Meanwhile, a friend whose work requires a smartphone and who knows about the deadly impacts of mining for coltan and graphite and lithium (in smartphone batteries), wonders if counterbalancing extraction in smartphones is possible. A friend with a hybrid car and a solar PV system wonders how she could counterbalance their cradle-to-cradle impacts. Once we know about computers' and vehicles' ecological impacts, how do we counterbalance them? Morally and ethically, as responsible members of society, what can we do?
To get meaningful answers to these questions, we will need to talk with each other.
Ask. Talk. Share.
Cultural change happens in groups of seven.
If we connect more with the Earth and share our questions and experience with other people, could we reduce our dependence on electricity and corporations? Would we smile more, even under masks?
Let's take what we learn to legislators. Internationally, governments are dedicating trillions of dollars to increase telecom infrastructure, children's learning-on-a-tablet, electric vehicles' production and charging stations, and building new power plants. Could five percent of these funds go to developing traditional skills? Could every household, school, workplace get raised planting beds with nutrient-dense compost and seeds?
Yours,
Katie
ENDNOTES
- AT&T and Verizon are large U.S. telecom providers.
- Click Here
- Steinbauer, James, "Battle of the Burgers," Sierra, March, 2020.
- www.solarcookers.org
- Osborne, Sam, "China bans mobile phones in schools "to protect students' eyesight" and prevent addiction," The Independent, Feb. 3, 2021. Click Here
- China Daily/Asia News Network, "China bans mobile phones in classrooms," Oct. 10, 2018.
- Click Here
- Food Waste Audit, Univ. of Florida, Click Here
- www.DearGreta.com/letter-12/
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