What price for all this stuff?

Is mankind responsible for global warming? Are we the reason for the heat wave? Is the heat wave just part of the natural cycle of hot and cold temperatures that the earth has always vacillated between?

This is an ongoing debate in several arenas. I hear a lot about what is happening and a lot of hand wringing is going on. But I never hear about how to solve the problem personally. It is what government or business can do that concerns people. But government and business isn’t all that can help.

I don’t hear people saying that they will move to smaller houses and/or have multigenerational homes. There is also such a thing as just renting a room out to someone like in old-fashioned boarding houses. That never seems to be bandied about as a solution to proper use of space. Instead, huge foyers are built – larger and more showy rooms in larger and more showy houses.

I don’t hear anyone saying that in order to conserve power, they are going to eschew air conditioning totally and only heat houses to 55 degrees in the winter. It would certainly conserve energy use, but it isn’t spoken of seriously.

I don’t hear anyone saying they will never drive solo, but always and forever carpool. Find a group of like minded people – which would be easier in a crowded house with multigenerational groups – and only drive somewhere with other people running the same types of errands.

Stores, malls, and businesses all lament the dropping markets. But this vast consumerism and use of resources isn’t helping the planet. No one ever tells me at the checkout counter to put the shoes back because I have enough. In fact, there is a vague understanding that there isn’t any such thing as “enough” along with “stuff.”

We are impelled, urged, cajoled, advertised into purchasing stuff that no one really needs and in amounts that are sinful. Looking around my office I see one bookcase full of books made of paper from innocent trees. I do not need to own these books. I could use only the library instead of supplementing with the library. I have one four tiered case to hold CDs and it is full. What for? It is nothing but rank consumerism and it is part of the problem. And I own one desktop computer and am buying one laptop computer to replace the one that just died. The paper problem from the books is exacerbated by all the stock paper I just happen to have here, too. My second clothes closet is also here with my extra clothing stored in it. My walk in closet and four dressers are in another room.

But when postulating a remedy for the problem of global climate change, no one is saying some really simple things. Turn of the air conditioning. Heat to cooler temperatures in the winter. Stop the rampant consumerism. Do not drive singly. Oh, and my favorite – eat less. The answer always lies in “them” and I see no list of what each person can do.