July 19, 2008
Dear Economist: How do I preach green without breaching the walk-the-talk philosophy?
I take small steps to reduce my carbon footprint (I walk, recycle etc) and attempt to influence others by spreading awareness of climate change. However, a friend recently accused me of being a hypocrite because of my contribution to carbon emissions when I fly for my holidays. I admit I do not weigh the damage done to the environment when planning my breaks, and am not ready to forgo them. How do I preach green without breaching the walk-the-talk philosophy?
An apparent pseudo-treehugger
Dear Treehugger,
You are in good company. Most of the developed world’s governments have been spouting about climate change, without adopting policies that have noticeably prevented the growth of carbon emissions.
But hypocrisy does not strike me as the issue here. In fact, you are refreshingly honest – you say you do not know the impact of your travel, and would not change if you did.
The problem, rather, is that most people are equally as ignorant and as self-centred as you. Few humans are capable of making serious sacrifices for the unborn grandchildren of total strangers, which is the basic selling point of voluntary action on climate change.
That leaves us with two alternative policies: hope that people chivvy each other into action, or hope that governments swap some of their taxes on labour and capital for taxes on carbon. I am not holding my breath for either.
Questions to economist@ft.com
Perhaps Treehugger attempts to “influence others by spreading awareness of climate change” by being either endlessly boring or a pompous ass.
Perhaps Treehugger’s friend wants to remain Treehugger’s friend but frankly would rather lower Treehugger’s carbon footprint by suffocating him so Treehugger would finally, at long last, shut up.
Perhaps Treehugger’s friend is attempting subtle means of argument in the hopes of getting Treehugger off his high horse a bit (because all that high horse manure is polluting, as well).
Perhaps Treehugger should get a clue.
Posted by: ZBicyclist | July 20th, 2008 at 12:05 am | Report this commentSorry to say this, but climate change is not going to be fixed by changing holidays or journey patterns, as Tony Blair rightly said.
Posted by: Rafael Nieto | July 21st, 2008 at 8:37 am | Report this commentDo as I say, not as I do, I often tell my children, when they accuse me of contributing to the so called global warming. My 13-year old recently gave me a hard time, after I went to a climate conference with a client of mine. I was trying to score some green-points, and so went to the airport in a Prius. However, what the kids chose to focus on, was that we boarded a Gulfstream once there. But, as I told my daughter, that totally misses the point. Would she really have preferred that we go in a Hummer? By the way, private jets are actually a lot more eco-friendly than many people think, when you consider all the time you don`t have to spend in queues.
This is not a question of walking the talk. It is rather what Ghandi said, that to be the change you want to see in the world, you have to get there by baby steps. Bearing this in mind, you should take pride in your moral superiority over your more polluting friends, and simply tell him: Either help out, or shut up. The world does not need any more hot air.
Best of luck to you,
Posted by: Stellan Sjögreen | July 21st, 2008 at 11:46 am | Report this commentStellan
What you are doing is being penny-wise and pound-foolish with your carbon emissions, so to speak. I can’t call you a hypocrite for that because everybody else is currently doing the same except for a few urban hippies who are trying to live carbon-free lifestyles so extreme I call them “research lifestyles” because they are totally impracticable for even would-be greens. Also, I suppose, people who are so poor that their modest carbon emissions should not be counted against them but borne by the philanthropic among us.
We need to reduce carbon emissions–as a species–to levels below those which will cause catastrophic changes for other people. If some people cheat those of us who try to do this will have to off-set their share. If the world’s poor are to aspire to middle class lifestyles, the rich will have to carry them as well.
You’ll be considered a hypocrite by the other hypocrites as long as sweat the small stuff but ignore the big stuff.
But tough luck. It will take collective action by humanity to sweat the big stuff. In the mean time, try to walk the walk. And encourage other to try.
If you are rich enough to fly away on vacation, you are rich enough to be a research lifestylist yourself. Only the rich have the luxery of solving global problems and they’ll do it by showing the way to carbon frugality and most likely, carbon neutrality or even carbon sink lifestyles. They’ll have to–the poor can not.
I recommend offsetting every gram of your travel with a trustworthy and accurate offsetter–preferably non-profit.
Pay a bit more for green electricity. Get a low-carbon car. Insulate, insulate, insulate.
We can’t do this without REAL sacrifices, and only the prosperous can afford meaningful sacrifices, but the best kind of sacrifice is to be an early adopter of technologies and lifestyles that are sustainable and carbon-free or as close as possible.
Green like you can afford it, because obviously you can.
Posted by: Brant Boucher | July 21st, 2008 at 8:48 pm | Report this commentYou say that “Few humans are capable of making serious sacrifices for the unborn grandchildren of total strangers”.
However, of course (if one has or intends to reproduce), it is not only other people’s grandchildren but also one’s own whose quality of life is in the balance.
Climate change is not going to be fixed ONLY by changing holidays and journey patterns, but it is absolutely crucial that these are changed as part of a wider shift in attitudes.
Sadly, I see little hope for my own unborn grandchildren.
Posted by: EThompson | July 23rd, 2008 at 2:51 pm | Report this comment