My experience is that most people feel reluctant about giving life advice because they’re still figuring life out themselves. My experience is that most people receiving life advice don’t quite know what to do with it… until they reach a point where lived experience makes it relevant. For my 42nd birthday, I revisited a compilation of life advice assembled for me on my 21st.
Now is the time for series finales. The last episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Lost share space in my May 23 memories, but my thoughts are on the recent Late Show Finale and the tumultuous changes we’re seeing in the world right now. There are lessons to be learned from each of these shows, whether or not we’re ready to accept them.
It can be frustrating and discouraging to think about voting when you have a small number of uncontested races on your ballot. Turnout during primary elections is historically very low, but there are reasons to vote, even when one vote is unlikely to change the outcome. Politicians serve at the pleasure of their constituents – and they need to know when their constituents are not pleased.
Everyone will be impacted by climate change, which means that everyone needs to be part of the solution. The problem is that some businesses and countries aren’t ready to have that conversation yet. Thanks to growing frustrations with the slow progress at COP, over 50 countries gathered in Colombia this April to begin planning a decisive and collaborative transition away from fossil fuels.
Renewables are becoming more affordable, reliable, and quick to deploy compared to fossil fuel generation, making them a critical part of meeting growing energy demand without compromising greenhouse gas mitigation efforts. Although we’re expected to see peak fossil fuel use in the coming decade, many experts point out that we’re still not transitioning quickly enough to avoid the worst of the climate impacts.
Most gardeners are fighting a never-ending battle with dandelions, either spraying them with herbicides or digging them out by hand. Having been in the latter group for years, I only recently paused to wonder why we’re trying to get rid of them in the first place. Research indicates that they have far more pros than cons in the garden – and provide some health benefits too.
I am excited about trying new techniques to mend my clothing, in both invisible and visible ways. What remains to be seen is how welcome some of the results will be in professional settings. Even as a sustainability professional, I don’t often see colleagues wearing mended clothing, and I wonder if that is an intentional choice or the symptom of a pervasive business norm.
Most of our clothes today are made with plastic, which tends to be cheaper than natural materials but leads to pollution, climate change, negative health impacts, and more money spent in the long run compared to investing in quality garments and maintaining them. Unfortunately, many of us lack the necessary money, time, or requisite skills to opt for the more sustainable option.
The end of this series is not the end of this exploration. Looking into the historical influences of religion on cuisine has made me more curious about what modern influences shape the choices we make today in an increasingly global society. It also feels, to me, that in an increasingly chaotic world, the small decisions we make for ourselves are even more important.
I discovered an unexpected vegetarian paradise in China when I traveled there in the summer of 2008. With vegetable-heavy cuisine influenced by ingredient availability and long tradition of religious practices that encourage a plant-based diet, I rarely had to worry about what I could eat. While there I learned about China’s long and skillful tradition of mock meat dishes, of which I took full advantage.