This is my last post for Community Care, and I'd like to thank all readers, especially the few who have written interesting comments, and my employers at Community Care who have been so good to me.
For me, this has been a fantastic opportunity to write about all of
the subjects which I hold as vitally important when it comes to
preserving life on this planet. I've covered conserving finite natural
resources, switching to renewable 'low carbon' energy and eschewing the
old dirty fuels, using public transport, cycling and walking, growing
your own food or at least buying organic, fair trade, local, in season
and vegetarian food, volunteering and participating in community
groups including party politics and festivals, and social justice
issues such as health, poverty and equality, and many personal things
including my two visits to the Maudsley to work out what causes me to
be the way I am. It's been quite a journey and I'm honoured to have
been invited to share some of it with you.
I know that my voice is just one amongst a growing clammour for us to behave differently and to change our old ways. I have fairly recently discovered this interesting project, 'No Impact Man' over in the States, look out for the film in the Autumn. It feels good that I'm not alone in trying to raise the awareness of the biggest threat to our continued wellbeing; ourselves! I hope I've shown that having a tiny carbon footprint can be just as enjoyable and fun (if not more so!) than someone with a profligate lifestyle.
As for my impact, my positive impact, well, it is up to the individual reader,ie YOU, to decide whether any of what I've written about has helped you or moved you at all in the right direction! I only know about the few comments posted which have thanked me or asked me for more information, or told some of their story about downsizing or moving towards a more planet-friendly way of living. I'd like to think that a lot more of you have enjoyed my ramblings and have taken some of the sentiments to heart... but I am an optimist.
We have to be optimistic about the future. Human beings are, in the main, amazing and not out to hurt others, despite what a lot of social workers see and experience. We are capable of so much, including looking after each other and our environment, and developing ways to improve our lot. Concentrating on the negative doesn't make us feel good, and I appreciate that it must be difficult to remain positive whilst working in some environments.
I must remain positive about what I do, as I too can feel pessimistic about all sorts of things but it doesn't help. So I am now feeling optimistic about finding some more paid work as a writer, and about having more time to finish my book, and more time to keep the house tidy (dream on, John, dream on!) Any advice (on who to write for, not cleaning) will be gratefully received.
Should any of you want to keep up with my daily activities, however mundane, you can read my daily diary blog http://lowcarbonlifestyle.blogspot.com/ or find me on Facebook where I will regularly share interesting links with you but never participate in stupid applications. Alternatively, you can email me direct and I promise to answer!
So, thank you all for the good work that you do helping others, and for any 'green' changes you have made or are planning to make.
John Cossham, York, UK, 22 June 2009.
Ethicist? Mmmm it seems you are leaving too early!
For more #15 on:
http://regulatorwatch.co.uk/2009/07/gscc-in-chaos/comment-page-1/#comment-181
I believe that my carbon footprint is not the only footprint that needs to be tiny.
As a social worker I also want my clients to forget me, almost unaware of my presence in their lives to the point where they feel that they have made their own changes. All I do is plant the seeds of growth and discomfort and nurture them. They do all the work. In this way they build self-efficacy and confidence and once they have made a change, they have the ability to make other changes.
Oh, and I wrote a book about it! Well a couple of books really: 'Preventing Breakdown' and 'The Barefoot Helper', both published by Russell House. See www.another-way.co.uk
Mark Hamer