Opinion Post
I have been asking users here on Steemit, and talking with a close relative, about the future of the world, and trying to determine the most pressing problems I should be spending my time and money on, and how to start doing that.
The answers have included issues relating to the environment, equality, human health and government.
I have my own thoughts on what is most important, and along with the responses I received, I'd like to research all of these much more to determine what really is worth spending the time I have, and the money I'll make, on.
For now I am putting down my opinion on these issues from what I know, without backing things up with evidence. A healthy opinion post.
Please feel free to add your thoughts. It always helps to see how other people are thinking.
Environment
This for me is one of the most pressing global issues of our time.
Fish-less seas, extinct species, rising sea levels, climate change, extreme ultraviolet radiation, air pollution, land use, deforestation and an unsustainable use of resources. These things all bother me.
With so many problems, what can you do?
I find it helps to imagine a future that I'd like to see. I can see a world where we use just what we need and that the things we use are sustainable. I see the forests back, clean water and both the human and animal populations doing well.
If I'd like to see this, what can I actually do?
As an example I could stop eating beef and drinking cow's milk, as I have done.
I think roughly a third of our land is used by animal agriculture, mainly cows, and that beef and dairy contribute to over 50% of the green house gases.
If this is true then I can do something. Even though my impact alone is very small. It's like a vote. And my vote is my money not going into these industries because I want that future I am imagining.
What I really need to do is make a plan to impact or negate these industries even more. And that is something I could spend my time and money on.
Equality
How we treat each other is important, because it affects everyone involved. And how each of us ends up in life is important, because we are all connected.
I am not trying to sound lovey and idealistic, but to say that if you think a bunch of people like you who are going through hell isn't going to come around and bite you is short sighted.
What can you do?
If I am doing well I could bring up the people around me, or find a few people to bring up.
I don't need more than I need. That seems obvious. So I can do this with my money and my time. I have and I haven't, but I'd like to do a lot more.
Imagine if everyone who could, did that to one other person. Possibly I could try and start some initiative like this by putting y time and money into it, demonstrating that is works, and researching how it would impact on a large scale.
If one part of society is over consuming and another part is being left without, it is a problem. It is something like one billion people aren't eating enough food. While we can see who is eating way too much, or eating food that costs much more to produce than cheaper (and healthier) food. Like meat versus beans and lentils.
For me animals fit into equality too. We treat animals like we aren't an animal ourselves. Like we should do what we like because we can and they can't.
And when we treat people like we treat animals, it's unimaginable. But if it's not people it's not the same.
To be continued
And I am going to stop there because it is getting late and I need to go to sleep and I am rambling. In part two I will touch on human health and government.
Again, feel free to add your piece.