The Alone Alternative

by Linda MacDonald

  ‘We cannot continue to cling on to our comfortable middle-class lifestyles,’ says Patrick, sitting down opposite and opening a file. ‘We cannot persist with this obsession for growth. The idea of infinite growth is a delusion. And we can no longer afford to avoid the population debate. It is almost ten years since we said it may not be long before there will be no turning back. If we don’t aim for a sustainable population now, more radical measures may be required in the future.’

  Edward has noticed that Patrick rarely starts with any small talk but launches straight into business mode. There is an ex Mrs Shrubsole and no children so it is difficult to ask questions about family.

  Patrick continues, ‘If we don’t act, the population will naturally adjust through starvation and war. But imagine what an unhappy Earth it will be. Carl Safina says that if everyone had a US standard of living, we would need two and a half Earths for sufficient supplies. Given that we are depleting forests and fish stocks, and rapidly encroaching upon land suitable for crop production, more people means either everyone getting poorer, or the poor getting considerably poorer.’

  They are interrupted by tea being brought in by a thin-faced young woman in a narrow red skirt and white blouse. ‘One decaf and one ginger,’ she says.

  Edward’s attention slips momentarily and he starts thinking about Marianne and the shine in her eyes when she met him at the station, the touch of her cheek against his, the familiar scent of her and the hug that stirred his sleeping passions …

  Patrick is speaking again. ‘The key issues as I see it are resource depletion and climate change, both exacerbated by an increase in population; the upshot being land degradation, loss of biodiversity and stress on water supplies. Some experts believe unless something is done, we will need two or even three times the amount of water, food and energy by the end of this century.’

  ‘But world population growth is decelerating,’ says Edward, forcing himself to engage. ‘And in the West, ageing is the main reason for the increase.’

  ‘It may be the main reason, but it will probably level off in time unless someone discovers how to reverse the ageing process. The birth rate can’t be overlooked. Governments are reluctant to grasp this particular nettle because any sudden and significant fall could lead to a different crisis in that there wouldn’t be enough young to support the old.’

  ‘And the relentlessness of the urban sprawl,’ says Edward. ‘All this talk of the need for more affordable housing, yet no mention of an equal need to curb the size of the population.’

  ‘Ludicrous,’ says Patrick. ‘Of course I want everyone to have a home. But we are being greedy. We want two homes; even three. We want spare bedrooms, offices, en-suites; more yardage per person than ever before. And we are less inclined to share. We have become too used to our own space – probably made worse by social networking. Without the social support of Twitter and Facebook, I suspect more people would cohabit to combat loneliness.’

  ‘That’s an interesting theory,’ says Edward. ‘Perhaps the premise of another paper.’

  ‘Something for the psychology or sociology lot to examine,’ Patrick says, laughing. ‘We have more serious matters in mind.’

  ‘If we overbuild our way out of trouble, we could end up with an economic housing disaster on our hands when the population readjusts,’ says Edward.

  ‘Even if you reduce fertility,’ says Patrick, ‘this does not guarantee a reduction in consumption – China being a case in point. While the natural world has a constantly shifting population in line with available resources, modern mankind tries to outmanoeuvre. But we can’t do it for ever. Consumerism has to stop eventually.’

  ‘So are we saying a pincer approach is needed: reduce population and consumerism?’ says Edward.

  ‘Sustainability is very difficult on a large scale. However, this is the message we need to put across. The notion of everyone aspiring to live like those in the West has to be debunked, and we in the West need to change our ways. More sustainable and frugal living must become the fashion, the norm, rather than the domain of eco-warriors from the hippy generation and the cranks. You and I and people like us need to abandon our cars, our labour-saving devices.’

  Edward thinks about the dishwasher and the endless arguments it caused when their son James first jumped on the eco-bandwagon. He says, ‘In the short term at least, I don’t see people giving up their washing machines. In many households, both partners work.’

