Changing the World

I've got this urge to ask questions today, and those questions are being typed up right now. They'll be emailed through to Fokus, an investigative programme that airs on our local TV on Sunday nights.

So what am I questioning? Well, this weekend's show did some in-depth looking at the plight of farmers in this area and further abroad. Drought, financial issues, food supply, farmer safety, production etc were all touched on. Just about all of it bad news.

Recently our news has also carried stories of the government's departments coming together to talk about climate change. All our ecosystems are undergoing major disruptions - malaria spreading to unknown areas as the country dries up, unique plant systems disappearing as the entire climate norms move south and force them "off the bottom of the continent", and the fact that we're going to have to make do with a heck of a lot less rain than was hoped for over the coming seasons.

All in all, it seems a rather bleak future, ecologically. We've already had water restrictions implemented in this area, starting early rather than late with an eye on crisis management. Unfortunately our campus residents/attendees are apathetic - resources are still, literally, going down the drain, as no-one has seen fit to give us guidelines on water use. All we hear is that we're running out of money - but no-one seems willing to question why (except me!). After all, we're not really being charged for resource use - just a small levy, so it's basically free, and that means we're not worried if we over-use things... right?

A while back I gave a work-in-progress document to the college president, indicating ways we can save and make money, especially in the line of resource management. He said "good stuff! we should use this", but that's where it's ended. We're still carrying on as usual, no belt tightening, no mention of the need to change our mindset or watch our resource use. It's pretty frustrating to see waste happen and know things could be very, very different.

But back onto my initial subject here - before it runs away with me completely and this ends up as a Major Gripe Session.

It's been years now that the government (and farmers, and communities, and just about everyone under the sun) has been on about water problems, food problems, housing problems, employment problems, environment problems - and yet I see none of the following happening:

* A commercial farmer change from mono-culture practices to sustainable multi-culture crops, so that if one crop fails another may just make it. A mind-set change for farmers, or education, or ANYTHING to help them restore their land, use sensible cropping methods (cover crops and mulching to preserve soil moisture, planting crops closer together for the same reason etc etc etc....) and adjust to the environmental changes that they can't control.

* Rainwater collection barrels channeling water from EVERY roof - homes, farm buildings, shacks, offices, you name it - country-wide. Instead of just letting that valuable liquid run off and disappear, then complaining that there's no water.

* Clear and implemented environmental guidelines - municipal composting dumps for organics, recycling of plastics and papers etc - and fines for non-compliers. Not just dumping everything in sight into a landfill. There's currently such a problem with things like plastic bags blowing around the country, that we are charged at shops to use them. They've been affectionately dubbed our "national flower", as they seem to sprout from every roadside bush...

* Land restoration information, with very clear guidelines for each climate area and vegetation variation, available to every citizen - it's amazing what can be done to transform eroded, weedy land into thriving healthy soil in a matter of years. And it's been proven, in this country, to work VERY well.

* Emphasis on community building through common food gardens (which will give the unemployed something to do other than crime or sitting on their butts at the side of the road!, and provide quality food for the incessantly-hungry), green belts, community centres and local trading of skills/products. Restoration of the extended family concept in communities. Reward and support for community initiatives such as clean-environment management and recycling.

* Prosecution - no, extended jail time without possibility of re-hiring - of any official who in any way steals the funds meant to be used for helping communities, educating them, or giving them hope (even if said official DID fight for the freedom of this country). Instead of just a light rap over the knuckles and a salary increase a few months later.

Oh, there's much, much more. My goat is gotten today when I look around at the general public, sitting back and whining, but then not willing to get off their individual butts to do anything.

And while browsing the blogs this morning, I found this, via bobby.

I'm hoping the email I'll send later today may start a little spark of hope - somehow. But in the meantime, I've gotta do my part.

I'm already recycling here at work (the ONLY one doing so!, but I moan at those who don't regularly.. :) ), switching off lights and plugs and other things left on as I go, watching our water and electricity use at home (replacing all my bulbs with energy-saving ones and only using lights when necessary, for example), and looking at ways I can get my neighbours involved in quite a few community and environmental projects right where we live.

I have to admit that the problem is huge though, and I feel like an ant on a mountain, pretty powerless to do too much other than shift a single grain of sand. But if I can shift that grain, I've got to. And if enough of us shift enough grains, we CAN move a mountain.

One thing I've learnt on my spiritual journey is that it's my duty as a God-follower to care for the earth He's created for me, as He would. From the smallest mite to the biggest part I could influence. Unfortunately, it seems there are not too many God-followers who see it that way. If they did, things might be a whole lot different!

Hey, if you've made it through this unusually long post - congratulations! I'll get off my high horse now and go switch off a light or something... :)