What are you going to give up?
It’s a serious question.
Last Friday, massive marches across Canada should have been a clear wakeup call for those running in the federal election. Scores of opinion polls have pointed out how critical environment and climate issues are to Canadians, but if you want to convert those polls into something more tangible, the sheer size of Friday’s protests certainly does that.
But while it’s clear that people care about the environment, it’s not so clear that those same people are willing to either give up their own creature comforts — the lifestyle they are used to — or pay more for products to offset the environmental costs involved with manufacturing or distribution.
Are you willing to accept less, or did you just enjoy having a climate strike day off from work or school?
Are you willing to pay a levy to find carbon controls to offset the environmental cost of trucking lettuce to your local supermarket from California? It’s clear from the opposition to carbon taxes — a method that economists almost universally agree is the best approach — that not everybody is. In fact, listening to the current election platforms, it’s clear that many people consider their own family’s financial resources to be paramount.
Are you willing to vacation at home instead of flying to Disneyland or for that week in the Dominican Republic during March break? Are you willing to push your parents to do that?
It’s raining or snowing — are you driving or being driven to school or university? Or are you willing to reduce your carbon footprint by making real footprints?
Are you willing to accept less, or did you just enjoy having a climate strike day off from work or school?
It’s easy to point fingers at large emitters — and, honestly, fingers do need to be pointed, because large emitters certainly outstrip the damage done by individuals. But it’s wrong to argue that everyone else is to blame — previous generations, major corporations, fossilized politicians — while refusing to make any changes that will have even the smallest impact on your own lifestyle.
Calling for change without being willing to make sacrifices of your own — however small the real impact of those changes may be — is the same sort of hypocrisy that last week’s climate marches were calling out. It is, to put it bluntly, like parking your huge crew cab pickup close to the start of the march so you won’t have to walk very far before the protest begins.
If you truly want change, you have to talk the talk, walk the walk, and show that you’re willing to play an active, tangible part, even if it costs you something directly.
If you’re not going to take any personal responsibility, isn’t it a bit like politicians who send their “thoughts and prayers” after the latest mass shooting in the United States, and otherwise do nothing at all?
