Uncertainty

So I have been meaning to write this post for some time now. The topic is something that a lot of people are passionate about and is constantly being discussed around family, friends or on social media. 

I was talking to one of my close friends the other night and the topic of uncertainty arose in conversation over some pizza and wine. Such as future uncertainty, whether that be politically or environmentally. We voiced our frustrations and concerns about current affairs. These conversations are a chance to lay out all the issues on the table, however, it almost seems pointless to even rant about it as it is completely out of our hands as of yet. 

Politcal

Firstly, let's start with our UK political issues. I know that many including myself are concerned about the political state of the UK, as we prepare to leave the EU. The choice that was made due to the high number of votes from the older generation. Which seems pointless as the upcoming generations are the ones who have to deal with the losses when exiting the EU. Brexit is a huge uncertainty for a lot of people as it somehow affects every person's life. 

It will change our travels to the EU, prices will be increased, making cheap travelling to European countries impossible. Many people will lose their jobs as the major head offices in the UK will have to leave and return to their own countries. We will lose immigrant professionals who support the British public services, such as Doctors and nurses. Trade will be extremely difficult as it will not easy to import and export goods through the border. We will have more security as a country if we remained in the EU to seek help from our neighbouring countries. 

Global Warming

Another major ongoing issue causing future uncertainty was environmental effects. The human race needs to rapidly change living habits to slow down global warming. Because, what is this world without nature and animals? This can be achieved if everyone contributes and does a few simple life changes. Why not reduce your meat consumption? Try and go without it once in a while. Make sure you are recycling plastic if you do use it or completely aim to cut out plastic and shop at places that do not have plastic packaging. Reduce water wastage, water, a basic necessity for everyday living is now becoming precious. 

Let's all try to do our bit to save our environment. I have massively cut down my meat consumption over the past year. I rarely eat meat and always find vegetarian substitutes (usually it tastes better than the meat). Another thing is, that I have reduced my consumption. Striving to live a minimalist life. Trust me, I LOVE to shop and keep up with the current trends but I also do not feel the need to buy for the sake of a fast-fashion trend. So when I do decide to shop, I usually turn to thrift shops or sustainable brands. 

Consumption is a huge impact as the greed of consumerism is driving companies to manufacture more unethically and non-eco friendly ways to fill consumer needs. I am hoping that this will change over the years as the trends do not need to be changed so often, and businesses do not need to turn-over their goods every couple of weeks.  

Despite this, businesses are seeing ongoing environmental issues and are actively attempting to design and produce sustainable products. Which are highly attracting consumers as they are realising the damaging effects of fast-fashion brands. Due to this, customers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. With this being said, we have more sustainable/eco brands now more than ever before. Popular companies pride themselves in labelling their brands as sustainable. This is a huge step forward and other brands should follow. Supermarkets like Sainsbury's are also making changes by banning single-use plastic for bakery goods and loose products such as fruit and veg. Replacing it with recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2023. Again, this is a huge transition as supermarkets heavily use plastic for packaging to keep items clean and fresh. However, it is not always necessary to use excessive amounts of plastic. 

Paying for plastic bags is one of the best rules to be made as it has truly made a massive difference. People are more aware to bring their bags when shopping as they will not want to spend money on bags. This is amazing to reduce the amount of plastic bags that are thrown away, which then end up in the ocean. In-turn polluting the sea. 

Overall, there is a whole sense of uncertainty in today's society. We no longer have a solid understanding of what the future holds. We may not be able to do anything about the UK political situation, but we should not sit back. Let us continue to shout and to have our voices heard. If not that then we can attempt to change the speed of global warming. This is serious and people need to educate themselves on the impacts it will have on our life and the upcoming generation's life. Some people consider whether they should bring life into the world as they are no sure of what the world will be in a few years. Will it be a happy and healthy place for our children? 

I will leave you with that question...