These boots were made for walking!
Father Seán McDonagh is still walking in the same pair of boots he bought almost a quarter of a century ago.
The outspoken Nenagh environmentalist is using his boots to make a point about the circular economy, one of the subjects he explores in his latest book, ‘Robots, Ethics and the Future of Jobs’. He bought the boots - made by Northwest - in 1997 after returning from the Philippines, where Fr McDonagh had served as a missionary for many years. Before making the purchase, he sought advice from Nenagh cobbler Adrian Grace, who informed him that it would be cheaper in the long run to buy a well-made pair that may seem expensive initially.
“So, I bought a good pair of boots and wore them for more than an hour and a half each day,” Fr McDonagh said. “After five years, I noticed that the heels were so badly worn that the boots were no longer comfortable.
“So, I brought the shoes to my cobbler, who fitted them with new heels. Once again, the boots felt comfortable. A decade and a half later I am still wearing the boots every day.”
Writing in ‘The Sacred Heart Messenger’, Fr McDonagh said he returns to Mr Grace every two or three years to have the heels of his boots replaced. He expressed delight that Mr Grace intends to remain in business for at least another 10 years.
“Nenagh people are very lucky to have a cobbler working full-time in the area,” Fr McDonagh noted. “Many similar sized towns have lost their cobblers. Many people believe that the profession is no longer viable. People no longer repair shoes as their parents and grandparents did in the past.”
RISE OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
“For my cobbler, it was natural for him to begin an apprenticeship in his father's business. His son, however, had no interest in becoming a shoemaker. Is this about to change?
“It would seem when the Circular Economy Bill 2021 becomes law it will change everything we do, from the way we produce to how we reuse, repair and recycle. Built-in obsolescence for washing machines and fridges, which is so common today, will be taxed heavily.”
Fr McDonagh, of the Society of St Columban (SSC), has written and lectured extensively on issues around the environment and theology. In his ‘Sacred Heart Messenger’ article, he references research indicating that our relationship with products and services will become “unrecognisable” over the next 10 years. Second-hand clothing will become fashionable; shops will be used for the resale, repair, rental, refill and material recovery for products, food and technology.
“Instead of having fruit and vegetables in single-use plastic containers, as often happens in shops today, shoppers will use reusable containers for the fruit and vegetable which they buy,” Fr McDonagh writes. “Plastic bottles will be collected through a deposit and return scheme.
“Today the widespread burning of fossil fuels in our industries, transport systems, homes and farms creates greenhouse gases that endanger our future in a very serious way. Before the industrial revolution, which began 200 years ago, there were 280 parts per million of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. By 2018, that figure had jumped to 407 parts per million.
“These figures will double unless we stop using fossil fuel. If we don't, by the end of this century the average global temperature will have increased by four degrees Celsius. This will have a catastrophic impact on our weather, our oceans and agriculture. Many areas of the world will be unlivable for humans and other creatures, unless action is taken now.”
PAPAL ENCYCLICAL
The Nenagh priest also reference's Pope Francis' encyclical ‘Laudato Si'’, in which the Pope bemoans the lack of ‘a circualar model of production capable of preserving resources for present and future generations, while limiting as much as possible the use of non-renewable resources, moderating their consumption, maximising their efficient use, reusing and recycling them’.
“In the circular economy, those who expect the extinction of trades such as cobbling may be in for a rude awakening,” Fr McDonagh writes. “In my recent book, ‘Robots, Ethics and the Future of Jobs’, I argued that because of Artificial Intelligence (AI), almost 40% of jobs will be automated in the next 20 years. This will mean that many people will be without full-time work. So maybe career guidance counsellors in secondary schools should be encouraging young people to train as cobblers and other such trades."