Click here to live sustainably aged 50!

We're caught in a trap. Going in circles. Repeatedly being warned by the same sinister depictions of an increasingly luming dystopia whilst simultaneously failing to embrace a new plastic-free, organic and environmentally friendly way of life.

Psychologists would say this is because we fail to accurately judge the future and prefer instant satisfaction to a chance of an even more satisfying event which may or may not happen later on. Do you want to go to the gym today for a healthier you tomorrow, or do you want to watch a film? Do you want to heat your home today or heat it tomorrow? Do you want to be able to heat your home today or live sustainably in 2050?

As someone who is only 18 and will be 50 years old in 2050, that point in space-time seems far beyond my me. So many uncertainties; it is a future I cannot depict with any degree of accuracy. 

Now, though, why do you think we are failing to remove ourselves from the road of 'business as usual?' If I asked you to think of one word to sum up why there are such prevalent environmental issues within reach and why we struggle to pull ourselves out of this detrimental downward spiral, what would you say?

Politics?
Money?
Karma?

Fossil fuels?

Arguably the rock upon which our modern society stands, fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas have allowed our complex, exponentially growing and technologically advanced economy to emerge. And, like it or not, the vast majority of the human race rely upon this economy in one way or another; all the way from individuals lifting themselves out of poverty to freewheeling capitalists soliciting their million dollar paychecks.

In order to achieve the UN's sustainable development goals by 2030 and keep Mother Earth on this side of her tipping point (beyond which she would be pushed into a new, potentially irreversible state of dynamic equilibrium; a new climate with dire consequences) a radical decarbonisation is needed. Now.

See why we should push for radical decarbonisation (the removal of fossil fuels from all parts of the economy) in Jonathon Porritt's TedxTalk, 'Sustainability for all' below.



However, there is another form of oil lurking in the unknown. Threatening the lungs of our planet and causing her to choke. Perhaps the most dreadful part is that under all the complex terminology and heavy marketing of the corporate world, this oil is being marketed as the more 'sustainable' option to fossil fuels.

"If you ask the question, 'How Did We Get Into This Situation Today?' I would say two words - Palm Oil" - John Sauven, Executive Director, Greenpeace UK in the BBC's Red Ape: Saving the Orangutan documentary.

Palm oil, alongside with other crops, can be turned into carbon-neutral biofuels. These fuels are said to have no net-release of carbon dioxide due to their renewable nature and absorption of CO2 during growth in the plant stage. Yet, if the true, long-term costs were taken into account in the early analyses of biofuels, would the public have granted them the 'sustainable' label?

Where these crops grow on deforested land, vital carbon sinks, biodiversity hotspots, indigenous cultures and some of Earth's natural wonders are lost in the name of 'development' and 'jobs.'

Is Palm Oil Sustainable? - Palm Oil Plantation, Borneo
Source: https://www.worldwildlife.org/photos/palm-oil-plantation-borneo
Yes, development is good and jobs are important, but in this context, neither are sustainable. This is because the practices used results soil degradation, reducing the future exports. Also, the long-term effects of all the cumulative losses push us within reach of that tipping point.

Disguised under the sustainable pseudonym, biofuels are occasionally viewed as the solution to man's carbon-based economy. Yet, we must not forget that further deforestation will mean that a carbon-neutral biofuel, which may contain palm oil, is not a possibility.

Going all in with renewables - and I mean solar, hydroelectric and wind, not the skeptical varieties of biofuels and nuclear - is the only feasible solution remaining if we are to avoid the tipping point and achieve sustainability by 2050.

It is the only way I may live, aged 50, in a sustainable world.

So what can you do?

Perhaps you could start with watching TedTalks and TedxTalks on sustainability. Vote for politicians who are embracing renewable technologies and putting the planet above opinion polls upon their priority list. Do research of your own, engage in local debates and environmental advocate groups. Host your own Tedx Event! Sign petitions which you believe in.

Don't sign petitions because I believe in them; sign them because you, personally, believe in the change you can bring to the world.

My friend, today you hold the right to speak your thoughts. Use this gift wisely, for the power you hold is immense.

H_M
   :)

Before I leave you today, I would like to signpost all my readers in the UK to a recent campaign from Greenpeace. They are asking citizens to email the CEOs of 9 major UK supermarkets about plastic pollution, urging the CEOs to take action. What's great is that Greenpeace provide you with a template email, you don't have to double-check your facts and you can even edit the email, make it personal, hard-hitting, you could even take the opportunity to mention something else of similar debate. I took the chance to ask why these major retailers continue to use Palm Oil in their products and also stock brands containing such a controversial product, when only 20% of palm oil globally comes from sustainable sources. I also asked what their policies were on Palm Oil and whether they, themselves, use sustainable sources of Palm Oil. If that sounds like something you would like to join me in doing, please do!

To email the CEO of your major supermarket, or to find out more, click the link to Greenpeace's website below.

https://act.greenpeace.org/page/29634/action/1

If you aren't a resident of the UK, maybe you could create your own petition. It's a long-shot, but you could email the CEOs of your retailers about anything you want to question, or simply get more information on.


Bibliography:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39bPjnFBt-o
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b2n9v0
https://www.worldwildlife.org/publications/palm-oil-scorecard-2016
https://act.greenpeace.org/page/29634/action/1

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