Apathy

I was just watching CBC Newsworld and they had David Suzuki on talking about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the look on Mr. Suzuki's face (one that's been frozen there since the failure of this country to ratify Kyoto) was one of incredulity at the sheer lack of giving a crap that this and other governments seem to have about the environment. Oh and Harper was quoted saying that the economy is all that matters.. ARGH!!!


Seriously, all the technology is there and 'shovel-ready' to convert the economy of the 'developed' world to green sources. But nope. Too risky for the economy. Um, if you can convert a Depression economy to a war economy, I'm pretty sure you can convert a carbon-based economy into a green economy too. I oversimplify, but I'm getting effing pissed off at the apathy of our officials on this and of people around us. At least there's good ol' Willy Nelson (not the singer) http://waxforpollution.blogspot.com/


But, I look at twitter, facebook and blogs and see no outrage, no sense of fear at what is clearly turning into the worst environmental disaster of this century.


I mean I'm not one really to talk, I still eat meat and limes and take long showers, but at least I know I'm scared witless at what's coming for the planet. Have we all gotten so resolved to the inevitability of environmental catastrophe that we've just stopped caring about it? (the majority, at least, I still give props to my treehuggin' dirtmunchers!) Is apathy the only way to keep living in this madhouse? Because Lord knows I see it EVERYWHERE. I don't think I'm apathetic, but I drink, so the effect winds up the same... Either way, I fear that this society, and our governments, are embracing apathy as the only way to deal, and I fear even more that they're right.


So, to address the spiritual oil spill this society is going through (yeah, I'm just that effing ham-fisted today), I'm writing about dealing with apathy.


May 17 2010

Every day is a new battle to keep my soul. Every. Fucking. DAY!!!!!!

I wake up with a sense of optimism, looking forward to my power bar and morning fun, my smoothie and coffee and bacon sandwich. And then, as I hit mile 2, the phenomena I call 'hippie guilt' hits me in a wave. Bacon's bad. Have you seen the conditions in which those poor guys live? And a smoothie? With bananas, right? Well, think of how many greenhouse gases are emitted to get those bananas to your local supermarket. And coffee? Is it shade-grown fair-trade, personally inspected by Che Guevera? No? YOU FUCKING EARTH RAPIST! HOW CAN YOU!?!?!?!?

And that's when the wall comes up. The Jade Wall... The one that cries out "What more can I do? It's too goddamn late anyway!" and it gives me the energy to finish my run and feed myself before going to work. Better that than collapsing in a heap on the bike path, weeping at how ineffective I am, how lousy an Earth citizen I must be...

A day goes by where I try not think about what is going on around me, focusing instead on what's funny on the Internet, what bands are playing this weekend and seeing what my freinds have to say on facebook.

That's when it hits me like a slap across the face. THIS is what's going on everywhere, with everyone! Eeryone is wasting time and focusing on things like being cool on this Internet, masturbating their egos ("hey, look at foursquare everyone, I'm at a hip restaurant!"; "read how clever I am on twitter!") and contemplating just how revolutionary the latest album by so and so is. IT'S A FUCKING ALBUM! It exists to get people to buy it!

And just like that, I realize that the apathy is inevitable. It's too hard to give a damn and the easiest of outs are there, hardwired into our communication systems.

But I also decide that I'd rather be the lone voice of madness and passion crying itself hoarse amongst the deaf then be one more sheep douchebag who's given up. So, I'll keep beating myself up, feeling inadequate, tyring my best to be good and conscienscous and if I fail, I fail.

At least I tried...