Bemoaning, as I was the other day, the lack of decent programming on ethical matters here in the UK and Ireland, I overlooked some excellent stuff: namely Channel Four's Dispatchesprogramme. In particular, while looking around on Google Video, I came across two programmes on the food sold and produced for supermarkets here. You can find both by doing a search on Google Video for Supermarket Secrets (or follow the link).
I am a vegetarian but am I even more resolutely one after watching the first episode which is mainly given over to an expose of the factory-farmed chicken sold by all the big retailers in the UK. The second programme chronicles the suffering of other animals that make their ways onto supermarket shelves as well as the ludicrous standards that mean that up to 40% of the vegetables grown for sale in supermarkets is rejected by them because it does not look pretty enough. That figure is the same for the organic produce that the big supermarkets sell too.
Both shows are about 50 mins long so you'll need a reasonably good broadband connection to download them but they are excellent examples - backed up by academic studies and commentary - of excellent tv journalism on ethical issues.
I have been despairing of the ethical programming that appears in the media here in the UK and Ireland. The number of programmes is small and often of poor quality.
The BBC Newsnight TV programme has had a series of reports in which one of its reporters tries to live an ethical life for one year. He is a nice guy with a young family but there is something is just a little too twee for my liking. He is almost a caricature of the educated, middle-class reasonably well-off guilt-driven ethical liver. He has a good job and can afford to invest in solar panels and a domestic wind-turbine. The whole tone of the reports is slightly jokey, focussing less on the issues than on the inconveniences that the change of lifestyle is having on the reporter and his family. I can't really see how it would encourage anyone to try and live a simple and more ethical existence.
To be fair though, the BBC is really the only mainstream media organisation that attempts any kind of engagement with ethical issues. Often this is in conjunction with its religious programming. Most of this "ethico-religious" programming however is very shallow - again focussing more on the personalities and "personal struggle" of the people involved rather than taking any deep discussion of the problems. Progammes such asthe BBC's The Heaven and Earth Show and RTE's Would You Believe? are prime examples of this style of personality-driven show. RTE in particular seems very lacking in depth (and breadth) in its reporting of ethical issues - even though its Arts programming and political and investigative reporting are of a very high standard.
Generally - from the little I see of it, no longer possessing a TV - ethical television programming is not a patch on that available on the radio. Indeed, the level of intelligent programming on radio surpasses by a mile that found on terrestial TV (I need not even consider the ethical wasteland that is satellite TV). There is however one gem among all the dross - and it's a local one! BBC Radio Ulster's Sunday morning programme Sunday Sequence. It looks at local and world religious and ethical issues with intelligent debate from local and other experts and academics and covers an amazingly wide range of topics. This is radio at its best and the latest show can be downloaded from its site for a week after broadcast. It's presenter William Crawley also has a very insight blog entitled: Will and Testament.
Rather than "wealth" I think the word I have been looking for to describe what I think we should be after rather than material goods is "abundance". Abundance conveys the notion of sufficiency, of having enough. A simple life is one of abundance, there is enough of everything and no need for anything else in particular. It is a state of mind. On the Frugal Living in the UK website the author makes some suggestion for living a life of abundance with which I pretty much wholehearty agree.
1. Count your blessings - a cliche but so true - be thankful for all the good you have in your life - the most important blessings are not always the big shiny ones :)
2. Expect the best (can be difficult to keep up!!) - haven't you noticed how people who are always pessimistic and moaning keep having bad experiences and lots of bad luck? There's a reason - whatever you focus on most is what you attract to you - let it be good stuff! Let your mind dwell on the things you love.
3. Don't let frugallity make you mean - you can be generous without being wasteful - what goes around comes around.
4. Be nice to yourself - you deserve it - give yourself little treats whether it's a glass of wine, a bath with candles and essential oils or an hour in the sun with a book - it doesn't have to be a mad shopping spree. In fact frequent over-spending is often the result of some deep emotional unhappiness - the spending won't cure it.
