Focus on Life™

We seem to be very efficient, but unfortunately this does not mean that we are doing the right things. Saving the environment is the next new trend. Everyone wants to get involved and be part of the latest fashion. But below the hood not much have changed after all. The methods are the same and the results may be less than impressive.

For many of us it is not about saving the planet but reducing the guilt. We are bluffing ourselves and trying to be good citizens. However, this does not change the underlying facts and the ongoing destruction of the planet. Still, we are carrying on with our lifestyles and ways of working without changing anything radically. By our actions we are saying that we are concerned and I can do this and that but I don’t want to go any deeper. I’m not willing to do major sacrifices. This is my life—no matter how twisted or destructive its impact might be.

Buying carbon credits is easy. Following your carbon footprint and compensating it may sound like that you’re helping out in a big way. But what is it exactly that you’re trying to do? First you consume (destroy and pollute) and then you feel guilty or concerned about it and compensate by buying some credits that may either be someone ‘rights’ to pollute that have been sold to you or you are planting something back to nature that will take decades if not centuries to heal and compensate the loss you made. How can you be so sure that there is enough time left for future generations and your credits to ‘payback’ before the whole planet has been destroyed? You did not stop the destruction and pollution in the first place. What you said was that you’re continuing to do your mess now and you will fix it later somehow. And who has said that carbon credits or any other single concept is the right solution for the damages we are causing?

Regulators are keen to impose new taxes and restrictions on various items and processes. Energy is ‘bad’ in general and needs to be highly taxed. Some ‘alternative’ energy forms are preferred over others and there are sanctions and incentives for certain activities and actions. In an overall level we are forced to act in a unified and specific manner but in reality we may help out someone’s business interest more than save the planet—we just continue the destruction in another way that is more ‘socially’ accepted. How does it help the environment that governments impose taxes on energy? It certainly helps the government to get more revenues by appealing to our ‘responsibility’ to our living environment. At the same time the very same government is telling us that growing crops and other biomass for fuel are saving the planet and these forms need to be subsidised. What happened to the overall impact and energy input-output efficiency? We are just recycling the money and boosting business, not saving the environment. Guilty revealed and the new fashion trend harvested, mainly supported by coercion.

Money does not buy love. Neither can it buy nature. By looking around us it’s obvious that we have not learned this lesson. No matter how much money you have still you cannot undo the damage for rain forests, polluted water and land, corrupted crops and extinct species. We are good at destroying but very poor at creating. What has taken tremendous amount of time by nature to build we are destroying almost in seconds compared to the overall time perspective. We are irresponsible and ignorant of our support systems. What else can be said when we prefer short term at the cost of our children?

Guilt does not solve the issue, neither paying more. Something more profound is needed. We need to reconsider our priorities and values. We need to reassess our relationship with this planet, with nature. Now we consume. We use, utilise, and throw away. This is a one-way relationship that is not sustainable. We are living in a closed system called the planet Earth. We cannot pile up things forever and expect that our trash and pollution are well hidden and do not come back to us. Who do you think are already eating, drinking, and breathing hazardous waste? So far things have not gotten better. Our current solutions are not working. More regulation, more penalties, more subsidies, more forced ‘one right way policies’ are not the answer. The question is not what you do but why you do it. Everybody can do his or her own share. There is more than one way to live in this planet. Now it is time to explore and experiment other approaches that are based on a more balanced way of existence. What is it that you’re paying for?

We take things for granted. Sun will shine in the morning, subway will transport you to your destination, people will sell you the goods and services you need and so on. Everything we have experienced in the past will be at our reach also tomorrow. All this is true in the short term and provided that in the meanwhile there are no drastic changes. But how can you recognise something incremental and familiar that is causing big changes to happen in the medium to long term? Often we do not. We are ignorant.

If you do not appreciate the small things how can you expect to value anything else either? We take as granted that we have clean water, comfortable and predictable climate, adequate resources, clean environment, and a beautiful nature. Still we are every day acting in a manner that is destroying all the things we value, permanently. Water is only clean when it is not polluted by many sources over an extended period of time. Climate is moderate and predictable only when the proportion, quality and quantity of vegetation and forests stay within certain boundaries. The landscape remains beautiful only when it is not built over or harvested for some other means.

