HAVE THE BABY BOOMERS LET US DOWN?

As the baby boomers enter the retirement zone, we have fifteen more years before they all reach 65, we should reflect on their past. I, by the way, was born just a few months before the boom began, but feel part of their world, not that of those born during and just before WWII.

In the fifties and sixties many of us campaigned for civil rights, clean air, fresh food, pristine waterways, honest politicians, no WAR and numerous other important causes. Today generation X & Y and younger are campaigning for similar ideals. They are living in a world that has improved civil rights in some countries; access to organic food in many forms; restricted war fare; with varying amounts of clean air & waterways depending where you are located; and pressure from a population explosion that is consuming resources at a faster rate than ever.

There are only a few political leaders to admire, you can choose your own. We spend much more time and effort admiring personalities who flash across our assorted media screens and outlets than we do improving our lives and those around us.

Yes the baby boomers have let us down, but sadly the X & Y and those who follow will also be distracted by life and let us down. Slowly every generation does improve on the work of the previous lot. At the moment it may take all generations to improve on every level if the human race is to thrive and proper.

IS THIS THE END OF THE WORLD ?

Everyday we hear conflicting information about climate change. Floods, fire, winds, are these extremes really new? Are we collectively suffering from memory loss? Do we have enough information to view seasonal change with clear vision. At this moment I am shivering in a shed, it is windy and wet and very cold outside. We need all three of these elements, it is the middle of Winter in the Southern hemisphere. Some years it is Spring like in July, just a week ago we had a record warm day for June. Keep in mind we have only kept continuous records for slightly over 150 years. I have thirty plus years of temp and rain figures for my small plot. In the last decade we have applied computer power to these old records and daily inputs to map the past and the future. The world is millions of years old, mankind maybe at record numbers and creating huge demands, but volcanoes and storms have raged since the dawn of time. Don't think I am against reducing our footprint while we are here. But maybe we should stop having a collective hysteria and get on with improving the world and leaving it a little bit better than when we arrived.