In some ways, The Good Life was ahead of its time. The 1980s, when a lot of ordinary people turned into ‘consumers,’ were just around the corner. Now, however, as sustainability issues become ever more evident, a lot more people are asking: How can I lead the good life?
There’s a lot of tips out there and, while different groups may assign different priorities, common ideas emerge. Many are pretty obvious, some are very easy to do and a lot will save you money: Walk, cycle or take public transport rather than drive. If you do drive, drive an electric car and share it. Don’t fly - If you do, offset the emissions. Turn down your thermostat and wash your clothes in cold water. Recycle. Avoid single use plastic. Get a smart meter and use it. Switch to a green energy tariff. Put solar panels on your roof. Insulate draughty rooms. Eat less meat, certainly if it’s red. Buy less food, waste less food and grow your own.
I consider myself to be fairly active in some of these areas, but I think I do just four or five of those 10+ things. I’d like to do more, but it can be tricky. Self-denial is a recurring trend in The Good Life. Just as Tom and Barbara stare longingly through the window at their neighbours’ microwave dinner and wine, it’s very easy to be tempted by the take-away, the drive to the shops, the new phone, new clothes and so on. But, as anyone who has seen Wall-E will tell you, this insatiable trend is only headed in one direction.
To help engage the wider public in the realms of sustainability, climate change mitigation, water use, resource management and others, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) recently released ‘The Good Life Goals,’ in collaboration with Futerra and the United Nations’ 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption (UN 10YFP).2 Under the banner of 17 emojis, including Save Water, Use Clean Energy, Act on Climate and Clean our Seas, the Good Life Goals
‘highlight the vital role of individual action in achieving the ambitions of Sustainable Development Goals. They were created to be relevant, easily understood and accessible to individuals all around the world. Simple, positive, and engaging by design, the Good Life Goals detail the things that people can do to have a tangible impact.’
This sounds much like the phrase ‘climate optimism’ that has been getting some traction of late. The thinking behind both approaches is clear: Banging on about doomsday scenarios is unlikely to get a response other than vague fatalism / acceptance; Give an alternative future that isn’t doom-and-gloom and action becomes more likely. Like a smoker trying to give up, it’s better to highlight the benefits of not being out of breath, getting fewer illnesses and living longer than it is to tell them they’re naughty and showing them pictures of lung cancer.
Sustainability issues are, of course, not just for individuals. Businesses will have a massive influence on how the future looks, something we have tried to highlight in these pages in 2018. As well as frequent new alternative fuel projects, captive solar and wind plants have been increasingly common themes in the news. We’ve also featured: Smart buildings; The impacts of climate change legislation, which seem to now be leading to European plant closures; CO2-neutral cements; CO2 capture and utilisation (CCU); The Paris Climate Targets; Microgrids; Concentrated Solar Power; Our climate change survey and; Dalmia Cement’s vision to be CO2-negative by 2040 (Page 14, Global Cement Magazine - November 2018). This last article, which I have also highlighted at the front of this issue, is a very interesting read. Admittedly reliant on CCU, Dalmia’s vision is bold and laudible. Some will say that CCU will never be economically viable and so the company’s goals are doomed to fail. However, there are hopefully enough people working on CCU that they’ll have something to show for their effort. To not work on CCU and other areas would be tantamount to giving up. A positive attitude is what the Good Life Goals are all about. As Tom Good might say, “It’s not tricky when you try, Margo. You just have to get stuck in!”
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Life_(1975_TV_series)(1975_TV_series)
