I think it would be fair to say that there are more debates raging at the present time than you can shake a stick at, but the one that is becoming harder and harder for anyone to ignore is that of climate devastation. 

 

Whilst current evidence suggests that government policies around the globe need to change (and to change fast) to avoid catastrophe, it doesn’t hurt for all of us to roll up our sleeves and do our bit while we wait for the powers that be to get their acts together. 

 

Sustainability has been on my mind for a long time and since it will be the focus of my blog for 2020 I thought I would kick things off by sharing why I personally embrace homeopathy as a means of promoting good health, whilst at the same time having minimal impact on the environment. 

 

In ecological terms, homeopathic remedies never exhaust natural resources. Only a small amount of an original substance is required to produce a ‘master mixture’ of medicine which is then stored in a homeopathic pharmacy and used to produce homeopathic remedies in a range of different potencies. Once a medicine is made it need never be made again, barring issues of accessibility and distribution. This contrasts markedly with the huge amount of resources required by the pharmaceutical industry to produce allopathic medicines. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not against mainstream medicine per se and I’m not in the business of laying a guilt trip on anyone who relies on regular medication. My point is simply this, giving alternative therapies the credibility they deserve has the potential to reduce costs to the NHS and help preserve the environment, both of which are vital at the current time. 

 

The world urgently needs ‘Ecologically Sustainable Medicine’ (ESM) and homeopathic treatment is one perfect example of this. Its waste stream is minimal and no harmful chemicals or complex reagents are used in the manufacturing process. In addition, dispensing the remedies can be a solely ‘paper process’ (i.e. medicines can be placed in small paper envelopes and enclosed within a larger labeled envelope) therefore further minimizing waste. No plastic required. 

Of course, there would be absolutely no point in any of this if homeopathy absolutely didn’t work. And so we come to another ‘debate’ and one which has also been in the news of late. The assertion that homeopaths are charlatans, pedaling snake oil to vulnerable members of society who know no better and need protecting from them. The suggestion that those who seek out alternative healthcare systems that are kinder to both people and the planet are in some way less intelligent than others who take a more mainstream approach is in itself divisive and provocative. 

 

As with modalities such as Bowen Therapy and acupuncture, homeopathic remedies activate the body’s own natural healing process, unlike Western medicine which requires a continuous physio-chemical reaction to generate a response and whereby symptoms return if the medicine is stopped. Medication ‘for life’ not only has the potential for well-documented side effects, it consumes resources and energy in terms of raw ingredients, manufacture and worldwide distribution, contributing to further destruction of our fragile ecosystem. In contrast to this, the taking of a homeopathic remedy can lead to healing that continues for extended periods of time. The medicines are taken only when required, cause no side effects and are not subject to trade deals between economies whose allegiances ride on shifting sands. 

 

Homeopathy is non-toxic, non-polluting, sustainable and humane and I respect that, along with everybody’s personal freedom of choice. Western medicine can be life saving but homeopathy is health-promoting, kind to the body and to the planet and in my view there is room in our wonderful world for both.