Atheism and Christmas
are uncomfortable bedfellows, but in one sense the latter is about values
important to combatting climate change.
A powerful sense of family and community emerges from the
annual Christian celebration, both of which will be critical as abatement becomes
increasingly important.
Maybe Christmas has some positive attributes, but in an
energy sense it is incredibly expensive with most of the food scoffed down
being the product of fossil fuels, and the supporting infrastructure, travel,
toys, gadgets, and the hierarchy of buildings all being energy intensive.
So although we all need to enjoy Christmas, whatever our
views on the annual moment are, we do need to be conscious that it is integral
to a lifestyle that is worsening climate change.
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Robert McLean.
I think this time of year could have a much older and more poignant meaning for environmentalists. In the pre-Christian era the northern December was a time to hope for and celebrate the return of the sun and all the goodness it brings. Here in the 21st century it could mean the same thing, with the sun meaning the light of reason and respect for the natural world. Happy Christmas Rob and thanks for your continuing passion for everything reasonable in a mad world.
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