One of my contracts in organizational work was working with a community that was recognizing the importance of changing to a harm reduction model to reduce the scourge of drug addiction.  Now with time and perspective, as I watch the price of gas at the pump and the rise and fall of energy prices for heating homes, Europes economic pain withdrawing from cheap Russian fossil fuel and I see a familiar pattern in our global energy issues emulating the pusher/addict relationship. The decision process of the addict and our society appear to be similarly hollowed out and undone.  Logical arguments, even the most fact based scientifically sound presentations lose  their power in the face of addiction. At the terminal end of the addiction, it seems even love loses its pull to safety. Harm reduction has turned out to be one of the few positive strategies that has been showing clear demonstrable progress in overcoming addiction.  The global energy strategy should take note.

One of the first signs of addiction is the collapse of ‘delayed gratification’ and ‘necessary sacrifice’ because to the addict they become one thing, and then are rejected as inconvenient in the pursuit of immediate pleasure or the anticipated relief of discomfort or pain. In both the global public energy narrative and the addict’s private broken down hell of consideration the pain and path only get worse.  ‘Delayed gratification’ is illustrated when unsupervised subject is encouraged to wait rather than eat the marshmallow immediately.  Some subjects delay gratification, others don’t. In delayed gratification no life is usually at risk, but delaying speaks to the inner authority and possible future integrity of the subject to postpone the reward to achieve something better. Sacrifice in contrast is to intentionally, consciously give (offer) up something close and important to save or preserve something life critical and sacred like, for instance, our planet or our children’s future.  Delayed gratification is not necessarily sacrifice and in this moment in the planet’s history we need sacrifice from adults, religious or secular. 

Our energy current dilemma is the result of our collective decision making process is being subordinated for us to an addiction to the short term pleasures of cheaper energy.  We have had the industry, and now the political sector both looking and sounding like they are dealer/pushers skillfully maintaining  the addiction by providing us blinders to the future and fragmented slave-facts posing as truth.  The message is “don’t look beyond the day and your interests, there is nothing to see”. We as a population though, have selected them as our influencers and leaders so we share the consequences and responsibility.  Harm reduction is an accelerated process of shaking the drug’s grip on our bodies and souls.  Harm reduction is not the long admired cold turkey approach paving our current largely ineffective war on drugs.  Harm reduction directly faces the addictive substance and actual person to radically accelerate the return of health and healthy decision which is what our globe desperately needs  Our future generations should not have to be our young sacrificial lambs when the sacrifice is ours to make now. It is us now at whatever age we are that must accelerate the radical shift from fossil fuels to future fuels. Cold turkey won’t work and waiting is fatal. If we can’t sacrifice now for our collective future, dare this generation make sacrificial lambs of the next?  Greta Thunberg is one of those children in the upcoming generation and The Good Decision recommends you watch her short, passionate plea to all generations for a chance at life.  I copied a link to this Project web page that will take you directly to her talk. Listen and weep. 

thegooddecision.org and click on the Greta Thunberg box