‘All this seems strange and untrue… Tell me that you’ll open your eyes.’

-Snow Patrol, Open your Eyes

I seem to be living that statement at the moment, continually asking others to sit up and pay attention to what is going on with the world.

The other evening I caught a programme on television called ‘Extinct’. It was a phone in show whereby viewers got to select one of 8 animals they wanted to save from extinction. Has it come to this already?

Many people won’t recognise that things are really messed up until it’s too late. Such is the nature of society. It is a facet that makes us no different from all of the other great civilisations that have risen and fell. But that doesn’t mean it is futile trying to warn people of the impending environmental chaos about to be unleashed due to anthropogenic . But I have committed myself to a difficult task. After all if science can’t persuade people what can? The answer is obviously a multitude of elements which depend on the very nature of culture and society. Money can be used to great effect in western cultures along with the enforcement of legislation. But it is not so easy to do in cultures that have not built up the same dependence on law and financial gain.

I’ve just come back from Nepal and I can’t imagine that the environment is at the forefront of the minds of several children I saw sifting through the river for gold teeth from human remains. That said I can’t imagine their lifestyles are responsible for climate change in the same way’s yours and mine are either.

Whilst I was away on my trek I got into a discussion with the expedition Doctor about how the UK doesn’t really create much pollution when compared to countries like the USA. Just because we do not emit much pollution as a country does that allow us the convenience for us to do nothing? NO, it bloody doesn’t.

The West should be looking to become a role model on environmental issues. Our models of globalisation and capitalisation have been adopted throughout the world and are now the ambition of many third world countries. Besides that we are part of a larger community now. As much as the UK likes to deny it we are Europeans and we too can shape the future of this continent for the betterment of the entire planet. Actually I’m pleased to say we are making progress in this area. You didn’t know that did I hear you say? … Open your eyes.