105 are compelled to stave off the cold by incinerating PET bottles, engendering flames that produce little heat and copious dioxin. This schism perpetually renews itself, not merely between the old and the young, or the wealthy and the indigent, but infiltrating the intra-generational strata itself – dividing the rich young from the poor young, the prosperous elderly from their destitute counterparts, a dual conflict exacerbated by geographical disparities, between some North and some South of the earth». «I posit that the crux of the matter, then, does not reside in waiting for everybody to do their part, but rather in everyone to do its own. The trajectory should eschew expectations of reciprocal actions and, instead, ought to herald a clarion call: “If I can, I must”. While others may follow, one should abstain from waiting for the others to eventually tread the same path. This juncture beckons a fervent consideration of individual responsibility, a facet that I firmly believe warrants further incorporation into the scaffolding of public discourse». I have the feeling that professor Pirni is trying to construct the blueprint for a virtuous cycle, an ethical mechanism poised to dismantle a system that, for too long, has been proceeding on a sort of autopilot towards a prospect we can only, ultimately define, as self-destruction. «We must not stop talking, but above all we must not think that we can only talk to the “believers”, to those already in the churches of sustainability, only to those who think that this game is worth playing and “only” need to be strengthened in their motivation. We must go and speak outside the churches, with the aim not of evangelizing (for that constitutes another match), but of disseminating this message to those who, by their own volition, might otherwise not contemplate it as a viable option. It’s a compelling challenge that, I hope, philosophy will be able to interpret, however not in solitude. The meta-conviction we must have is that nobody can do it alone. None can envision embarking on this journey without the others». The taxi arrived. I sat in the plane and waited for take-off. From above, the Lagoon seems even more alive. It unveils all its complexity and intricacy. I would like my children to see it and live it like this too – land both emerged and submerged, yet still alive – in one of our futures we have been writing since yesterday.
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