"Because hope arises from action"

In memory of Joanna Macy and to the end of the year

Dipl.-Ing.(TU) Werner P. Bauer

A few days ago, I heard about environmental activist and eco-philosopher Joanna Macy for the first time. What I found about her on the internet amazed me: how did she manage to give space to ‘deep despair about what humans are doing to the earth’ and still welcome tears and anger? (Quote from the obituary by Geseko von Lüpke)

At the age of 96, Joanna Macy passed away on July 19th this year in Berkeley, California (USA). The New York Times headlined its obituary: ‘Joanna Macy ... helped others deal with the stress caused by climate change, inspiring them to take action and not be paralysed by despair.’

"Explore”, "Share” and "Co-create” are clear calls to action:

Whether waste is generated and in what form is determined by our individual consumption behaviour and by social and political conditions (environmental governance). The way ministries and authorities monitor laws (government) and the way industry produces consumer goods determines the type and quantity of waste.

Whether we advocate for the repair of reusable devices, shop consciously, or demand that politicians punish environmental offences more consistently, there are outstanding examples for all of these approaches that show that we can always be part of the solution. www.WasteCulture.com is the place for this. Who will then adapt and reuse your particular case study remains to be seen.

I am particularly looking forward to working with you, sharing your experience for the benefit of many and thus making an active contribution to tackling the climate crisis. The "waste management" sector contributes up to a third of CO2 emissions – worldwide. ​Some sources say 50%. ​But compared to the energy sector, the generation and handling of waste is extremely complex, diverse, fragmented and accordingly far from conscious. Let's take a closer look.

I will conclude with J. Macy's words, ‘Of all the dangers we face, from climate chaos to nuclear war, none is so great as the deadening of our response,’ and wish you, and all of us a confident end to the year.

Yours,
Werner Bauer

 

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