Is a change gonna come?

Part of the human condition appears to be short sightedness.

We are forever failing to see the wood for the trees, missing the things that are truly important.

This is the case in all facets of our lives; staying later at work when we could probably get it all done on time if we were a little more efficient.

Ahead of elections we continually see government after government try and present ‘giveaway budgets’ with ‘something for everyone’.

Does it work? Does a few euro a week in savings leave us feeling positive about our benevolent political rulers?

For some people it does. It probably, although we can’t really know or measure this, works well enough so that governments continue to do this.

This is one of the weaknesses of democracy. Governments to maintain some kind of popularity in the short term.

So it is up to us, the people, to push the issues that matter most.

Two of these are clearly and obviously the continuing housing crisis and health system crisis.

These awful situations are continuing to worsen and we may not have quite rock bottom in either situation. The new homeless figures this week show how awful things are.

To my mind the other major overriding concern is climate change, pollution and fossil fuel dependency. All have the potential to totally destroy life on the planet at worst, and at the least, threaten our economic prosperity and way of life.

We are an island and we produce very little electricity from our own resources. We can’t even exploit our own fossil fuel reserves.

In a few years, if nothing changes, nothing else will matter other than climate change and its related issues.

The County Mayor, Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy, in his fortnightly column in the Cork Independent adds his concerns about climate change.

Mentioning the recent storm in Cork, he writes on page 18: “The frequency and regularity of such extreme weather events are starting to seem like the new norm. While we can’t roll back the clock on climate change, we can certainly plan ahead.

“Events like Storm Hannah, Emma and Ophelia represent serious threats to life, businesses, homes and the environment. The water shortages we saw last summer could lead to dire circumstances too. We need to ensure that as we develop, we do so in a way that is sustainable.”

All politics may be local, but all our homes and locales will be hugely affected by these issues.

Local government has little say over major policy in Ireland but we have to start letting elected representatives know the issues that really matter. You have their ear now, when they need you.

When they come ringing at your door, looking for your number one, be sure to let them know the key things that really matter.