  ‘It would solve unemployment in a jiffy if women went back to their traditional role in the home.’

  ‘Controversial and retrograde,’ says Edward, imagining what Felicity or Marianne would say at the very suggestion. No wonder Mrs Shrubsole escaped.

  ‘There may be no choice in the future,’ says Patrick.

  ‘Today’s women are as likely to press for the men to stay at home. Modern working practices mean that physical differences are less relevant.’

  ‘Transport is a more urgent problem,’ says Patrick. ‘Car usage will have to be cut dramatically.’

  ‘But have you thought about the practicalities of getting from A to B? Our world is structured with A and B often being a considerable distance from each other. And those of us who live in the country often have poor public transport options.’

  ‘It can’t happen overnight. There will need to be a slow reversal of geographical mobility. Many young people are already choosing to stay at home when they go to uni. They can’t afford to leave. Some go and then come back: boomerang kids like your Harriet. In this respect the change has already begun. Once families re-cluster, travelling will be reduced. It will take another generation, but it will happen if we encourage it. We need to advocate the attractiveness of working near the family home instead of promoting commuting and endless hours in traffic jams or sitting on trains. Grandparents, aunts and great-aunts – the extended family – were once the babysitters. Like meerkats.’

  ‘Like many Asian families,’ says Edward.

  ‘I also see a return of the horse,’ says Patrick.

  ‘Not for a long time, surely?’

  ‘In the cities it will just be a question of expanding Boris’s bike scheme or making it safe and practical to use Segways. But, out in the sticks where you are, could one not run a horse hire business on the same lines?’

  ‘Are you serious?’

  ‘Semi-serious. I don’t see it as likely in the short term, but it will only take an enterprising person who is willing to take risks. A pony-and-trap taxi service, perhaps.’

  Edward is cautious. ‘People may give up their cars or even turn garages into stables, but it will take years to develop fully. Not enough horses for a start, or the necessary supporting workforce.’

  ‘Could easily expand numbers within our native pony breeds. And Kwik-Fit and such like could retrain their mechanics to become farriers and grooms, perhaps through broadening the NVQ offer in further education establishments.’

  ‘A pretty thought,’ says Edward.

  ‘But not as crazy as it sounds,’ says Patrick, slapping the table, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. ‘These are the ideas that we need to plant in people’s minds and it is the radical proposals that will get the media talking. Someone somewhere will take a chance and start the ball rolling. Trams came back. Remember the scepticism at first? Now, every city wants one.’

  Already Edward’s mind is whirring away. ‘Lateral thinking. I take your point.’

  ‘Anyway … to business. Flying Owl is the name of the production company who are interested in our idea. They believe if we don’t develop it now, someone else will and that would be a lost opportunity. Programme-wise we are thinking of a three-parter. Firstly, lay out the problem, scare the shit out of everyone, make them sit up and take notice.’

  ‘Research would suggest if we scare them too much, they will be turned off,’ says Edward. ‘Stephen Emmott believes people are more likely to shift their behaviour if they are nudged rather than pushed.’

 
‘Okay, so we scare them a bit – but tell them if we do x y and z, everything will be hunky-dory. I’d also like to include a world view. This is a problem that will affect all of us sooner or later and there’s little point in one country reining back if others don’t do the same.’ Patrick’s slightly arrogant, supremely confident public school manner is perfect for the academic on television.

  ‘This is going to be extremely unpopular. What government is going to implement draconian strategies? Indeed, what are those strategies going to be?’

  ‘We present the demographic history of Scilly, examine their current sustainable living practices and then extrapolate to mainland UK,’ says Patrick. ‘We discussed some of the options when the idea first came to light, if you remember. St Agnes is a perfect example. Being a tiny island, it’s easy for people to see why it must operate sustainably. For our idea to be acceptable to Joe Public, we have to start at the micro level: village level, or in the case of towns and cities, where population is very dense, this may mean operating at the street level or possibly on the principle of the square mile. Projects need to be community based and micro-managed.’

