We're increasingly told via the media that we're a society wracked with anxiety brought about by our existential climate crisis and accompanying breakdown. I'm sure that many experience anxiety, and that many find themselves on a sliding scale of concern, then there's magnitudes more for who, for the most part, pay lip service to the virtuous thing to say. Cynical, moi? Well, riddle me this, 52% of Britons will be taking a holiday this year, out of which a staggering 42% intend to travel internationally. You know, I got to thinking if you were to represent those who claim to be anxious/worried about the climate and those holidaying abroad in a Venn diagram I'd wager a good majority would appear in the overlapping group. Is that luxury beliefs or cognitive dissonance? Don't misunderstand me, I'm not singling people out, it's just they're a really good example of 'us' as a whole; we're the Achilles' heel(s) of climate mitigation, as it's easy to support agendas and policies in abstract, although support often melts away when our virtuous beliefs collide with the realities of necessity or desire. Explains where all the people have been. It's been noticeable that even on good days the forest and beach have been far emptier than you'd normally expect them to be, the roads too; it being summer and all. That, and 48% of the population won't be taking a holiday; and I imagine that if we added this group to our Venn diagram they'd neither be holidaying nor putting climate change high on their list of concerns (not saying it's not there); sea levels rising 'over there' mean little to those already struggling to keep their heads above water over here. Ah, the times they aren't a-changin' (no it a good way at least), mostly because we ain't learnin', eh. It's no wonder we're so far away from genuine systemic change.
