Today, suddenly, there is a quickening of eager life on the roads. On the residential road on which I live, along with many other oldish or middle aged families, the people are briskly about. On Brighton Road, which is fifteen minutes' walk downhill, the noise of traffic is getting back to its urgent hum. The road behind our house is pounding and rattling to the familiar, earth-shaking noise, of heavy duty vehicles. I am deeply, deeply concerned that we have learned nothing after the death of forty-thousand plus people. We seem to be ready to jump right back into our destructive lives.
In the last ten weeks, there has been blessed peace in my back garden. The bees and moths are back, the birds are chattering away near my bird table, and from their nests, mother-birds warn me off when I go towards the trees on which they live. Or, perhaps, they are merely greeting me. How quickly they forgave us our trespasses. There is enough room for all of us on this planet, I think. Why do we threaten nature away?
I am so grateful that the birds, moths and bees are willing to give us a second chance. They are such a benediction. We simply cannot afford to go back to our wanton ways.
I consider what I, personally, can do, my little bit to avoid disastrous climate change. So, I shall, for a start, stop cooking beef in this house. This one's easy as we are not great meat eaters anyway. In winter, may be, we can keep the heating in the house a notch lower. Not easy for me, as I am the one with cold limbs. Instead of one pair of woolen socks, I shall have to wear two. An extra jumper would help too.
As for the car, we have to consider it as a luxury, not an indulgence for those short trips to the local corner shop or park. The best way would be if families could share transport for school drop-offs and pick-ups. We tried that once, but evening activities in schools were all over the place. And, in the whole process, there was little or no goodwill. Yet, when I worked in Wickford and lived in Laindon, four of us teachers went to work in Bob Ashford's car, and paid him fifty pence a week for the privilege. Very civilised. Until public transport becomes safe it would be a good idea to share.
Long distance flights are something we have taken for granted, with family in India, and friends all over Africa. That will have to stop. More Skype conversations, perhaps??
We could all shop less, buy less. Indeed the whole idea of shopping as a desirable social or leisure activity, is one only affluent societies indulge in. In India, where prosperity has slowly advanced, middle-class folk still do not go shopping for fun. You go to the shops or market because you need something specific.
Not buying more than we NEED, avoiding waste, is probably the first thing we can all consider. No one needs a wardrobe suffocating with tops and shirts and footwear overflowing.
Here endeth my lesson for the day!!
In the last ten weeks, there has been blessed peace in my back garden. The bees and moths are back, the birds are chattering away near my bird table, and from their nests, mother-birds warn me off when I go towards the trees on which they live. Or, perhaps, they are merely greeting me. How quickly they forgave us our trespasses. There is enough room for all of us on this planet, I think. Why do we threaten nature away?
I am so grateful that the birds, moths and bees are willing to give us a second chance. They are such a benediction. We simply cannot afford to go back to our wanton ways.
I consider what I, personally, can do, my little bit to avoid disastrous climate change. So, I shall, for a start, stop cooking beef in this house. This one's easy as we are not great meat eaters anyway. In winter, may be, we can keep the heating in the house a notch lower. Not easy for me, as I am the one with cold limbs. Instead of one pair of woolen socks, I shall have to wear two. An extra jumper would help too.
As for the car, we have to consider it as a luxury, not an indulgence for those short trips to the local corner shop or park. The best way would be if families could share transport for school drop-offs and pick-ups. We tried that once, but evening activities in schools were all over the place. And, in the whole process, there was little or no goodwill. Yet, when I worked in Wickford and lived in Laindon, four of us teachers went to work in Bob Ashford's car, and paid him fifty pence a week for the privilege. Very civilised. Until public transport becomes safe it would be a good idea to share.
Long distance flights are something we have taken for granted, with family in India, and friends all over Africa. That will have to stop. More Skype conversations, perhaps??
We could all shop less, buy less. Indeed the whole idea of shopping as a desirable social or leisure activity, is one only affluent societies indulge in. In India, where prosperity has slowly advanced, middle-class folk still do not go shopping for fun. You go to the shops or market because you need something specific.
Not buying more than we NEED, avoiding waste, is probably the first thing we can all consider. No one needs a wardrobe suffocating with tops and shirts and footwear overflowing.
Here endeth my lesson for the day!!
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