  ‘Which is the exact opposite of the way the modern world works,’ says Edward.

  ‘So we advocate slow introduction of a new philosophy. This will mean using incentives to encourage all people to have small families. It’s already happening in parts of the world. The government will need to be brave but also fair.’ Patrick shifts forwards in his seat, placing elbows on the table and forming a firm arch with his thin fingers. ‘And it isn’t about right-wing politics. We have to convince everyone that unless people of all persuasions buy into these policies, we’re doomed. Doomed as a country and ultimately doomed as a planet.’

  Edward feels momentary guilt at the size of his own family.

  ‘We don’t let wild animal populations burgeon out of control if there’s no natural predation,’ continues Patrick. ‘Deer in Scotland, for example. Some advocate the re-introduction of wolves, but that’s another debate. And there have been some unsavoury suggestions in fiction. Have you read P. D. James’s The Children of Men? Set in 2021 in a world where no babies have been born since 1995. People are not allowed to become old and infirm because there are not enough young to look after them, never mind the financial constraints. Steps are taken. The elderly are shipped out to sea in a ceremony called a Quietus. The plug is pulled as it were: an enforced drowning. Seems a horrifying prospect to most of us, living as we are at a time when life is preserved no matter what. And I don’t see much changing by 2021, but one day it will. One day we will look back on current western attitudes to death with amazement and incredulity.’

  ‘I must read it,’ says Edward, thinking that his own parents would have gladly joined in a Quietus when their lives became unfulfilling and their pain unbearable.

  ‘Changing gardening habits is where we could have most impact in the short term,’ says Patrick. ‘Already we are seeing people being encouraged to grow their own vegetables. This needs to be rolled out at a wider level. Chelsea Flower Show may be a place to start. Or Hampton Court. Try to get sponsorship for a sustainable garden. Of course, people have played with this notion before, but we need it to be the norm to have carrots in the front garden and salad veg instead of bedding plants.’

  ‘Which is very much what my wife did at the Deer Orchard. We turned lawns and flowers over to vegetable production.’

  ‘Splendid!’ says Patrick. ‘Perhaps we should pop round and do a spot of filming.’

  ‘You better make it quick, then,’ says Edward. ‘I’ve instructed our gardener to reinstate some of the lawns.’ Perhaps this is another reason to delay Rick’s makeover for at least a few months. He hopes he hasn’t already ordered the turf.

  ‘And most people with gardens could have a couple of hens,’ continues Patrick. ‘But we need programmes about how to look after them.’

  ‘Animal husbandry replacing cooking programmes,’ says Edward. ‘MasterSmallholder; The Great British Hen or Bee Keeper.’

  ‘Excellent idea. It’s wartime thinking again. We don’t need to re-invent the wheel completely.’

  ‘Indeed,’ says Edward, at last joining in with a similar level of enthusiasm and wondering how many more clichés Patrick is going to toss before him. ‘There have been several “Living in the Past” series, but we need to show how it can be done in the future. Different episodes tackling different produce: vegetables and poultry being basic; fruit and animals for those with more space and ambition. There are one or two institutions one hears about doing something like this. In prisons, for example, because it gives the inmates something worthwhile to do; helps to rehabilitate. Working on the land is therapeutic.’

  Patrick says, ‘How about an education initiative? A pack of materials that can be purchased: seeds, basic instructions and resources for lessons. There have been forays before – particularly in the primary sector. We need to get schoolchildren involved. It’s their future. If they jump on board, teachers will sign up to it, and by default, parents will be dragged along. This needs to be all schools, secondary as well as primary, and country-wide. We need an educational specialist.’

  ‘And I know just the person,’ says Edward, thinking rapidly. ‘I have a friend who has worked in education all her life. She is trained in secondary and currently teaching psychology in a college. She’s probably taking early retirement at the end of the year because she has a novel about to be published. She’s interested in all of these issues.’

