I'm doing well. On the whole. Halfway there. You can take back the missing persons reports. But that's sweet. Thanks for that.
Lots and little going on at my place these days. I'm sorry to have to write to you in a kind of impersonal mass mail to say thank you. An unbelievable €7,553.32 has been raised to finance the purchase of rainforest in Canada and then place it under effective protection in the long term. The many hands of Wilderness International and "locals" on the ground are making this happen. If you are interested in their work, just search for it. I find YouTube videos from the field particularly exciting.
As is so often the case, I could attach a long list of links with sources at the end. But that doesn't change anything. After all, nobody looks at it. If you don't want to believe what I write, links to NASA satellite data, published studies by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and scientific papers won't convince you either. Never underestimate the power of denial. Especially not if it means having to change your own comfortable way of life. To leave your own comfort zone. But that doesn't change the facts.
When I talk about my opinion, I say so. Unambiguously. Everything else is evidence-based measurements, all of which you can find on page one of your favourite search engine. Actually, yes, I will reveal one source. The link to a recording of the last contribution in the "Time is up" series by Dr Mark Benecke. Because he deserves thanks for his brilliant decades of research work. The lectures are brilliant. There aren't many people who have so much knowledge in their field and can bombard you for two hours with concentrated information and figures without dot or comma. I have never heard the word "er" come out of his mouth, even in response to complex questions from the audience. He does his thinking in his laboratory; he is a criminal biologist and specialist in forensic entomology. You don't see him overthinking on stage. He knows too much for that. And he has answers. I will take a lot from his lecture. Because I couldn't have worked it out better.
Why hasn't there been any information on the purchase of the rainforest yet, you may have asked yourself. Well, there are a few reasons. The team at Wilderness International, through whom everything is organised, is very pleased with our fundraising campaign. I am in dialogue with them and we are considering whether we can do more together. And the first project is starting today. Just in time for the start of the pre-Christmas period. It turned out really great. I've put ideas, energy and even more time into it. I hope you'll be just as excited as I am.
But why am I working quietly and secretly on a new idea without finalising the previous project? That's really out of character for me.
Things turned out differently than planned. Very different. Really different.
I'm lying in intensive care in Wolfratshausen. My neck feels as if someone has slit it open. Maybe it's because that's exactly what was done. My health has deteriorated dramatically over the past few weeks. Recently, I've only been able to get through the days with huge amounts of tranquillisers, which would have sent any "normal" person to the afterlife. Constant "mishaps" in care have taken their toll on me. I had daily panic attacks, my gastrointestinal system went completely haywire and my breathing became catastrophic. Sounds a bit like complaining on a high level. But it became so uncomfortable and hopeless that I decided to have a tracheostomy. In other words, a tracheotomy and future ventilation via a cannula directly into the bronchial tubes. No more mask. Something I never wanted. For reasons.
It's not a big deal in itself. But as an ALS patient in my stage, everything is a little different. Apart from my eyes, I can't move anything. There is no muscle strength. You won't find any fatty tissue on my body. There is no cushion for anything.
Other patients would press the bell if necessary. That's not the case for me. With the mask, I could simulate a leak with my mouth in an emergency to raise the alarm. That's no longer the case. One of the main reasons why I resisted the cannula for a long time. If I had the choice again, I wouldn't do anything differently. It was the right time. To all those who would have liked to have seen me with a cannula earlier, I can only say that you have no idea what you're talking about. It's also my body. Not yours.
The operation went well. There is still bleeding, but it is unbearable without painkillers. I'll be here until the end of next week. But, and this has never happened before, I don't really care if I stay in hospital a few days longer or shorter. I feel incredibly well looked after here.
The staff are all so empathetic, attentive and friendly that it's almost a little frightening. Even the medical care leaves nothing to be desired. They take their time, respond to my needs and are obliging. I've never experienced anything like it.
So far I have always been to the Friedrich Baur Institute (part of Großhadern). I was treated like a second-class citizen there. Empty promises were made non-stop, everything was completely chaotic, I didn't even get a soft mattress that was absolutely necessary for medical reasons. It was promised every time, even in writing. Not once did it work out. I always had to discharge myself at the weekend, because on every visit, purely by chance, there was "suddenly" no doctor in the building to sign the discharge papers on the notorious Friday of my discharge. I had to stay until Monday. Not with me. I am frustrated with the FBI.
It was a conscious decision to change clinics. And this decision was also absolutely right. Never before have I felt so comfortable during an inpatient stay. My goodness, you can hardly pack more harsh criticism and exaggerated praise into one paragraph. And the praise wasn't even exaggerated. Unfortunately, neither was the criticism. There it is again, my black and white thinking.
I'm fine.
I wish I could say the same about the earth. Unfortunately, that's not the case. We humans have ruined everything.
