Let’s talk about water—the life-giving liquid that makes up most of us and that we can’t survive without for more than three days. In our boundless ingenuity, we’ve managed to turn it into a luxury product. Picture this: A bottle of water from Fiji. Yes, Fiji—the small tropical island thousands of kilometers away from anywhere. That water gets pumped out of a pristine aquifer, into plastic bottles, and shipped halfway across the globe to be displayed in vending machines with LED screens that entice passers by with serene images of paradise.

Let's talk money. Now, I'm not exactly the poster child for financial advice, but if you've been following our stories, you'll notice a common thread. So let’s apply it to money and investments. See, most investments -your pension and saving- are like bets on the global industrial market, betting it'll just keep on growing. But, all that growth leans on cheap and abundant energy and resources that can be exploited.

Next time, when you settle onto your porcelain throne, leave your phone behind and take a moment to ponder the intricate system designed to whisk away your waste, swift and discreet. Consider the price tag - from clean water for flushing to the energy for pumps and treatment plants. Even the manufacturing of toilets, pipes, and paper adds to the bill.

Last week, in a mindless moment, I bought a pair of cheap wired earbuds at the supermarket. They were perched by the checkout, radiating convenience. My current headphones are bulky, awkward to carry around, and these—well, these were small, and priced so low it felt like a steal. And yes, I knew better. I knew they wouldn’t be great. I knew they probably came from somewhere no one likes to think too hard about. But they were cheap so I placed them on the conveyor carrying my groceries off to the cashier.

In our modern world, efficiency reigns supreme. It's evident not only in the workplaces but also in our approach to health. We find ourselves immersed in sedentary jobs, seeking refuge in the gym to counterbalance the negative effects. But have you ever paused to reflect on this cycle? It's a thought-provoking paradox: we've automated and outsourced manual labor, yet willingly subject ourselves to machines at the gym to pursue health and body image as advertised commodities that can be had in comfortable, efficient portions.