In my tiredness, I’m writing a post about my carbon footprint. I’m totally conscious of it, but how can I “give back” to the environment what I am taking from it as I fly to the other side of the world next month?
There are little things that I’m doing already; the normal things that everyone should be doing such as recycling and composting kai! Everyone does this already right?
But what else?
If I woke up one morning and the fate of life on planet earth was totally in my hands what would I do??
I would stop all drilling for oil in every corner of the world, I would replant every farmed piece of land with native trees and no longer would anyone be allowed to fish commercially anywhere in the world! And water would be the most precious resource that ever existed, but it is already isn’t it?
I would wave my magic wand and cast a spell of aroha over the whole world and then after that I think that everything would change because people would love and respect themselves and one another and will truly truly appreciate and be grateful for this life giving planet we have.
Wouldn’t that be something?
So much more I could add to this but if I speak any more I may just talk myself into no- sense, so I’ll leave it there!
By the way, the lovely carved piece that compliments my painted rock today is a pūrerehua that Todd carved. A pūrerehua is a butterfly or a moth but in this case it is a musical instrument made from wood, stone or bone that is attached to a long string and swung around to make a “bull roaring” sound.
It is carved in distinctly west coast style with the serpentine flowing limbs weaving in and out of each other and maunga Taranaki’s peak at the top. Very soon it will be moulded into glass but for now is a lovely background for my rock today and very grounding for this kaupapa. It is recycled kauri.
Arohanui,
Jo x
Some wonderful thoughts thank-you Ilka – and definitely in line with what I have been thinking. I’m planning my trip now, the logistics, where I am staying and my purpose and intention for actually going. Not just for a holiday although it’s nice to be able to experience culture and place of a different land but I feel like there needs to be more sharing, giving, receiving all leading toward change. My problem is I feel like there is not enough time in the day to achieve everything I want to in this lifetime but small steps and one thing at a time I’ve realised! Thanks again for sharing, I’m going to take a look now. Arohanui, Jo x
Jo – I was reading in the book ‘WorldChanging’ (pg 64 in the latest edition) a very interesting consideration of air travel in context of our carbon footprint.
It’s a big consideration and a tough maze to stay globally mobile/connected whilst keeping a small footprint.
A group of artists ran the ‘we won’t fly for art’ project where they pledged not to fly for 6 months http://www.furtherfield.org/media-art-ecologies/we-wont-fly-art and here’s another link to another project on the same issue – artists justifying their travel through the impact their work is doing http://ecoartblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/reduce-art-flights.html
Back to WorldChanging – it gives us a redirective approach rather than reactive one – recognising the value in travel and the reality of it continuing in the future and then comes up with an idea to make air travel physically emit limited carbon emissions – through strategy and design.
So perhaps we can feel relatively okay about air travel now if we do it with deep consideration (how long am i going for and how does this enable me to maximise my adventure with logistical efficiency and how to travel with consciousness of place and cultural exchange) and secondly if we contribute to the collective redirection of the airline industry – so we don’t only pay for our ticket in dollars but also with our skills in campaigning for change.
Some thoughts 🙂