I could vomit when I hear all the idiots at the climate conference. So much concentrated stupidity and popular stupidity in one place is too much for me.
How can anyone come up with the idea of averting climate catastrophe by flying halfway around the world and paying a few million? As if climate problems could be solved by paying money. How much do you have to shit in someone's brain to believe something like that? And to sell it as a "groundbreaking success" to boot. That is fraud. Fraud on nature, fraud on the population, fraud on yourself.
Moreover, it is absurd to claim that we are discussing ways to meet the 1.5 degree target.
Do our politicians really have so little idea that they didn't realise that we reached 1.5 degrees of global warming at the end of October? Satellite measurements prove it. Nothing to argue about. It's been measured. There's nothing to discuss or decide.
We record the hottest October for 125,000 years. Measured. This is followed by a winter onset with snow and sub-zero temperatures at their finest. No, that wasn't the case twenty or thirty years ago. Measured. This is not about opinions and sensitivities. Climate change is real. It is man-made. Measured. Not my opinion. The nutters from the AFD can deny that as much as they like. That doesn't change the facts. After all, it can be measured.
It is understandable that people believe the AFD more than NASA measurements.
I'm not talking about conspiracy theories. Accepting that we cannot go on as before means that we have to change our behaviour.
Sounds simple and logical? Of course it is. But that's the crux of the matter. It is not up to politicians to solve climate problems. It is the responsibility of each individual. And that may seem frightening to many.
But there are such simple options. I might write a separate article about them. I'll just mention two things. They bring me directly to my new project, which is also directly related to Wilderness International. And so the circle closes.
Anyone who has known me for a long time, who has looked at old photos on my Insta account, who followed me on Facebook twenty years ago, knows my passion for food. But it has changed dramatically since I allowed myself to seriously consider the consequences of my diet. And to willingly accept the consequences. You can guess what's coming next. Let's not talk about animal welfare for now. Animal agriculture (in our case 97% factory farming) causes worldwide 15 % of all greenhouse gas emissions. That's more than all cars and aeroplanes combined. Measured. Not my opinion. The logical consequence can only be that we change our diet and completely do without animal products.
If we stop wasting so much land to grow animal feed, we can grow so many great vegetables that they become a real alternative to meat. Of course, there are countless vegan meat substitutes and they are getting better and better. They all have their raison d'être. But I don't need them. There are so many wonderful vegan dishes that never had anything to do with meat. Think about how many countries in the world people have never been able to afford meat. I love Indian food, for example. I could bathe in lentils of any kind. Okra, also a great thing. Many people don't even know it. When I think back, even when I still ate meat whenever I had the chance, I ordered vegan. Not out of conviction. But simply because it tastes good.
If we get away from monocultures, then the insects will also come back. In other words, the ones we haven't already wiped out.
If you have a garden, leave a patch to itself. Don't mow the lawn, don't plant anything, just leave nature to its own devices. Nature always finds a way. You'll be surprised what happens in a very short time. It will bloom colourfully with plants that you didn't actually have and colourful creatures will return that you haven't seen for thirty years. My parents have tried it out. They have to go through all sorts of things with me. The result is so marvellous that it was allowed to stay. From iridescent beetles to giant dragonflies and fluffy bees full of pollen to bats, there's a lot on offer. Better than television.
Did you already know that? Then I'll tell you something else that you probably didn't realise. An incredible 10% of CO2 emissions are caused by the clothing industry. That's pretty big, isn't it?
It may be that switching to a vegan diet is too radical for you. It took me forty years and I'm ashamed of it. But there's really no reason to produce clothes to such an extreme detriment to nature. It's ridiculous and only works because few people are concerned about this issue.
At the same time, it is easily possible to produce with renewable energy sources. Today's solar cells are more sustainably efficient than any other energy source. Measured. No opinion. But no. We'd rather greenwash nuclear power and return to antiquated fossil fuels. How stupid are we really?
It is perfectly possible to grow cotton without using chemicals. But no, we prefer to extend the authorisation of glyphosate, which has been proven - measured, not an opinion - to destroy the insect world. And discuss for the hundredth time what can be done about insect mortality. How stupid are we really?
It is possible to produce without contaminating the water. By treating wastewater to drinking water quality. AI can be used to produce "on demand", thereby reducing waste to zero and saving resources.
You can even recycle cotton and produce new garments from it.
Then you sell it at really moderate prices. For every item sold, Wildernis International protects rainforest in Peru, which binds 60 kg of CO2. And each and every one of us benefits. Nature, people, the generations after us, simply everyone.
Don't you believe me? I'm just an idealistic eco-terrorist?
Of course I am. I am. But look what I've done. Have fun shopping for your Christmas presents.
Love goes out.
Your
shop.paddys.com
