SUSTAINABILITY

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SUSTAINABILITY
 Written by,  Sharleen Cainer, BSW RSW
Sustainability has been a trendy topic for some time.  Politicians like the sound of the word sustainability. The Prime Minister hopes his position in politics is sustainable for the duration of his term. The voters like it because we think we think that our social structures, our place in that structure will be sustained and our lives will role out as expected. The youth who have taken up eco warriorism argue we need to become sustainable.  For the eco warrior, our lifestyles here are not sustainable.  Farhara Yamin, an environmental lawyer, a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and an adviser in the United Nations climate negotiations for almost 30 years super glued her hands to the pavement outside the headquarters of the oil company Shell, in London On April 16, 2019. As extreme as that sounds, we now live in what many people have begun to see as a climate emergency.  Ms. Yamin became well-known for her peaceful and gutsy manoeuvre. Her rational poignantly demonstrated that a mother of four could be arrested for civil disobedience, (the charge actually was property damage) while the world's major polluters remain unaccountable for the ecocide they perpetrate. Farhara Yamin continues to use her professional skills to combat what amounts to eco-terrorism by meeting with governments and writing new legislation. A change is going to come.

Historically, there have been those who have established systems and communities where they lived off the land, repurposed their possessions, recycled their useable trash. They lived in shared accommodations, had vegetable gardens, chickens, and often became vegetarians. These people were seen as being Tree hugging, granola eating, long haired, drug smoking, hippy kind of people who rode bicycles, despised the use of cars in the downtown. In general these folks were considered "revolutionaries" They argued for peace, clean air, good food, equal rights and rejected consumerism. They cut up old belts, and old tires to make shoes. The corporate world cringed at the very thought of it all. They were considered radicals and were adamant "A change is gonna come".

Greta Thunberg, is 21 years old and has been fighting climate change since she was 8yrs old. She would skip school every Friday to sit in protest in front of Swedish parliament. She initially would go alone but was eventually joined by others, thereby creating the Friday protest against climate change as a movement. Ms. Thunberg was well aware of the conflict between environmental health and economic development. She points out to governments that the economics are pointless if we destroy planet earth. Like many young folks, she sees in absolutes. Like many activists Greta suffers disrespect, verbal attacks and the usual lip service. We support you Greta, a change is going to come.

Why are the kids so determined? They have been educated as to the consequences of our trajectories since the 3rd grade. Those consequences have become apparent and a reality. Our children have become ecowarriors, eco-saviours because they want to live and enjoy life. People are often quoting "global warming" and make jokes, wondering when the weather is going to warm up in the colder regions. Well, it is not about your cold region, its about our unstable weather patterns. These unstable weather patterns kill. They kill plant life, wildlife, human life, and destroy the eco balance of the planet.

Hence the birth of the re-cycling program. There are financial incentives to create recycling plants. The unfortunate reality is that the cost of recycling is high. Some cities require approximately a 5-million-dollar budget to do the recycling.  Nobody seems to be cognisant of the fact that several millions of dollars worth of recyclable product must be produced, procured, and discarded before its recycled. Now this is where it is about to get tricky.  It can cost more than $18 per ton to collect recycling.  It costs $72 more per ton to recycle a product than to create a new product. Should the recycling exceed the limit that can be recycled, the excess product is then discarded into the landfill site. A change is going to come.
 The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said in 2018 that policymakers have just 12 years to avert the worst consequences of global warming; news coverage is constantly filled with apocalyptic stories of storms and wildfires. Young people, absorbing the gravity of these warnings, have become the defining face of the climate movement - marching, protesting and berating their elders for bequeathing them an uncertain, unstable future (Jason Plautz Feb. 3, 2020).
Our children are terrified and have no idea why they are doing anything that pertains to their future. They don't believe they have a future. Many young people believe they will be killed by climate change, not old age. The Friday protest has been taken up by young people around the world. Our youth organize much better than we ever could. They are the Masters of Social Media and use it to this end. The fear of climate change has transcended racial divides, and inequality for young people.  Child psychiatrists have documented the devastating emotional decline of many young people. Psychiatry has documented an escalation in anxiety attacks after children see the news feed of natural disasters. A change is going to come. We need to protect the planet, save the world and make our children feel safe enough to engage in dreams of the future. That is sustainability.