Destroying is easy. We are masters in exploitation and taking things apart. Reverse engineering and using something do not mean that one is capable of understanding the creation process or even the objects of interest. Only an ignorant person is proud of his/her achievements while leaving a mess behind. Harmony and balance are only possible when there is enough understanding and appreciation for the resources that enable one to take the next steps or further stages of development. It is very shortsighted to assume that one is capable of getting something indefinitely without causing dramatic changes along the way. Our industrial revolution and very rapid one-way consumption of resources has lasted only a few centuries. Still we have been able to cause permanent damage and destruction in almost every part of the planet. We are often blind to the things that develop over time. Unfortunately consistent havoc by billions of individuals every day can and will make a big mess. Ignorance is no excuse. We still need to live here, and so do the future generations.

Oxford American dictionary has a definition for our behaviour: “an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host’s expense.” And guess how this type of one-way and shortsighted living is called? Parasitic. A parasite does not appreciate its environment and supplier of the resources it needs. It is ignorant. Where is the sophistication and high culture we are so proud of? At least it is not visible in our everyday actions. Small things put together make the change—for good or worse. Don’t just think about it, start appreciating what you have. Today.

It’s amazing that there is enough of everything on our planet.
The thing is that we create the scarcity situation with our own
behavior. There is enough food to feed every hungry person
and give each one a shelter, and even provide basic health care
and education for everyone. These are the basic requirements
for human life and they are doable every year. We just choose
not to do these—collectively. We opt not to do anything and
therefore we are also responsible of our actions.

Our lifestyle is based on individualism and egoistic self-
fulfilment. We live by consuming and trying to satisfy our
needs by material means. Our well-being is dependent on
how much we can consume and drive after our whatever
desires. Or that’s at least the way we live. Are we happier and
more satisfied? Are we ever satisfied and feeling content with
our lives? In postindustrial society, we should already be more
than happy with all the possessions around us.

Unfortunately, the reality is the opposite. We are more
lonely and lost than ever. We have fulfilled our lives with cold
values and individualistic lifestyles that isolate us from other
people and make us lonely and unhappy people without much
purpose and meaning in our lives. Isn’t this strange because
we now have more time off than ever? A few hundred years
ago, almost all people were in one way or another tied up to
agricultural work in order to support themselves. Now we do
not have to exert so much effort to feed ourselves and get a
roof over our heads. The problem seems to be more a mental
one nowadays. We have time to think and worry—physical
labor is not keeping us occupied anymore.

Almost everyone lives in isolation, even when we are sur-
rounded by lots of people. Our lifestyle is very self-orientated.
We have learned to live without taking into consideration
other people’s circumstances. How else could we explain that
every day we see people who are more in need and lost in their
lives than we are, but we pretend not to see them? We cross
the street or at least turn our eyes away. Out of sight, out of
mind. Secretly we hope that we could be so fortunate that
nothing like that would ever happen to us. How coldhearted
is our way of living? And for what? How happy and content
are we really because we do not care about other people? Isn’t
this a clear indication of an opposite state of matters?

Sharing is an amazing thing. The joy and happiness inside
of us is universal for all of us, that idea of being able to give
something without expecting something in return. When was
the last time you gave of yourself? It does not have to be a big
thing. Just a smile or unexpected nice words to start.
Everybody wants to feel accepted and respected as human
beings. After all, we are all humans and what we have does
not define who we are. How many of us are human in our
actions as well?

Do we really need all the material things and wealth we
have for ourselves? Isn’t there anything we could share with
those who are in greater need than us? Big changes happen
with small actions. We are the society and the nations; there is
no government or institutions without us, the people.
Therefore, it is our responsibility to define who we are. Doing
nothing and accepting things the way they are is as big a
statement as anything else. By letting people starve to death
and die because of poor health care demonstrate more than
anything else who we really are. We are ignorant and selfish.
How else can we explain these things? The technology is well
developed and proven to prevent these things from happening
if there is a will to accomplish it. It’s done already in Western
societies. No excuses—let’s face who we really are.

The important question is, are we going to change?
Personally each and every one of us has to look into the mirror
and answer the question for ourselves—have I done enough
today, really? If not, then there is still a chance that there is
something human left in us, which we could try to make big-
ger in time. Maybe we would feel a bit more content and hap-
pier about our lives as well? It’s give-and-take—sharing.

