Community Engagement

Hi there green beans,

Today I want to focus on the Internet. Did you know that internet pollution seriously affects the environment? It accounts for 4% of global greenhouse emissions. According to my research on the internet (a bit of irony here), it generates about one billion tons of greenhouse gases a year. At worst, it is expected to double by 2025. It increased substantially during and since COVID. However, had it not been for the Internet, I would not have gotten so involved in the climate crisis. We don’t want to give it up but what changes can we make to reduce our technical footprint?

One of the most challenging things for me is when I can’t remember something. A simple example, I am watching a movie and I think ‘Hmmm, where did I see that person before’. Without a second hesitation, I grab my phone.  The reality is the information is there in my brain, I just don’t have the patience to try to remember it. The Internet has become too easy and it has affected our ability to use our memory. It’s almost like - use it or lose it. I am training myself to pause and work on remembering. And learning to survive perhaps not knowing where I saw a particular actor before.  Simply, I will use the Internet for more important things like…. learning about the environment.

The other thing I will work on is not using my phone when I am out. Seriously, can we not at least have a nice meal and not be checking our phones? Our parents didn’t have them and they survived. They went shopping without a phone, they went to a movie, they even went out to dinner. Honestly, if somebody is calling you to let you know you won the lottery, they can leave a message.

We need to get a handle on technology. As great as it is, let’s try and give it an occasional break.

Each morning we are born again. What we do today matters most. – The Buddha