologies available today only needs to be used with a lot of maturity. It calls for a lot of self-restraint. As Al Gore illustrates we see such a restraint with the use of Nuclear weapons. The reason being that the damage is immense and immediate. We have already seen the damage and learnt albeit after just a single use! On the other hand much of the adverse impact of much of the "fruits of modern technology" is invisible and is spread across time and space. The cause and effect are not obvious and immediate. For example the melting of the Glaciers near the north pole might lead to wide spread draught in Africa after several months or years.
Another key aspect to examine is to go into the root causes as to why we are constantly looking at ways to automate things and eliminate physical work from our dialy living. With increased automation we spend more and more energy to run these machines. Then we end up enrolling in a fitness program to "spend" our body calories. In spite of that the energy that we consume in the form of food doesn't get utilized fully and in most cases leads to obesity and other problems.!!
Why are we so hesitant to do physical work in our dialy routine? Let us take the simple case of house hold chores. like cooking, washing clothes, watering plants, cleaning, decorating, etc. Instead of doing these manually we take pride in using washing machines, dish washers, kitchen makers, vaccuum cleaners and so on. Each of these equipments consume a lot of energy. In majority of cases they also consume excessive water, chemical agents and so on. Thus we consume energy, water and put out a whole lot of chemicals which cause damage to the natural habitat around us. Why do we adore, foster and admire this lifestyle so much?
Using automated equipment comes with its tag of being chik, fashionable and progressive. Not using them is ancient and out-dated. Everyone wants to be modern and no one wants to become ancient!
A bigger reason is our money-centered culture. Household work doesn't generate any "income". These activities, therefore, have no regard in the modern world. The modern economic theory only looks at them as "necessary evils" or at best as "over-heads". On the other hand this economic policy glorifies the lifestyle based on consumerism and calls it progress. How rational is this approach?
Irrespective of what the economic theorists says, for the sake of the environment, for the sake of other living beings on earth and above all for the sake of humanity's future we are required to slow down!
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