Feeling guilty every time we can’t be perfect environmentalists isn’t sustainable. For a safer climate, we don't need to get every action right, but we do need to understand the greater scope of the crisis.
Totally! Living a less consumerist lifestyle is excellent if that’s your preference - and I think there are serious mental and emotional benefits from trying to live a life aligned with your values. But to build a climate movement, making people feel guilty for individual choices isn’t a winning strategy. People need hope to sustain themselves for the long battle. We need to keep the pressure on governments that can make the policies and regulations that will hold the real sources of emissions - massive businesses - accountable for the harm they’ve done and force them to make the kind of systemic changes we need to draw down emissions as fast as possible.
But… Being more green requires buying and using less things, which is bad for the economy. Unfortunately we cannot just switch to green energy, we have to drive less, consume less, etc.
And who do you think is going to push back on that? How about the people who sell us stuff…
And how much money do you have to donate to politicians? Because it’s probably not billions of dollars… but they have it, and they will use it.
I am not saying we should not try, but I am saying that we shouldn’t ask, we should demand, that things change. But when politicians won’t listen to you because of the fat stacks of cash stuffed in their ears… We will inevitably be closer to step 3, and if that happens, we’d better be organized and ready to build something better.
That doesn’t mean we can’t do anything though. We can pressure governments for green policies and try to live a less consumerist lifestyle.
Totally! Living a less consumerist lifestyle is excellent if that’s your preference - and I think there are serious mental and emotional benefits from trying to live a life aligned with your values. But to build a climate movement, making people feel guilty for individual choices isn’t a winning strategy. People need hope to sustain themselves for the long battle. We need to keep the pressure on governments that can make the policies and regulations that will hold the real sources of emissions - massive businesses - accountable for the harm they’ve done and force them to make the kind of systemic changes we need to draw down emissions as fast as possible.
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But… Being more green requires buying and using less things, which is bad for the economy. Unfortunately we cannot just switch to green energy, we have to drive less, consume less, etc.
And who do you think is going to push back on that? How about the people who sell us stuff…
And how much money do you have to donate to politicians? Because it’s probably not billions of dollars… but they have it, and they will use it.
I am not saying we should not try, but I am saying that we shouldn’t ask, we should demand, that things change. But when politicians won’t listen to you because of the fat stacks of cash stuffed in their ears… We will inevitably be closer to step 3, and if that happens, we’d better be organized and ready to build something better.