13 May 2020
As a Green Party environmental activist, I don’t mind admitting that Corona Virus has sent me in to spin, as it has made me look at my activism.
The virus has, in a single handed way, stopped the growth of capitalism in its tracks and this is after all what I wanted. Why did I want this? Because I knew that consumerism was destroying the world, but what I failed to acknowledge was that I was part of the problem.
Why do I feel this? I bought in to the whole idea that electric cars, solar panels, wind turbines and deforestation were the solution to climate change. It turns out that all of these products are linked with fossil fuels in the making and installing processes and they have limited life spans.
The billionaires, the oil and deforestation companies replaced the imagery of air polluting coal and dressed up deforestation and the mining of natural resources, as the saviour of the world. The America business man and environmentalist, Al Gore is complicit with these practices.
Why do they do this?
The world’s population is increasing exponentially. 20 million more children have been born since the Corona Virus first reared its ugly head.
The far right of the political divide wants unadulterated capitalism, which essentially results in the complete depletion of the resources of the world and the left want to patch the world up with further measures that deplete the resources of the world.
Climate change is not the problem – WE ARE!
What is the legacy for the young? The baby boomers have failed to find adequate solutions to save the world. We must apologise unreservedly.
What are the solutions - It is incumbenton us to respect today’s youth. They are the ones who will be tasked to get us out of this mess and we must be there to support them.
What am I prepared to do?
I will encourage everyone to watch Michael Moore’s new free You Tube film: The Planet of the Humans which I would suggest is a must see and not suitable viewing for young children. Please then follow up with the debunking video from Zac & Jessie on the Now You Know channel on YouTube which shows in depth what solutions are currently available and in development.
I will speak with my work and union about the possibility of working from home, using new found technology, post virus and will encourage them to link staff up with work facilities that are closer to peoples’ homes.
I will exercise my consumer right to save the world and stop taking foreign holidays abroad.
I will continue to not eat meat and I will investigate more in how to replace vitamins, so that I don’t need to eat fish.
I will suggest to my party that we insist that all new cars that come in to the UK are hybrids or electric and not over 1.3 litres in engine size and that all petrol cars are banned from towns and cities.
I will continue to: reuse, replace and re-cycle and hold recycling departments to account.
I will use the experience of Corona Virus to help society to truly engineer a world that is not completely focused on exploiting the worlds’ resources. I will argue for a different vision, based on a sustainable future that is fit for future generations.
I will endeavour to make every life lost through this virus, worthy of this cause, in my name and I whole heartedly ask you to join me!
Sonia Hyner
10/05/2020
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