giving up
This class is not about the impact we have on the world by giving up something. Perhaps if Melbourne became vegetarian or ceased to drive then something dramatic would result. The real aim here is to teach us what we are capable of giving up. In doing so, we realise how much more aware we are of our ecological situation and how destructive our consumptive nature is. Giving up something does not have the aim to make us miserable, but to make us free from wanting something we do not need.
I intend to give up:
1. All transport aside from bike and public transport. This will have more of an effect than you may think. I intend to travel to 21st celebrations around Victoria this semester so this will mean taking a train to the closest station and riding to the town or farm. I also originate from Canberra, so to get home I’ll need to ride – something I intend to do at the end of the semester. Until then I’ll stick with my bike. This sacrifice will limit my carbon footprint, emissions and make me fit.
2. Modern Pharmaceuticals (except in extreme cases). Dependence on pharmaceutical companies increases already large revenues, forcing out competition and market share. This can lead to exploitation of wider fields, natural and human resources (Ray Moynihan, Alan Cassels: Selling sickness: How the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies are turning us all into patients". Nation Books, New York, 2005) I will endeavor to use natural therapies by local doctors when I have to.
3. Television. The most evil of all medias does not itself consume more than energy, but propagates commercialism and consumption.
4. All clothing purchases. Like others in the class, I sometimes have things on my mind I want to buy, not because I need them, but because I want them. NO more.
You can follow my progress on lagomdesign.blogspot.com
I intend to give up:
1. All transport aside from bike and public transport. This will have more of an effect than you may think. I intend to travel to 21st celebrations around Victoria this semester so this will mean taking a train to the closest station and riding to the town or farm. I also originate from Canberra, so to get home I’ll need to ride – something I intend to do at the end of the semester. Until then I’ll stick with my bike. This sacrifice will limit my carbon footprint, emissions and make me fit.
2. Modern Pharmaceuticals (except in extreme cases). Dependence on pharmaceutical companies increases already large revenues, forcing out competition and market share. This can lead to exploitation of wider fields, natural and human resources (Ray Moynihan, Alan Cassels: Selling sickness: How the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies are turning us all into patients". Nation Books, New York, 2005) I will endeavor to use natural therapies by local doctors when I have to.
3. Television. The most evil of all medias does not itself consume more than energy, but propagates commercialism and consumption.
4. All clothing purchases. Like others in the class, I sometimes have things on my mind I want to buy, not because I need them, but because I want them. NO more.
You can follow my progress on lagomdesign.blogspot.com
posted by ben at 3:31 PM
1 Comments:
I will join you with that clothing one, it will be hard but i'll try I am so bad and that (even though i am not doing Soumitri's) there is a lot to be said about the amount we consume. Humm they my be more that i could give up too. Good luck with the transport sounds challenging.
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