Last year our overshoot day for our earth was 1st August, this year it's 24th July, so we have moved 8 days in the wrong direction, each year our planet gives us so many renewable resources, but as a whole humans use much more than that each year, the need is to bring the deficit back to just one earth.
Not all countries are equal, UK's overshoot day was 17th May, our usage means we require 2.6 of earths resources each year to live as 'we' do. Commercialism is the biggest issue, so many in our world want the latest 'must have' things are made not to last long, or be repaired.
This is how I live my life, not perfect but the best I can do.
I know one person can't change the world, but we can change out tiny corner.
So many old skills are fading away, it's sad, it's our heritage, our world these days is buy it whilst it's on trend, then replace with next trend, how long can we live like this, reusing through charity shops does mean things have a second life, but manufacturing uses our valuable resources. This got me thinking about the skills we have which our children are not so interested. I sew, knit and a bit of crochet, my eldest daughter used to do all 3, youngest daughter has never tried any of them, all repairs, alterations are brought to me. I recently stitched all Will's badges on his new army jacket.
Gardening is in my blood, it's a chore for daughters, which is a shame, I can lose hours pottering outside, it's my place to relax. I do love to show the grandchildren what I am growing and get them to try some. Cooking to a recipe, no one has time anymore, daughter occasionally will make a cake as a treat, OK I'm not much of a cook, I'm a can cook but prefer not too.
So many of the blogs I visit live similar lives to me, we do our best, some would say we are old fashioned, and if I am, I'm proud of it, I too for years craved all the fine things, working long hours for a house and lifestyle I was too tired to live, too much stuff cluttering my home and life. Now we live simply, Amazon still delivers a few parcels here, we do try and purchase locally if we can, we walk past our car to our village or catch a bus to town, with family spread around the country we are not yet ready to give up our car.
If I am old fashioned I will wear it with pride.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
It's frightening and in the future they will blame this generation for starting the commercialism and they'll be right as our parents and grandparents certainly didn't.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is the number of jobs involved in the 'buying stuff' and 'coffee culture' businesses. Selling stuff to earn the money to buy stuff and so few industries actually making anything anymore. Have no idea where it will end.
Government's would lose too much income from various taxes if changes were made, I don't see any solution.
DeletePeople were conned into thinking they needed things and still are, anything from breakfast cereal, bottled water ( the biggest con of all!), to the latest gadget,and medicines its all to make money for someone else and its up to us to decide what we buy, unfortunately there will always be people who believe what they are told in the media and commercials.
ReplyDeleteI definitely am from the old fashioned way of life. Nothing pleases me more than pottering about in my little vegetable garden when the weather allows. Or curling up with a gritty novel if weather doesn't allow. I am a regular at our library and rarely buy books these days.
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