  ‘Would she be able to design an educational resource pack? Ready to go when the programmes are aired?’

  ‘Would she be paid?’

  ‘Ideally, we need government funding, or sponsorship, to have maximum impact. There may be an environmental group that would like to be involved. It might be that Flying Owl will oversee it. Leave that side of things to me. Ask her and let me know. If she’s interested we need to talk or email to discuss details. Soon. From you I need script outlines for the programmes and ultimately chapter outlines for the book. We’ll be missing a financial opportunity if we don’t have a book. It will probably be a Flying Owl publication too. And we’ll plan a filming trip to Scilly after the school holidays.’

  Patrick shows Edward a more detailed draft of his initial proposal and they begin to fine-tune the detail on which the scripts will be based. Afterwards they go for lunch at a nearby pub, all the while continuing to brainstorm ideas from the sensible to the bizarre.

  *

  On the train back to Devon, Edward can’t wait to contact Marianne. The night before, he had been shocked by her vulnerability; as if being without Johnny had diminished the force of her physical presence. She looked tired and deflated, yet as he became used to her five years older self, as she dismantled her barriers and let him through, he caught glimpses of the woman she was, the woman he loved, and he felt an overwhelming desire to take care of her.

  He considers emailing, but he wants to hear her voice again. Also he can be more persuasive by phone. He calls her from his mobile.

  She seems pleased to hear from him and they exchange a few thoughts about their reunion.

  ‘You cheered me up,’ she says. ‘For a few hours, I felt like a normal person again.’

  She seems enthusiastic about creating educational resources and says she will mail Patrick. Now all he has to do is pick the right time to speak to her regarding fixing a date for her to visit the Deer Orchard. With the school holidays just starting, it will have to be soon.

  He settles back in his seat and watches the green fields scudding by. How quickly his life has changed from one of desolation to one of hope.

  14

  Lessons in Taryn, Part 1

  After Edward’s call Marianne is buzzing and cannot keep still. She flits around the house searching for books that may stimulate her creativity. She uses Google to find information about schools that already weave environmental practices into the curriculum. She has always considered ideas t
o be her forte as a teacher and as she is retiring at the end of summer, it will be fantastic to have another education-related project to work on, especially one that is outside the classroom and self-contained. It will complement her writing perfectly.

  However, this is assuming Patrick Shrubsole thinks her capable of what he has in mind. She sends an exploratory email to him, expressing interest in what he and Edward have discussed.

  Her working life has followed a similar path for the past two decades and revolves around Monday to Thursday at North Kent College on the edge of Beckenham. As is typical of teaching, the workload does not remain confined to timetabled slots, but spreads beside and beyond, rather like an oversized person in public transport seating. She continues to work late after the finish of the day, either at the college or at home, and marking and preparation take up most of her day off on Fridays. Since Johnny died it seems she rarely puts the job to rest and at night while the world sleeps, her brain continues to whirr, planning new strategies for discipline, or new methods of teaching a particular topic, or reflecting on any unpleasant incidents and considering their resolution. She is often awake before dawn and unable to sleep again because of the masses of information ready to spill from her brain in preparation for the next day.

  Publishing a book on top of all this is almost stretching her energy reserves beyond their limits, but it is something she feels compelled to do and her weekends and late evenings have been absorbed with this for several months. Johnny dying and her reaching fifty-five have focused her mind on the future. Whatever time is left, she needs to pursue her writing dream and if there is a freelance option with Patrick Shrubsole to add to her reduced pension, so much the better.

  Now she has met Edward again and found all the old frissant of attraction still there, she can’t help but wonder where their relationship might lead. But although quite open about his feelings when he stopped lodging with them, and although their reunion was warm and affectionate, his words as he left are bothering her: ‘added bonus of a chaperone … plainly evident we don’t need one’. She isn’t sure whether he feels the same as before. Perhaps the freedom to be able to take things forward has reduced her appeal. And she is five years older; a battered shadow of her former self.