5. Practices like meditation, walks in the country and yoga help to keep you centered and calm.
6. Don't beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon - whether it's with positive thinking or being frugal - forgive yourself and move on.
I like the emphasis not taking it all too seriously. Simple Living should not be motivated by any kind of self-righteousness, to my mind. It is about taking more pleasure in life, not less - the only caveat being, of course, that one's own pleasure can never be at the expense of someone else quality of life.
I have finally taken possession of a bike. It's a present from my sister - this has saved my a few hundred quid! I'll have to buy a few accessories like helmet, pump, mudguard, repair kit etc. but they will be a good investment.
This is a big step forward in my attempt to live the ethical life on the cheap. On the face of it there is no downside to switching to pedal power: about 1/3 to 1/2 of my weekly expenditure has been going on bus fares; I get to cut down my personal carbon-imprint (notionally at least since they will not cut the bus schedule just because I no longer plan to travel by bus); I'll get some much needed exercise.
The only problem is I am terribly unfit and will need to gently get my fitness up to par before I can hope to peddle 5 miles to and from work everyday - so the savings won't be immediate. However if I ever hope to cut my working week sometime in the future I will need to knucle down and get used to riding the bike (I haven't really ridden one in years).
Up to now all my cost-cutting strategies (not eating meat, driving, buying clothes new etc.) are all things I would probably do anyway or have done already. This is the first major change to the way I do things that I have had to make. From the point of view of combatting the middle-age spread and getting a bit more active it can only be of benefit - even if it hurts a little at the beginning.
I think my approach to the concepts of wealth and poverty can be summed up thus: once you have reached a position where you know longer denied the necessities of survival then wealth and poverty become really only a question of mentality. If you have a poverty mentality you will see yourself as poor and in need no matter how materially well-off you are. Even if you have very little if you appreciate your life and the things and people in it you will consider yourself rich.
The problem is that the whole of consumer society conspires to make us think we are poor. It does this to ensure its own survival. How can you sell stuff to people who think they have enough already? The captains of industry have bought into a poverty mentality - in order to fulfil their own desire for status and material goods they have constructed multinational companies that must convince us that our lives are lacking something - their products! Bizarre as it may seem, but our entire society is trying to tell us that we are unhappy and we could never possibly be happy unless we consume things we don't need and which won't do anything for us except burden us with more stuff.
The more I think about it the more I am convinced the secret to living simply - indeed to living any sort of contented existence - is to cherish what you have. Despite its ethnic strife, its bad weather and other problems, Northern Ireland is a wonderful place to live. Nearly no-one dies of hunger, cold or indeed seriously wants for any of the necessities of life. Why do we not appreciate that we have enough already?
I think we need to rethink the concept of wealth. Ask most people to define a wealthy person they will say that a wealthy person is one with a lot of money. I think this is a very limited definition. Someone who has a lot of money is envied because they have a lot of choice and a lot of status however choice and status are not all that they seem.
While it is better to be materially wealthy than to be starving, the freedom of choice that having money brings is often no more than the freedom to make onesellf a slave to one's desires. Since one can always have something else, one is never satisfied with what one has.
The social status that our society gives to the wealthy completely disregards any moral or human values. One can be feckless or positively immoral but respected simply because one has lots of money. How shallow is that?
My definition of a wealthy man is one who wants for nothing. Even the fabulously rich can be (and very often are) consumed with the desire for more and so be mired in poverty. Someone living in a shack with barely enough to eat and clothe him or herself may see the value of every item they own and cherish the things that bring them joy and so be wealthier than Croesus since their wants are few.
Money does not guarantee happiness, health or wisdom. Why do we waste our lives in the pursuit of false wealth when those of use in the First World at least, and in Northern Ireland in particular, have more than we actually need not just to survive but to thrive also? If each of us could see what we have, we would realise we are wealthy beyond belief. Why struggle for more when you already have everything you'll ever need?
