Things aren't going well. It's getting hotter and dryer and it is the responsibility of everyone to make changes in our lifestyles to slow down what's going on. We cannot rely on science and technology to get us out of this mess and allow us to keep up what we're doing.
Think about it for a second and you'll see the insanity of the American lifestyle. We pump oil in Saudi Arabia, ship it you Yemen for precessing, then put in in tankers and send it to China where it's turned into plastic toys that are then shipped to America where we give them to children to play with for a week, until they break and finally end up in a landfill.
America is about fear, selfishness and greed. We want our cars and big houses and land to keep us separated from each other. We want our energy and fatty food. We want our drugs and booze. And we want others to accept us for how we are without doing any work to earn to their affection. We want it all, we want it now and we want it for free. This madness must end.
It must start with the people. The people must change and then demand change from the government.
We start by moving out of the suburbs and into the cities. Cities are more efficient. Everyone shares resources. We have to give up backyards and big, energy sucking houses and learn to live closer together in small apartments stacked on top of each other. But we also need better designed cities. Cities that give us easy access to the things we need like food, water and companionship.
Imagine a town square with a park at it's center where children play. Around this are small businesses. Grocers, barbers and hair stylists, bakers and butchers as well nightclubs and dance halls. Small restaurants that all share tables in a big space. Places where friends can meet and talk and have a coffee or a drink. Sort of like a huge shopping mall, but with apartments on top. Of course there will be spaces nearby for sports stadiums, swimming pools, bowling allies, music, entertainment and arts. All maintained by well paid workers.
These apartments will be necessarily smaller than what we're used to. But, they'll have everything we need to be comfortable. For example, do you really need a four burner range? I can't remember using more than two burners at the same time my whole life. And if you have a dishwasher, why do you need a big, double sink? If you could stop into the market on the ground floor on your way home each evening why do you need a huge refrigerator?
Now that everything is within a short walk let's get rid of our cars. Think about what a pain owning a car really is. You have to find a place to park it. You have spend money to maintain it. You have to spend even more money to insure it and buy gas for it and what does it really do for you? It spends probably 85% of the time parked outside your home or workplace, taking up space. Space that could be put to a better use. If you need to go someplace far you take a cab, bus or train. Yes, that is inconvenient. But it also forces us to plan our days better. No more jumping in the car to run around the corner for a pint on ice cream in the middle of the night. Better to buy enough to last for a week next time you go shopping.
Another reason to move to cities is because the land will be needed to grow the food to feed us. If you own a large chunk of land and aren't farming on it you are wasting a valuable resource. Move to the city and let someone take advantage of it if you're not going to.
Of course there are disadvantages to so many living so close together. A big one is diseases could spread fast. So we'd all have a civic duty to maintain our health.
Another problem is pests. Everyone must work to keep their homes pest free because they spread quickly and are difficult to get rid of once they have established themselves.
Now, I know what you're thinking. You don't like the idea of living so close to your neighbors. You think you'll be giving up your privacy. That the people next door or upstairs will make so much noise you won't be able to sleep. I have a solution for that. If your next door neighbor plays music all night talk with your other neighbors and everyone chip in to buy the noise maker some wireless headphones. Deliver it with a friendly note; "we understand the love of music and don't want to stop you enjoying it. But please use these because the rest of us need sleep." I think saying no to people that asked nicely and offered a gift are hard.
But the hardest part may be learning to accept one another. So what if someone wears different clothes or chooses to worship in a different way than you? It has no effect on your life if someone else has different ideas about sexuality or has a different skin color. We have to give up these petty prejudices and give others the same freedoms we demand for ourselves.
