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The Mark of the Baby Boomers: The Internet and Drought

I am in the final quarter of my life but I will not go gently into the night. In the words of the poet Dylan Thomas ‘old age should burn and rave at close of day; rage, rage against the dying of the light’. And rage, rage I shall against the mess our generation has created for those that follow, and must sort it out as best they can. Je suis un Baby Boomer. Truth must out.

Future generations will remember us for two things above all else. These are the curse of global warming, and the blessing of a world wide web overflowing with information. My message is this information contains clues about what to do, in our small way, to slow down, stop, and begin to reverse the damage for which I share collective guilt.

This is not something we set out to do, as privileged children of the survivors of World War 2 and the awful things that people did. I joined the stampede for material wealth not understanding how many forests we were cutting down, because everybody else was doing it. I was not even aware my first car was contributing to my sunburn and its consequences for me in older age.

Springbok Park: P H Parsons BY CC 3.0
Springbok Park: P H Parsons BY CC 3.0

The suburb where I grew up was on the edge of town. I could walk through this park and be in open country in five minutes. I could swim in rivers, climb hills, startle guinea fowl, and watch shy antelope nibbling grass. I did not regard my environment as worth saving because nobody told me it was. While I slept in ignorance this is what happened to that wild and lovely place.

Hills Where I Once Roamed

Would we have done things differently in the stampede for material wealth had we known where this would lead? I honestly cannot say. What I can say is we must assist the emerging generation with the job that lies ahead for them. Let us explore how to go about this, as individuals with a dream that we really can make difference to the place our children inherit.

This pie chart helps us understand the main causes of the problem. Our own footprints are likely to be similar. Unless we use solar, wind, or hydroelectricity in our homes and workplaces, then we contribute towards 21.3% of the mess. If we are city dwellers, we are beneficiaries of industrial processes. If we drive our cars to work, we bear another 14% of collective responsibility.

This is not something we can blame on industry and government. We are co-producers of these greenhouses gases. Change is in our hands. We are the people: Are we not in charge? Are we not responsible for our destiny? I decided to go on the internet and find out what I, Richard Farrell (and you) can do about this situation now, and in years to come.

Image Attribution: Greenhouse Gases by Emission: Robert Rohde BY CC 3.0
Image Attribution: Greenhouse Gases by Emission: Robert Rohde BY CC 3.0

This image shows ‘the relative fraction of man-made greenhouse gases coming from each of eight categories of sources’, as estimated by the Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research Version 3.2, Fast Track 2000 Project. I do not believe much has changed since then and that we can use this as a reference point. If you would like more detail the CAIT Climate Data Explorer can assist. As I mentioned earlier, there are few secrets on the internet for those who seek.

I decide to try to base my purchasing decisions on how they affect my personal carbon footprint. I search the internet for ‘personal carbon footprint’. In less than two seconds, I land on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) page. This proves to be a wealth of information. Do visit it, and download their calculator in excel.

Please do not stress if you are not American. Their data applies although the scale might differ. If you scroll down to Row 55 there are suggestions of what to do on the road, and at home to start saving significant amounts of energy. Why not get together with your friends and see which of you can achieve the most. Could this become another weight watchers society if we give it a push?

For my first project, I decided to purchase socially responsible clothing. An internet search produced a report on the Ecological Footprint and Water Analysis of Cotton, Hemp and Polyester by the Stockholm Environment Institute. Once again, Mother Nature has the answers when it comes to carbon.

Energy Requirements: Stockholm Environment Institute / Free to Use for Educational or Non-Profit Purposes
Energy Requirements: Stockholm Environment Institute / Free to Use for Educational or Non-Profit Purposes

The way technology shares and spreads digital knowledge is without parallel. From now on, I am going to base my purchasing decisions on emissions whenever I can. What about you, are you thinking of doing the same? Next week I hope to share more ideas on ensuring the survival of our planet. We could lose our foothold, if we do not.

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