Climate Change and Coffee Grinders
Masks are a wake-up call that clean air is a scarce commodity. It is polluted because of things like the coffee grinder. I chose this luxury item because i ran out of coffee recently. No problem, I bought coffee beans and asked the coffee store to grind it for me.
Climate change is partly caused by things we don’t need like coffee grinders. But we need them! No, we don’t because coffee culture made them obsolete. Before COVID-19, the coffee shop was the new boardroom, dating palace and family room.
You have a coffee grinder but you don’t know where you put it because you haven’t used it for five years. You either bought it or got it as a gift. We won’t talk about coffee makers that haven’t been used since the diet tribe discovered kale.
Our kitchen counter tops represent the reason why the air is polluted and whales run away from the sea, to die on the beach. Coffee grinders, waffle makers, dough-mixers, old slow cookers, vegetable choppers, can openers, electric carving knives and other luxury items are manufactured. Waste from factories is released into the air and rivers.
But these items make our life easier! Fine, but why do we discard them for the next trend? You have a coffee-maker that produces ten cups, but when last did you invite friends over for coffee and cakes you made using your dough-mixer?
We cannot blame advertising because its mandate is to create need. It makes you believe that you need six pillows on the bed, not counting the sham or the cushion that looks like a rolling pin.
You’re not forced to buy all of them but you want to keep up with the Jones. Everything in all rooms of the house is made in a factory. Most of them contribute to climate change.
We just need an audit, to determine what we really need. For example, a knife replaces most gadgets in your kitchen. No, backspace. Most of them replaced the knife.
We’re wearing masks so time in not on our side.
This is another ‘written podcast’ by Nonqaba waka Msimang.
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