Not Just for Christmas

Advent Calendar Raymond Bryant

"There are many ways to have an ethical, green, or sustainable Christmas. If there was one thing you would want people to do every day as well, what would it be?"

"There are many ways to have an ethical, green, or sustainable Christmas. If there was one thing you would want people to do every day as well, what would it be?"

Raymond Bryant is based at King’s College London, Department of Geography. His research areas include ethics and discourse in political ecology, multi-actor environmental governance, trans-national histories of consumption and production, and the political ecology of the rich and famous. He is widely published in journals and anthologies, and his most recent book is Nongovernmental Organizations in Environmental Struggles: Politics and the making of moral capital in the Philippines. Back to the NJfC Advent Calendar	Christmas: It’s Rubbish Really It is Christmas time again, what joy! All that glitters is gold Good cheer is everywhere (however forced these days the smile) Shop till you drop! Buy till you die! I consume therefore I am. But if the Environment could speak, If oceans and forests could be heard above the human clamour … ‘Christmas is a rubbish tip waiting to happen All that glitters is toxic to us You shop, we drop! Buy till we die! You consume therefore we are not. Your economists speak of “opportunity costs” And “externalities”, But that is all internal to us, Like a great big knife in our back, And we must bear the cost, And we must lose opportunity. Yet, hark! Small cause for hope! Your economists speak of a “credit crunch” And of a global “recession” But that is external to us, Like a great big knife in your back, And you must bear the cost, And you must lose opportunity. So let us cheer your bad times Cause they might just be our better times, And maybe Christmas time will become What you say it has always been: A time for peace on Earth and good will to all.’ It is Christmas time again, what joy! All that glitters is gold Good cheer is everywhere (however forced these days the smile) Shop till you drop! Buy till you die! I consume therefore I am. Raymond Bryant, Department of Geography, King’s College London.

Raymond Bryant (right) speaking at NJfC in July

Raymond Bryant is based at King’s College London, Department of Geography. His research areas include ethics and discourse in political ecology, multi-actor environmental governance, trans-national histories of consumption and production, and the political ecology of the rich and famous. He is widely published in journals and anthologies, and his most recent book is Nongovernmental Organizations in Environmental Struggles: Politics and the making of moral capital in the Philippines.

Back to the NJfC Advent
Calendar

Christmas: It’s Rubbish Really

It is Christmas time again, what joy!
All that glitters is gold
Good cheer is everywhere
(however forced these days the smile)
Shop till you drop!
Buy till you die!
I consume therefore I am.

But if the Environment could speak,
If oceans and forests could be heard above the human clamour …
‘Christmas is a rubbish tip waiting to happen
All that glitters is toxic to us
You shop, we drop!
Buy till we die!
You consume therefore we are not.

Your economists speak of “opportunity costs”
And “externalities”,
But that is all internal to us,
Like a great big knife in our back,
And we must bear the cost,
And we must lose opportunity.

Yet, hark! Small cause for hope!
Your economists speak of a “credit crunch”
And of a global “recession”
But that is external to us,
Like a great big knife in your back,
And you must bear the cost,
And you must lose opportunity.

So let us cheer your bad times
Cause they might just be our better times,
And maybe Christmas time will become
What you say it has always been:
A time for peace on Earth and good will to all.’

It is Christmas time again, what joy!
All that glitters is gold
Good cheer is everywhere
(however forced these days the smile)
Shop till you drop!
Buy till you die!
I consume therefore I am.

Raymond Bryant,
Department of Geography,
King’s College London.

DamianSutton	Latest page update: made by DamianSutton , Dec 19 2008, 5:28 AM EST (about this update About This Update Edited by DamianSutton 6 words added 1 image added view changes - complete history)
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