I Am Project - Rational

The level of apathy and indifference I see in the world can overwhelm me at times. The absolutely insane things people and societies can rationalize boggles the mind. As a group, maybe it’s time for us to slow down, take a deep breath, and think about the rationality of our actions.

As of 2010, the province of Alberta is banning weed and feed lawn products. The herbicide-fertilizer combination contains a chemical called 2,4,-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) that is highly mobile when it runs off lawns into storm drainage systems and drains into creeks, rivers and ultimately our water supply. With Alberta’s abysmal environmental record, you have to figure that the water supply must be significantly damaged or at risk for the government to take such action. In response to the pending ban, garden suppliers massively stocked up on weed and feed in anticipation of the public doing the same thing. As predicted, everyone is now sold out of the toxic chemical but well stocked consumers will be continuing to poison our water supply for many more years to come. All in the name of a green, lush lawn.

Where are we heading? If our group response to the banning of a toxic chemical is to stock up on that chemical, can we ever be trusted to make rational decisions for the sake of the planet and future generations?

When I am rational, the argument concerning global warming and environmental awareness is irrelevant. Conspicuous consumption and prioritizing the economy above the environment are relevant issues that have us on the brink of disaster. They must be addressed. From my perspective, these problems are not that difficult to solve. We just need to think things through.

“The conspicuous consumption of limited resources has yet to be accepted widely as a spiritual error, or even bad manners.” - Barbara Kingsolver (b.1955)