Red Deer Reality Rant #40 - Political Problems
Hello there fellow Red Deerians. It’s the middle of January and I am still feeling broke from the holidays. I have a bunch of subscriptions that come out every December/January as annual payments. While I am feeling all woe is me, I am still reminded that the world has bigger problems and I don’t have anything to complain about in the scope of things.
The balmy temperatures have me feeling concerned about what this summer will be like, and also the threat of global warming. I am certainly not a scientist and only know things in layman’s terms, however, the threat to our environment is very real and apparent to everyone. Our world is obviously overpopulated and the amount of waste and pollution is enormous.
Living in Alberta makes the subject of pollution very touchy. A lot of people have strong opinions about oil and gas and I am not here to say anyone is right or wrong. Arguments on both sides for or against the oil and gas industry have their merits, but no one can come to an agreement or a solution.
Regardless of your opinion on economics and industries that cause environmental damage, the issue of pollution is real and something needs to be done, and soon. The root of the problem is that these polluting industries make a lot of money and money is the driving force for humanity and all of it’s endeavours. We would not have technology without capitalism or any monetary system.
Some people are going off the grid and living basically and simply, modern technology free. This sounds like a veritable nightmare to me, I can’t imagine life without the internet and living without the industries that make it possible, like electricity and corporations like Google. We have become entranced by this lifestyle, and there’s no going back.
So what do we do? We ignore, and go about our daily lives with the matter in the back of our minds. Some of us do small things, like reduce, reuse and recycle. And some people are activists and fight these issues. If anything is going to change though, this need to be a team effort and the majority of the population has to be on board.
The only organizing force of large groups of people is the government. If you want to do your part, vote for those politicians who give a shift about saving the planet. The people in power are the people responsible for large scale pollution, the economy, and have the power to change the world.
Voting, and reducing your own waste along with recycling are the best and most important things a person can do as an individual to help the environment. It’s 2023, and high time to do something. It’s all downhill from here, and it’s not getting any better from ignorance and apathy. That’s my opinion this week, I hope it was some food for thought. See you all next week for another Red Deer Reality Rant!
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