Local, not only the lekker way, it’s the only way. 

Everything is a global something. 

Globalization, global economy, global investment, global sourcing, global health, global news, global village, global citizen, and global warming. 

Every term a buzzword, some an oxymoron but worst of all they’re designed to damage The Guy next door. 

Allow me a little leeway if you can, how, I ask with tears in my once pretty eyes does shipping jobs away, allowing less invested people handle our economy, having workers in other countries manufacture our components, expecting the world to be empathetic towards our ailments or calling it a village when we stopped learning the name of our neighbors. Worst of all we got ourselves some global warming. 

Now don’t misunderstand me, it’s clear as the nose on my once less wrinkled face that there is change and not all for the better, BUT think local. 

There was a time when the world was rallying around feeding starving children in Africa, not only was this a futile effort, it in fact had the opposite effect, Africa now has four times more starving children. Why? My take on it is this, it was dealt with globally by the people’s of the world, granted with good intentions, collectively trying to solve a problem that was entirely local, so instead of getting our hands dirty teaching the skills required to solve the problem (meaning admitting the people lacked the skills) we all virtuously gave our Two Rand and thought we’d fed someone, well we didn’t, as much as 90% of all funds raised paid for fundraising. The other 10% split between the hungry and the chiefs/warlords as a form of currency. 

This brings me back to the climate issue, just the term “Climate Denier” was coined because it carried the connotation of Holocaust Denial. People are not deniers they are people who live where they live and try to enjoy the world around them, that is usually where they are located. 

I personally am (some will surely disagree here) not so arrogant as to assume I have the power to sort the planets fever out from my little place upon it. 

I strongly believe that no scientist or authority believes it’s possible either, so why the wailing and gnashing of teeth regarding the matter, because it’s keeping everyone occupied shouting about how they care more for this our Mother Earth than the next person. Virtue signaling about how they are going to be the change. Meanwhile actually doing NOTHING. 

Hence the title of my little op-ed, do something, do a small little thing that you can look back at and know it’s done. Plant a vegetable garden, take a walk on the beach (try it it’s fun) and just pick up stuff that seems out of place, you may actually save a turtle, or a kids foot from a glass cut. 

Do any small little thing locally because that is all you need to fix, the planet will sort itself out. Destroying our current economy for the possibility of some future generation having a marginally cleaner atmosphere is not the wisest choice, cleaning your own nest for the current generations makes way more sense. 

Our environment is a local thing it is yours to pass on to the next generation, yours to enjoy now and yours to be proud of. 

Practice environmentalism and leave climate to the noise makers and the planet herself. 

Think of it in terms of growing from the inside out just as nature intended. 

This may not sound all that helpful but if in the process of doing your bit you may encourage another to do the same, that’s change, cleaning up a small piece of your environment is change. 

So to sum up, don’t beat yourself up over global climate disasters, or being used as a pawn in a political game over who pumps what waste where , JUST DO YOU.