Something totally exceptional occured today: strangers were talking to each other and helping each other out to get their cars moving in the snow circus. Hard times make people come together. The same happened in 9/11 and in many other occasions.

I wonder when the times are “bad” enough for all of us to put our act together. If you cannot see any reason here’re a few reminders of our totally perfect world:
- every day some 24.000 people are starving to death
- hundreds if not thousands are killed every day for various causes (terrorism, anti-terrorism, death penalties, murders, wars, politics…)
- huge number of world’s population is living in poverty, fear and constant struggle of everyday life
- the environment is exhausted at ever increasing pace without caring about the global consequences:

- rain forest are teared down by the rate that cannot be replaced by any plantations (it takes time to grow!)
- seas are overfished by all the possible coastal nations
- agriculture is using more and more chemicals to boost the production
- animals are fed with antibiotics and other chemicals to grow faster and become better food products
- manufacturers are moving their production to the third countries where the environmental restrictions are lighter or non-existing
- our consumption is dumped to wastelands which are getting bigger and bigger every year
- wild life is destroyed and killed for living, for fun, and mainly by pure ignorance

I feel so proud to be part of the human nature. We live so naturally!

I know - you have heard this over and over again. This is not the point. My main concern is why we are allowing all this to happen. Why are we closing our eyes and pretending that none of this is happening? Actually we are resisting and fighting against everything and everyone who is telling purely the objective observations. Those are called the activists and scientists with wrong results (i.e. almost like terrorists)… Indeed they are. They are the main threats for our current irresponsible life style and profit making machine (governments included). In economics these effects are called as negative externalities. Those are the things that fall between the interest groups but concern everyone: clean air, sea with fish, secured daily bred and butter for everyone, peace…

Next thing you are going to say is that I know all of this but I’m powerless, I cannot do anything. Well, miracles happen. And usually they happen when enough people have had enough of the current state of affairs. You simply start from the square one and change your own behaviour. One has to do the difference, and be an example. Others will follow - one by one. The only thing that we have to change is our own thinking. We just thinking differently (see the world differently), and act accordingly. This can happen fast. Look Atkins Diet it’s starting to change even industry dynamics.

At least I’m shamed of our behaviour. We are creating the future everyday and just look the legacy of our children. It does not look that rosy. Lots of waste and troubles ahead. In addition we’re spending more than we are earning - next generations will also pick up the bill for the increased social and healthcare expenses as well as the pension costs for baby boomers

I wonder when has it come to this point that the truth is the evil, and the betrayal and self denial have turned to the greatest truth. We are living longer and having more possessions than ever. Still we are not enjoying ourselves - totally the opposite. Maybe the happiness does not come with owning more? Here’s an example of a potential paradigm change: Let’s get rid of the concept of ownership.

Wait - I’m not out of my mind. I’m still in the business and want to make money (actually lots of it). But I want to make it the right way. The way that I can say hello to the guy looking back to me in the mirror every morning. Ownership is only the means, not the objective. But the concept creates a lot of bad effects. Look back in the history and see the white man owning the black men as slaves. How about owning animals …wife and kids…etc. De facto we don’t own anything, it’s just an illusion. We just take care of things (like the Patek Phillippe ad says). A bank manages the depositors money, they don’t own them (at least morally that is). If one does not like the management company and its policy you withhold the rights and shift your business elsewhere. We don’t own the nature. We just take care of it. This is exactly what goverments should be doing. They should be the project managers and licensors for issues that concern our common good and mutual benefit (externalities). They set the rules and overall responsibilites. It’s always good that there is someone who’s monitoring one’s behaviour. That’s why the company structure consist of shareholders, board of directors and operational management. Currently this is not happening. Our perception of the concept ‘owning’ is twisted. It’s an illusion that will not last. Gradually we are destroying ourselves, everyday. And still we are the ones who can make the difference. Who’s behind the goverments, the companies, and the consumers? It’s us, individuals, together - as a group, aggregated.

BTW, who would be so crazy to eat artificial and synthetical chemicals, even poisons, day in and day out causing health problems in the long run which in turn will be cured by more artificial drugs? Our eating habits of agricultural products and live animals are exotic, even strange by some standards…