| A young colleague recently claimed that her | | | | And what if we just stopped? If we gave it all up |
| generation has great concern about environmental | | | | in order to be enlightened, then the monetary |
| ills. She thought that her Y-generation all have | | | | flows so essential for our economies would stop |
| deep feelings about the woes of our world. They | | | | as well. Our material world would collapse in a |
| want something done about it, especially climate | | | | heap. And, well, it just can't happen. Back to work |
| change. She claimed that late alphabeters will be | | | | we go, stressed to the max, a hand checking on |
| angry at any government that promised action on | | | | the hip pocket. |
| climate change but then reneged as the Australian | | | | In the end we do not act with compassion and |
| government has just done. | | | | our hand on our hearts unless we either feel one |
| "Are you sure," I said, 'won't they vote with their | | | | of two things. We need to feel secure enough. |
| hip pockets?" | | | | Not comfortable but secure, confident even. The |
| "No they have all they need," she said, "I mean | | | | other situation is when we are in extreme strife, |
| we all have food and shelter and with those | | | | what the Christians call the way of the cross. |
| needs met we want to do the right thing." | | | | Through hurt we can become enlightened. |
| I believed her, at least the intent part. And I am | | | | In the west we think we are comfortable, yet |
| sure it is how she feels herself having moved her | | | | many of us are under great stress to maintain |
| own career path away from high finance into an | | | | our material comfort and this makes spiritual |
| environmental company. | | | | comfort elusive. We often say the right thing but |
| Unfortunately I don't think that we have the | | | | when it comes to it we elect leaders who do not |
| freedom from basic needs that our apparent | | | | act on what we say. We vote them in because |
| wealth implies. | | | | they promised to protect our financial position. |
| It may be that most westerners are well fed, | | | | Our neglect and exploitation of the environment, |
| sleep in a bed, have a wardrobe, watch TV and | | | | coupled with a raging demand curve, means we |
| take the occasional holiday. And it seems that all | | | | may soon find ourselves along another road to |
| primary needs are covered (yes, it is true the TV | | | | compassion, the one that leads to deep strife. |
| is now a basic need according to the UK social | | | | Unless we begin to moderate our resource |
| services) and, therefore, higher values should | | | | demands and focus on environmental rehabilitation |
| mature. We should think about values beyond the | | | | we will be en route to penance - perhaps not the |
| basic, including care for the environment. | | | | best way to enlightenment. |
| But this wealth, that supplies all the basics and | | | | As a late baby-boomer I am probably just a |
| more, has not given us emotional freedom. We | | | | cynic, a product of a different generation. It could |
| are not free to think of higher things because we | | | | be true that today's youngsters really do have a |
| are still struggling to keep our wealth coming. We | | | | sense of higher value - although anyone who has |
| are locked into long hours of work to pay for | | | | seen a Lady Gaga music video may have to |
| large mortgages, excess food and more clothes | | | | search hard to find a sense of balance and |
| than we could ever wear. And as we are at work | | | | serenity. It may be time for the older folk to |
| we have to pay for someone else to look after | | | | encourage the youth to use their voice. Help them |
| the kids, and someone to do the washing, to | | | | to believe in themselves and speak out about |
| mow the lawn and so it goes. In the end we have | | | | their concerns for our world. |
| to keep the kids at home until they are middle | | | | Help them to vote with their hearts and not their |
| aged to help us pay for it all. | | | | hip pockets. It may just be that they can do it. |