Northern Ireland is famous all over the world for being a dangerous and difficult place. Actually, it's alot better than it used to be as far as the tribal violence goes - although it still has its moments. What many people here don't stop to consider though is how organised and blessed a society we live in in Northern Ireland. This country still has a welfare state that means no-one need go hungry, without a roof or without medical care. True, the system is not perfect by any means but compared to the developing countries or even the welfare systems available in the U.S. or some continental European countries - we have little to complain about.There are many people, including in the area where I live in West Belfast, that are disadvantaged people but there is no true poverty here.
The health of the underprivileged (for want of a better word than "poor") is less good than those better off. There are higher rates of cigarette smoking, obesity, alcholism and other addications. The underprivileged die younger and suffer more ill-health in general. I can see it around me everyday. What gets me is that it is all unnecessary. Even someone living on sick pay or unemployment benefit can eat well, have adequate (if not exactly top-class) clothing, medical care and shelter. Yet many (I'd say most) of my neighbours smoke too much, eat mostly readymade meals, drink to excess at least once a week and spend most of their leisure time in front of the TV.
I am damned if I know why this is the way it is. Is it a combination of lack of education and the effects of the constant bombardment of advertising. If we are going to avoid the waste of the Earth's resources and cut through the exploitation practised by multinational capitalism ordinary people are going to have to start saying no to the constant call to consumption that we hear everyday. It is not enough for a few weirdos with college educations and middle-class values to reject the false idols of consumerism. An ethical, consciously-lived life is the birthright of everyone. Why in a society where no one need really worry about the necessities of life do so many blindly consume their way into early graves? Why do we not appreciate what we have?
I've been doing a few sums concerning my plans to cut my working week. I reckon I can bulk buy and store enough food/necessities for 6-9mths for around £200. This would involve a basically vegan diet which is something I've been interested in trying for a while but been to weak-willed to try - I really love cheese, you see. The plan will be to buy and store nearly everything I'll need bar fresh veg which I need only spend maybe £5-a-week on. My monthly expenditure on rent, electricity, broadband (for me a necessity) should be covered by working only 3 days a week. I may also be able to get tax credits for not working full-time.
From the preliminary research I've done, most tinned and dried produce seem to have a 18mth-to-2yr shelf life so I can start buying stuff in a little each week over the next few months and be ready to go part-time by New Year. £200 is not much so why not buy it all now and start next week? Well, taking a a little time will allow me to save some money as a little back-up for emergency expenditure. There will always be unplanned expenditure however much you plan.
Another reason for not doing this immediately involves another aspect of the lifestyle change. Transport costs are a significant part of my weekly expenditure (about a third) so I've decided to bite the bullet and get a bike. The problem with this is that I am seriously unfit at the moment and it will probably take a couple of months before I can use it to go any distance. I live about 5 miles away from where I work at present and on the side of a hill - it'll take a while before I can cycle into and back from work without having a coronary.
The benefits of going part-time will force me into a healthier lifestyle (healthy diet and more exercise), a more ethical one too - shopping less, cruelty-free diet, reducing carbon footprint by using the bike. Over the next couple of months I'll be able to plan exact details with more accuracy but I can't see too many downsides to this.
I've been thinking recently about how to integrate work and the urge to live a simple life. I have had several careers and understand that if you want to play the career game you must give all of your time to it. I have watched colleagues bemoan the fact that their children have grown up without them seeing it or cursing how they let ambition and desire for material wealth ruin their health. Many people hate what they do but but put themselves through it in order to buy the things that society tells them they need. Can you imagine the tragedy of someone who has died from overwork.
I have decided that I really do not want to work full time anymore. Unfortunately, I am not in a financial position - yet - to do so. I am hoping though, over the next number of months, to develop strategy that will allow me to work at least one day less a week - for at least half the year anyway.
Over the next few months I intend to fully chart my spending to see what stuff I actually spend money on and where I can perhaps make savings. I have a few regular outgoings - such as rent and my broadband connection - that I cannot (or in the case of the latter will not) make savings on but I reckon I can manage my expenditure so that my outgoings above and beyond these will be minimal.
