The great reset.

Every once in a while, an opportunity comes along for the world to reset some of the inequalities and social injustices it has created, and to change for the better.

In 2019/2020, the world faced a global pandemic that was an opportunity for society to reset some of these imbalances, but many countries borrowed huge sums of money to support failing economies and systems, rather than to reprioritise what might have made their communities fairer and more sustainable.

Here in New Zealand, the government acted quickly, decisively and no doubt saved thousands of lives. In hindsight, they perhaps kept the restrictions in place too long and didn’t apply them equally, with some communities bearing a higher cost than others. It is also arguable, in hindsight, that they could have done better, but we need to remember that at the time, the world was facing a threat of a virus that had the capacity to mutate into new variants, and that we were making decisions with less information than we have now.

The crisis revealed some weaknesses in the way our societies functioned, with many supply chains disrupted and the realisation that the way we did things might not be the best way for our people or the most resilient way in a crisis. At the time, many people during the covid restrictions suggested that there was an opportunity for a great reset. We could revalue unaffordable housing to make it more accessible to young families looking to get out of the rent trap. We could focus on local production for local consumption and reduce our reliance on imported food and goods, while helping local employment. We could reevaluate the way we work and the way we travel. We had time to reflect and consider what was important in our lives, what really mattered.

With exclusion zones, isolation rules and limited opportunities to interact with other people, we discovered that social connections were important to us. We cherished those precious moments that we had and made sure we stayed in touch with our nearest and dearest. Neighbours got to know each other at socially distanced street events, and we learned to value communities.

For a brief period, many governments had the public’s willingness to make drastic changes for the better. That willingness for change dissipated fairly quickly as misinformation started to spread and a distrust of those in charge took hold.

Here we are again, a few short years later, faced with a global crisis that has the capacity to significantly change the way we live and test the ways we have done things. Down here in isolated New Zealand, we have had no input into the current conflict, yet we have been hugely impacted by the consequences it has created. Most of our retirement savings have lost thousands of dollars in value, our house valuations have fallen, our supply chains are being affected, fuel prices are going through the roof, prices for basic items are increasing, and we are facing the prospect of further restrictions if things don’t improve quickly. While it is true that around 90% of our electricity is generated through renewable resources, we are still heavily reliant on fossil fuels to transport goods around the country.

Many of the commercial decisions made by corporations have led to local businesses closing. It seems that it is better for the corporate owners if we import tinned peaches from Australia, 2,400km (1,500 miles) across the Tasman Sea, rather than eat the ones grown locally. Farmers have had their contracts cancelled and are left with acres of trees and no market to sell them. Food processing factories have closed, leaving thousands of people out of work, and we now have to rely on imported food and the risks to the shipping networks to get it here.

We used to have our own fuel processing plant (petrol, diesel and aviation fuel), and some of the byproducts of that plant were the production of CO2, used extensively in food and catering industries, and bitumen, used to repair our roads. We now have to import all our fuel and bitumen, adding delays and costs. While the decision to close the plant in 2022 was a commercial one to combat poor competitiveness against larger Asian refineries, our government seemed to underestimate the unintended consequences that have manifested since the closure. We are still heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

Our banking sector is seriously dominated by overseas-owned banks, which annually take billions of dollars offshore. Some of us have been lucky enough to be able to opt out of banking with these corporate behemoths, but many people do not have the luxury and are being bled dry by corporate interests.

Frequently, commercially driven decisions are not in the best interests of the communities in which they operate.

This is a disproportionately long introduction to suggest that the current global situation may be a good thing for naturism.

We are facing a world where the distances and the way we travel may be curtailed. The disruptions to supply chains may mean that we look for local alternatives to the many imported things we take for granted. We might return to seasonal availability of products, rather than expecting fruit and vegetables to be available all year round via the global supply chains that stock our supermarket shelves. Perhaps we will shift to more sustainable alternatives and consider local production for local consumption. We may even make decisions that support communities rather than corporations. People before profits.

Many of these ideas are already part of the naturist philosophy, the idea of respect for the individual, respect for each other and respect for the environment. Turning our backs on consumerism and globalisation.

If cheap, fast fashion suddenly becomes unavailable or the supply chains for imported clothing are restricted or closed, perhaps people will think more about the clothing they buy and the impact it has on the environment. For some, it may not be a conscious decision but rather through necessity. If clothing imports are restricted, and all the local manufacturers have closed, what options do struggling families have?

There is an opportunity for a massive shift in the way we live and what becomes socially acceptable, and it may be something that is forced upon us by circumstances rather than by our decision to change.

We might not yet know what type of change we will have to adapt to, but given the world’s current trends, change is coming. While we are unlikely to influence the people creating the current world conflict or the consequences that those conflicts will no doubt bring, we can change the way we react to them.

In an uncertain and changing world, the naturist philosophy may become more appealing to more people. While they might not embrace it, they may be more willing to accept it in others.

Perhaps now is the opportunity for naturist groups to promote a slower, simpler and more resilient way of life. Something to counter the increasingly fractured and complex world in which we live.

We were never meant to live life accumulating stuff. We were meant to live simply, enjoying the experiences of life, the people of life, and the journey of life - not the things of life. - Joshua Becker

Thank you for reading. Have a comfortable day.

Naturism:
Good for the environment, great for the soul.