Whinge, Whinge, Whinge

The more I start to get my head around the ways of the world, the less I really want to know. I’m in preachy form this month so if you don’t want to read a big whinge then don’t bother reading any more.
Each week, the leftovers of consumption in Clare amount to 10 kg per person. 1,000 kg of resources are consumed upstream to satisfy this consumption. Yet only a tiny fraction of these resources actually reach the hand of the consumers downstream. Most of them become waste in the course of the extraction and manufacturing process. For instance, with all the hidden waste, a toothbrush "weighs" nearly 1.5 kg and a 20 kg-computer some 1,500 kg!
If every one lived the same way as us, we would need 3 Earths! This estimation is given by working out the Ecological Footprint, which indicates how much of the Earth's surface one needs for producing the energy and materials consumed, and for absorbing all the waste produced.
A large quantity of this production is image driven and not even necessary. Let’s continue with the toothbrush theme. Bathrooms are full of them but when the latest yoke appears capable of ultra sonically satisfying us in a way that a toothbrush shouldn’t, we’re all off to the shops like mad eejits.
As a Society we have to examine relationships between lifestyles, the production of waste and the consumption of natural resources. For example the Ecological Footprint of a Clare person is around 4 ha while that of a Chinese person is 1.5 ha but this is growing at an enormous rate. The ultimate consequence of this is War, plain and simple. One country lives a particular lifestyle that cannot be maintained by the resources within its borders and if that lifestyle is threatened then the result is conflict.
While consumption is very high in the industrialised countries, the basic needs of a large part of humankind are not being met. The richest 20% consume more than 80% of natural resources while 20% of the world's population lives in absolute poverty. Ah! I have upset myself now.
Look! The Earth of tomorrow depends on the choices we make today. As consumers we have huge power. Through daily purchases, we can contribute to protecting our futures and bring balance to an unstable world

The future is ours.