Despite being on a low wage I think I can economise enough now to put a regular sum away to use as income for the period when I will go part-time. I am also planning to start buying in and storing stuff that I can store such as tinned and dry goods. If I buy a little extra stuff every week I am sure I can build a reasonable store of stuff that will mean I only need to buy fresh food every week. It'll be an interesting experiment but as yet I have no definite date for starting - perhaps early in 2007.
I had an interesting experience yesterday. KFC came up in a conversation at work - one chap who had worked as a kid for KFC and liked his chicken stuck his fingers in his ears when I mentioned the cruelty that goes into making the greasy slop that passes for food at KFC. He only removed them when he was assured the we had changed topic.
I was fascinated at how this guy obviously realised the horror of what goes into fast food but rather than take responsibility and change or even examine his eating habits he simply preferred to pretend it wasn't happening. It is really indicative of how our whole society sticks its fingers in its ears where ethical concerns conflict with personal comfort or pleasure. How can this be ever changed?
PETA have produced a video about the appalling conditions on the farms where the birds used by KFC are reared. The chickens are selectively bred to produce specimens whose breasts are so overdeveloped that they can barely stand up. Below is a video presented by Pamela Anderson. I don't know if they consciously chose her given the subject matter but you have got to admit there is a certain comic irony in it. Whatever else she may do you can't fault Pammy for her animal rights position.
If you really are concerned about the quality of the food you eat, the distance it travels, the chemicals used on it, the possible exploitation of the people who grew or harvested it etc. then you have no better option than to grow your own. You can be sure it's free from packaging, pesticide free, the labour unexploited, and travelled a minimal distance from soil to plate.
The down side of this of course is you need space, time and expertise to feed yourself to even a small degree by your own efforts. I must admit this not something I do at present but something I am hoping to get organised in the near future. My backgarden is tiny - not helped by the fact that the previous occupant concreted over half of its already limited space - although this may be overcomable through the addition of a few large tubs. I will never be able to do much more than provide the odd small addition to my pantry but it might be fun and, who knows, give me some skills which I might be able to use to more advantage if I get a bigger space one day.
It is so difficult to buy local produce in Belfast. Even things like apples, potatoes and scallions - which are no problem to grow in this climate can often be found coming from places like New Zealand, Cyprus and Mexico. When you do, often the imported stuff is half the price of the local (as I discovered last week with local tomatoes).
Even growing a few herbs, will save you money and they will be much better than anything you can buy in the shops.
This I will admit contains elements which are wholly personal and sometimes conjectural. Choosing to live the simple life is difficult enough for a single person but perhaps is even more so for families. Firstly, not everyone will necessarily agree on the simple living project or to what degree it should go. Children, particularly teenagers, are dreadfully conservative and subject to peer pressure and the thought of not being able to wear the latest fashions or get the latest gadget no doubt causes massive and vocal "differences of opinion".
I am not a parent. It is a conscious choice. I think, in a world already overpopulated, that it is more ethical not to produce more little consumers but to try to contribute to society in other ways. I know this stand is frowned upon by some who see the reproduction as a right, if not a duty. I, however, really think that it is encumbent on us all to think long and hard before having kids and to seriously consider other options, such as fostering or adoption of children already born, who need support than adding to the growing number of human beings on this Earth.
Alas, it is not that simple. Where I live from what I hear anecdotally from my friends, most pregnancies are unplanned. It happens. But parents are often made to consume way more because of guilt trips laid on them by children through advertising. Saying no to your kids and trying to teach them the importance of an ethical above the consumerist lifestyle "enjoyed" by all their friends is a nearly impossible task. Yet I am sure, when it works, the rewards must be wonderful. To cut through all the expectations of materialist living and spend real time with one's spouse and kids is something that money really cannot buy.
I must admit have little or nothing to say on the subject of families and in this blog will only tough on it occasionally. The Bare Naked Family is a site of a couple with 3 small kids who packed in a conventional middle-class lifestyle to travel around the U.S. together in an camper van to spend more time with what matters - and they seem, from their site, to be having a pretty good time. I imagine there are lots more people who love to do what they have done.
