Ever heard of collapsology?

Dear Saudi friends,

I have spent the summer in France.

One thing I really enjoy doing when I am here (besides munching out) is to get a feel for the ideas that are up in the air on this side of the world.

It might be surprising in this day and age, with us all being hyperconnected, but while news spread like a fire in a dry forest on a windy day, ideas don’t spread so easily. It never ceases to fascinate me how different people in different countries have different ideas on their mind, how different people in different countries understand different things in a different way based on different levels of information. Living in Dubai for nearly a decade has done a lot for my understanding of these phenomena.

For a while now, France has been buzzing with environmental ideas. The reality is still a bit disappointing, our iconic minister Nicolas Hulot just resigned because he had the feeling he wasn’t in a position to do what really needed to be done, but the thinking is happening. And to be fair, even reality is changing slowly if you watch carefully. Meat consumption is on the decline, repair cafes have become a thing, people have started switching to more natural detergents and beauty products, my own sister complains when I bring back as much as a paper bag home from grocery shopping. Yet, this “Zero waste” thing, like the rest, is a concept that seems quite literally foreign in the Gulf.

This summer, a new buzzword has been gaining steam in France, “collapsologie”.

Collapsology in English is this idea that we are living the end of the world as we know it. It’s the idea that climate change is now pretty much irreversible, that there will be consequences. And by consequences, let’s be clear, they mean people will die.

I would agree with you that France has a natural tendency for pessimism but honestly, I think it’s just realism at this stage. NASA, this organization that put the first man on the moon, expressed true concerns about climate change, yet I don’t think they are the pessimistic kind.

There seems to be a consensus that the collapse will happen. How hard it will hit humanity depends on the decisions that are made right now by our global leaders, and all things considered, I am not particularly optimistic. It certainly takes a lot of energy to change our lifestyles, there is always a good excuse not to change anything. If you can still make money the dirty way, why switch to the clean way? (please note that I do have an answer to this question)

I see what’s done in the Gulf. Sigh. It honestly never ceases to fascinate me how little interest this environmental topic attracts in the Gulf. Most people in the Gulf seem to be living their lives like global warming isn’t a thing, driving humongous cars, eating meats like there is an endless supply of it, showing no interest in recycling, even less in reducing waste. etc. etc. I initially thought that since Gulf countries are not democracies, it would be quicker and smoother, but so far the initiatives I see are symbolic at best, it’s disappointing. It’s a shame because Gulf countries could be leaders for the Arab world in this field.

I don’t judge others, I watch my own behavior, I drive a small car, I shop only what I need, I rarely eat meat, I use reusable bags at the grocery store, I am careful of the waste I generate, I recently switched to solid shampoo and I intend to continue on that path.

But I wish this could be a more collective movement. What’s stopping the Gulf countries from banning plastic bags and single-use plastic cutlery? Why is local organic produce sold in freakin’ styrofoam? What’s stopping the Gulf countries from having a more ambitious approach to recycling?

I am sorry to say, I see no strong political will on this topic, and yet, I think this is now an urgent matter, not only because it makes you look cool to the West, but for the region itself.

The truth is, dear Saudi friends, I am worried for you. Maybe you don’t realize that when the collapse will happen you will be on the front line. Your country is already a country of scorching heat, most of the food is imported, you have no rivers and unlike the Emiratis and the Qataris, you are a people of millions.

If I was you (and in a way, as a Gulf resident, I am a bit like you), I would think it’s time to make plans, it’s time to buy summer houses abroad, it’s time to become friendly with the locals. They might dislike Saudi Arabia but make sure they like you because you just never know.

If I was your Crown Prince’s advisor like I want to be, I would tell him that maybe he should start making plans for all Saudis, making sure for example that every Saudi kid knows a foreign language, a foreign culture and a few survival skills, you just never know.

If I was your Crown Prince’s advisor like I want to be, I would have told him exactly that when this thing happened over the summer with Canada. I can only imagine how annoying it must be to be constantly judged by people who have a limited understanding of the larger context. Certainly the Canadian Foreign Minister sounded like one of those know-it-alls that do get under my skin, but still.

If I had been your Crown Prince’s advisor this summer, I would have reminded him that Canada is this big country with a good climate in the summer, a relatively low density of population and lots of sources of sweet water.

I am not saying the wrong decision was taken, your leaders are smart people and sometimes you need to teach people a lesson. But I would still be curious to see if the Crown Prince ever heard about collapsology.

“Collapsologie”, as we say in French.