People like stuff. People also like to move their bodies from one place to another. People also like foods and drinks that are manufactured or transported over long distances. People also want to live as long as they can or want their loved ones to live their longest life possible.
These things are all part of the conundrum. We like these type of things but it is these things that have a significant impact on pollution and climate.
We want to eat bananas and strawberries out of season. So we ship them in from some country like Chile or Egypt. These food items can perish before arrival so need to be moved quickly. Oh, and maybe they need a little refrigeration. This all means using a lot of fossil fuels to get these items to our fridge. And the single use plastic bag or punnet they come in can’t be great either.
But we need these foods when we want them.
Then, sometimes they go off or are half eaten and thrown away. They are brought half way around the world by ships, planes, trucks and our car, to be jettisoned because of a little bruise on it or we just don’t fancy the whole thing.
Think of all the useless trinkets and junk we purchase or are given. And all the wrapping and how that was all made and shipped to us. Also consider all the waste and single use items in doctors offices and hospitals. Hospitals are great because they help save, prolong or improve lives. But they mustn’t be great on the plastic and industrial or contaminated waste scale. Especially with all the full body PPE of recent years.
But we want our favourite foods or a plastic bottled drink when we are out. We need the stuffed toy or plastic flowers to demonstrate our love. We must take holidays that require an airplane travelling 1,000 to 10,000 miles, each way. We want hospitals and all the good they do.
However, we also want “the world”, the government, big companies and other people to reduce their carbon emissions and help with the fight against climate impact. The conundrum is that getting “them” to do something is a nice idea. But really, they will just create environments to reduce your usage through policy and pricing – which most people would complain about. You could do the right thing yourself, but most wont. At least not in a meaningful way. The power is in our hands every day, but most people are unwilling to make the material personal sacrifice.
And that is the climate conundrum.