This may not seem the most proactive or especially ethical way to improve your life but these days it can make a real difference. Many people nowadays do not know how to cook more than a few basic dishes. Most have never baked bread or a cake in their lives. Home Economics is taught less in schools and nearly not at all to boys. A lot of people these days prefer to buy frozen ready meals from Iceland or M&S to pop in the microwave when they come home from work so they can spend the evening in front of the idiot tube. Cooking is seen as in imposition in this country.
The situation is not the same everywhere. Most Southern Europeans who visit Northern Ireland and the British Isles in general are appalled at what we eat and the lack of interest we take in food. In countries like Italy, Spain, Greece and elsewhere food is a central part of life; its origins, freshness and quality are paramount. Here, we pretty much stuff anything down our gullets provided it does not take too much trouble to prepare.
Why will learning to cook do to make life simpler (and better)?
Junking ready meals - learning to cook for ourselves we cut out the evil of ready-prepared meals. Why are ready meals evil?
They are more expensive than home-cooked meals.
They usually contain higher levels of salt and sugar than food you prepare yourself as well as other nasties such as preservatives and other additives.
They may (and most likely do) contain such unpleasant items as genetically-modified ingredients, battery eggs or intensively-farmed meat.
They are usually encased in unnecessary amounts of packaging.
The industrial preparation of the item and the consequent cooking by the consumer is highly energy inefficient compared to cooking fresh ingredients oneself.
Cooking for oneself ensures you know what goes into what you eat.
You can choose where the ingredients come from and buy local.
You get the pleasure of creating something with your own hands.
Cooking fresh food is healthier since it lacks artificial additives.
The amount of packaging you use is less (if you choose wisely).
It gives you control over what you put in your stomach.
It can be very cheap!
Cooking should not be chore. It is a wonderfully creative and relax way to spend time. I enjoy it nearly as much as eating the finished product!
What you spend your money on has impact throught the world and society - where you save your money also has an impact. All of the world's big banks use the money you deposit with them to make money and lending to whoever will pay the interest they charge. Political, social and environmental considerations play little or no part in the decision of what to invest in.
What is the point of saving money by not consuming and that money being used by your bank to fund big business? So what an you do - here are a couple of ideas for people here in N.Ireland.
Join a credit union - A credit union is a kind of not-for-profit community bank that encourages regular saving and usually offers low interest rate on loans. It is owned by its members and staffed by volunteers. The website of Irish League of Credit Unions offers more information and locations of local credit unions.
Choose an ethical bank - There do exist a few ethical banks in the UK - they are small but they do exist and they do offer a comparable (and in many cases better) level of service than the big multinational financial houses. Here are a few:
The Co-operative Bank is a part of the greater Co-operative Group. It has had an detailed ethical policy since 1992 - full details on the website. It has a branch in Donegall Square in Belfast.
Smile.co.uk is an internet-only bank owned by Co-operative Bank and follows the same ethical policy as its parent.
Triodos Bank - This bank has branches in several European countries as well as in the UK. It specialises in investing in ethically-sound businesses, environamental organisations, charities etc.
To be frank once you really try to live a life of voluntary simplicity - even in a modest way - people are going to think you are weird. The fact that you already think about things like voluntary simplicity probably means that this will not be a new experience to you.
It is amazing how few people really step outside the crap that is fed to them by the TV and other media and really form a worldview of their own. I'd say most of the people I work for instance really cannot see beyond celebrity magazines, football and getting pissed at the weekend.
The thought of refusing to buy a Coca-Cola or any one of the numerous chocolate bars made by Nestle because of some injustice done 3000 miles away seems crazy. The thought of paying hundreds of pounds for shoes made for next-to-nothing by sweatshop labour again seems fine with them. And the very thought of not buying something you like if you have the money (or at least the credit) to buy it just does not add up for a lot of people.
The "but people will think I'm weird" argument is probably even more important in deterring most would-be ethical livers than the "I'm too poor to live ethically" argument which is also frequently put forward. All is not lost though - there are people like you - it just takes a little bit of time to find them. And even if 50% of the people you know just can't get their head around your seemingly bizarre obsessions of where everything comes from and who made it, well, that's something you are going to have to put up with.
