I've been doing a lot of reading about the peak oil/ global warming/ food shortage/ recession crises lately. So much so that I am considering a career in sustainable development. It seems like our society is going to have to start to change in a big way in order for our population to survive. There must be some demand for people that will go to businesses and help them figure out how to produce and distribute goods and services in a more sustainable and responsible way. I might want to be one of those people.
The actual trigger for my recent career consideration wasn't some article I read or some film I watched. It was an empty peanut butter shelf in a grocery store down the road from my flat. I have noticed that the folks at this (and other) grocery stores haven't been restocking peanut butter. Every week, there are fewer and fewer varieties left to choose from (a tragedy, I know) and now there are only a few small jars left. New Zealand is running out of peanut butter.
A few aisles down, there is a sign in the rice section indicating that particular varieties of rice on the shelf will not be sold anymore. They've run out.
Something is seriously wrong when a modern, post-industrial country like New Zealand runs out of "basic" goods. Fortunately I am getting the hell out of this peanut-butterless wasteland in a couple of weeks so I won't have to know what it is like to live without peanut butter. This little legume scare has made me realize that the US and the rest of the world can't be too far behind. I'm not saying that I plan to dedicate the rest of my life to ensuring every citizen has equal access to a plentiful supply of peanut and rice products. I just think it might be helpful for people my age to start thinking about careers that serve the good of the community or society rather than the good of the industry or the individual.
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