I feel more endangered – both for myself and my children – by the climate catastrophe than by any of the virtual rubbish like the “EURO Crisis”, “Financial or Debt Crisis”, etc.
Consequently, measures for avoiding the climate catastrophe are a lot more important to me than all the EURO rescuing umbrellas of this world.
Or in other words: whenever I think of the planet, I could not care less about the EURO.
For instance, I believe a massive and speedy reduction of carbon dioxide emission on this planet should have absolute priority. Consequently, in my role as “the crazy outsider”, I ask many stupid questions.
One of them comes now.
Can we really still, without further thought, climb into our cars, turn the keys and press the accelerator pedal? And can we then believe we are on the right path, just because our car needs one litre less Diesel fuel than its predecessor did (if that is true at all)?
Well, aren’t we lying to ourselves? To be sure, the cars need 6 instead of 7 litres now. That sounds swell and seems to be a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, however, the production of Diesel fuel produces more carbon dioxide than it used to. Which means that in fact the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted is more!
But even if it were not so. Do we still have the right to go anywhere by car? Isn’t every single avoidable or unnecessary kilometre driven by car a violation of nature, ourselves and our descendants that can no longer be tolerated? Or – as religious persons might say – a small sin, many of which quickly accumulate to become a great sin!
Even the excuse with the Chinese is of no help. Someone has to start.
Mind you, most of our mobility is totally unnecessary, anyway. Just look at Sunday mornings, when I ride my bike to the bakery and wonder where all this automobile chaos in front of the bakery comes from. Most of them have a shorter way to go than I.
If we really have to go abroad, there are always alternatives. If we use them, the additional carbon dioxide emission is at a minimum. How often do I find myself sitting in half-full or totally empty trains? And how much do I enjoy my average of perhaps two daily hours on the bike!
To be sure, it costs a little more time. Once in a while, it is certainly less comfortable. But I also win time – for instance working in the train or giving myself some exercise in fresh air. And I gain freedom!
Also, I am happy to see that more and more people think in the same way and even act accordingly. But still I often fear that Jeremy Rifkin, who wrote the (very much to be recommended) book “Die emphatische Zivilisation“, might be right after all when he says:
What a tragedy that now of all times, as the human race starts getting “reasonable“, they will soon be extinct.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
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