Don't let those who are too afraid to step outside the consensus view inhibit your desire for justice in the world - to say nothing of your desire to live as you please and not as your told. Dare to be weird!
To buy ethically and cheaply there are several all important questions that you should consider before spending anything. I have listed them in the order of the importance I attribute to them - you may disagree.
Do I really need this? Is this an impluse buy? Could you get away without this in your life? The best way to save money and resources is not to buy anything unless you really need it. What constitutes necessity is a matter of individual decision, of course.
Can I get this second-hand? The best way to ensure that something is cheap, saves and resources and your money is not supporting unfair trade is to buy second hand. Often buying used items is not possible but many things such as clothes, tools, furniture or crockery can all be bought used and nearly as good as new.
Could I make it myself? Again, like getting something second-hand, if I can make it myself - even if it is something simple like a cooked or baked good - I can be sure that it is locally produced and most likely cheaper and healthier.
Did the actual producers get a fair price, working and living conditions? Am I consuming at the expense of someone else's livelihood? Personally, I try to ensure everything I buy, especially if it comes from a third world country, did not involve exploitation of the workers or farmers who produced it. If it is a farmed product, is it a mere "cash crop" to pay off foreign debt at the expense of local food production.
Is it organically or sustainably produced? Has this been grown or made with regard to the impact of farming/manufacturing process on the environment.
Is this locally produced? If not, can I get locally, preferably from a small producer. The more local a product is the fewer resources will have gone in to preserving and transporting it. Plus, by buying local produce I am adding more to the local economy.
How easily maintained or repaired will it be? Is this a long-lasting quality product or something that eventually will just have to be thrown away. Is there a manufacturer's warranty and is it any good?
Is this good for me? Is this item going to add to or detract from my health and fitness.
Can I get it cheaper? All other things being equal - what I've got is local, ethically and sustainably produced - is there somewhere else I can get this for less without compromising my beliefs.
Whether you are attempting to live the simple life mainly out of choice or mainly out of necessity you must be organised. No matter how well informed you are on the harm that blind consuming does or how enthusiastic you are to save the world, unless you get organised you will neither save any money nor make any positive contribution.
Chart Your Spending - for a month make a note of everything you buy. Work out how much you actually spend and on what. Work out your regular expenses (rent/mortgage, phone, electricity etc.) as well as how much you spend on clothes, food, travel, entertainment, gifts, charity. Use this information to work out what you spend too much on, what you can cut out or cut back on. Look too at what brands you buy and where you shop - could you make more ethical choices?
Reduce your Stuff - over time (up to you but maybe over a couple of months) look at the stuff you already own but now rarely use - clothes, books and tools are good areas to look at. Cut out the the stuff that is really only taking up storage space. Maybe you could sell it on Ebay or at a carboot sale. Or perhaps you could give it to a charity shop.
How can you simplify? - After detailing how you spend your money, look at areas you can realistically do something about. Don't try to do everything at once. Don't throw away the car and get a bike if your workplace is ten miles away for instance. Don't go converting your front lawn into vegtable patches just yet if you have never grown anything before. Try to set realisable goals and don't take on too much too soon. Your vision of living simply may take several years of gradual restructuring of your life to realise.
Prioritise your spending: Look at what you spend stuff on. You may spend a lot on clothes but relatively little on food (actually the cost of food has dropped by 4% in real terms since 1999). But which is more important - nutrition or style? Organic food may cost more but it's better for you and the planet. Spending less on designer labels may give you the money to spend on better food. This is just a for instance but it is crucial to decide what is worth spending your money on and what you can do without. In the end your purchases will have more value.
See the BBC Newsnight Ethical Man website for several discussion on how and what an individual must organise in order to take a simple life. This follows one reporter who tries living as ethically as possible (by his definition, maybe not everyone's) for a year. Several interesting articles and videos.
Former Academic, Former Buddhist Monk. Given up on careers, now trying to work out how to live a simple life with less work and more time to do whatever I fancy.
