You have an office kettle that needs descaling. The descaling liquid costs £3.50 (call it $7); that’s worth it to make an old kettle feel better, work more efficiently and well, just be a kettle. Then you go to the supermarket on your way into work and see a new kettle. It costs £4.88.
£4.88 or £3.50?
New Kettle or Old Kettle?
The fact you are reading this means you would probably descale the kettle and laugh at the thought of replacing something that just needs a clean with something so cheap that it was obviously made in the Far East in atrocious conditions with no thought for the environment at all. Where I live, most people buy the new kettle.
I think of my parents, and their parents. When they were my age, such a thought would never have passed their minds, would it? I want you to chill out, let your mind slip into neutral. I haven’t done this straight to a public forum before but it didn’t do James Joyce any harm, and sometimes you need stream of consciousness thinking to find answers. Meet me at the other side…
The kettle needs cleaning but there is a shiny new one in the shop and it is white and cheap and to descale it requires effort it requires time and time in an office is something that can’t be spared it is inconvenient and the kettle is new and shiny and cheap what more so I need just something to make coffee it’s for everyone not just me and the advertisement is saying bargain and the lights are bright and I don’t think I just don’t think about the planet there is no planet just my coffee and the office and the noise and the tills and the shiny kettle that looks clean and good and the old kettle is gone it has gone into the void where I don’t know and the new kettle was made in the void and my mind is in the void that doesn’t care because I’ve been told not to worry the supermarket will care for the environment the government will care for the environment out of sight out of mind the sky is big the earth is big the sea is huge and deep and there are so many people so many others and I am just one who just wants one kettle no more not lots just a small piece of white plastic with wires and metal and its so small and time is calling and rushing and I don’t think I just don’t think I don’t need to think because if I had to think then the kettle would not be here it could not be here it must be good it must be legal there is nothing dangerous or it wouldn’t be on the shelf it wouldn’t be cheap if it wasn’t good and fair and just but what do I care I have such a busy life and the worries fly over and miss my head my a mile by a light year and time is ticking and I will be dead before it matters there are millions more people they should care why should I care I am just one and the new kettle is good it is convenient it is cheap and I need to make coffee.
I spend much of my time trying to rationalise the thoughts of those who don’t seem to care. Thousands of £4.88 kettles will be sold this month, maybe this week. But it’s ok, because we have been told not to care – really, don’t worry, it’s too good a bargain to ignore.
Keith Farnish
www.theearthblog.org
www.reduce3.com
And proud member of The Sietch