Hello Green Lovers,
You must be wondering what is My Share of Green?
Well, we all know that the economy has been in recession for the past few years and we are facing a triple crisis;
1- Financial
2- Climatic
3- Food
We are all educated and advised to make environment friendly choices and make changes in our life style and habits. I truly support the climate change movement and do agree that we all must look forward to sustainable development.
However, I am unhappy about a few things:
"Right now, 200 million people worldwide cannot find work, including 75 million young people trying to take their first step on the ladder of success"
The above is one of them. If I do not have a job, I do not have an income to rely on. That means either I rely on benefits (UK & USA) or I depend on my family and friends until I find a suitable job.
In both of these cases, I cannot purchase organic food or other environment friendly products because I simply cannot afford it.
MY ARGUMENT # 1
GREEN MUST NOT BE EXPENSIVE
Be it organic products, eco friendly or whatever fancy name you call it. If it is promoting the environment, it must not be more expensive. And if it is, you certainly make green a luxury that only rich people can afford.
Green largely depends on income and affordability. I am not against greening or sustainable development. But I am against making green a commercialized product,
just so some giant business corporations can suck the cash out of our moral guilt to save the planet.
MY ARGUMENT # 2
GREEN EDUCATION or 'EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT' MUST NOT BE LIMITED ONLY TO PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Education for sustainable development is active in primary
and secondary schools but not in HE or FE. In fact as we grow up, our
priorities change completely. We are not thinking about saving the planet
any more. We are concerned with employability and making money.
While looking for jobs, the tough competition does not make
things easier. When there are no jobs, any job that comes up has candidates
fighting over.
Green jobs are good on papers but when it comes to career
choices, how many of us would reject a job with good offer because it is not
green???? This brings me to my third argument.
MY ARGUMENT # 3
YOUTH MUST BE PROVIDED WITH INCENTIVES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE UP GREEN CAREERS
If Green products are expensive, it means they must be making more money and must pay well, right??? WRONG.
A career in agriculture is normally considered green under the UNEP definition of green jobs. We all celebrate every occasion of our lives with chocolates.
80% of the worlds chocolate beans come from Cote d' Ivoire in Ghana, harvested by child slaves.
Is our wage structure fair? Are we paying them what they deserve?
This leads to my last argument on the matter...
MY ARGUMENT # 4
MAKE GREEN EQUALITY A PRIORITY NOT A POSSIBILITY
It is easy to talk about green products in business rooms. Even easier to debate and discuss green jobs and sustainable development in fancy lecture halls and it is cool to stick a 'save the planet' bumper sticker on cars or pin a tiny green globe at the lapel of our blazer.
Unfortunately, the above actions are not enough to do any good for our planet.
We must remember that,
# 1 if we want our general population to make green choices, we have to make it affordable, feasible, convenient and efficient.
# 2 as long as inequality is on the rise, green dream will never be realized.
Inequality is the #1 contributor of pollution because it harms the environment twice i.e. the double dividend:
1 by forcing poor people to buy cheap non environment friendly products &
2 by enabling the rich to use resources and consume as much as possible, leaving not much behind for others to use.
This is my concern for MY SHARE OF GREEN.
We are forced to feel guilty with regards to our environmental choices. We are told not to ask what do I get in return for making sacrifices today for the future generations.
This is a very convenient way to make the rest of us feel guilty and consume less while the others do not give a damn about the planet.
I am not saying that we must start behaving like those people who don't care. But we certainly must know about our rights and believe that
GREEN SACRIFICES ARE FOR GREEN TODAY, NOT JUST FOR GREEN TOMORROW.
You must therefore ask and find out:
WHAT IS MY SHARE OF GREEN?
Keep in touch for more green rights stuff...
Love and Light
Shahla
.png)
