Living Simply Revisited - Or Why I Must Support Environmentalism
February 11, 2008 | In Environmental Activism |
A few weeks ago, I talked about Downshifting, otherwise known as Voluntary Simplicity, which is living mindfully. Simplicity means less consuming and more living for what really matters. Although this looks different for everyone who practices it, living simply helps health, finances, and the environment. While this is a very positive view on how one person can change the world for the better, there any many other views, and much louder speakers who are ready and willing to tell us how bad things really are environmentally. Which makes me wonder: what’s the point in changing?
Photo by davelynne
In college, I took a philosophy course. Although the philosophy credits were a requirement for my degree, the topic of each class was up to the professor. The class I ended up in had as it’s topic: Meat and Metaphor. I did not make that up - that really was the topic. We discussed society’s view of what constituted humanity by reading Frankenstein. We also discussed the processing of meat as a metaphor for the ills of society.
The obscure topic as well as the eight am time slot combined to leave me with very little recollection of the class. However, I do remember the accounts we read of chickens packed into multilevel tiers of roosts as well as more horror stories of the treatment of beef cattle. Many of my classmates were appalled by these facts and vowed to join the professor in vegetarianism. I, on the other hand, craved a cheeseburger.
Feeling Helpless To Change Anything
Before you think that I am crass and uncaring, let me explain why I had this reaction. The treatment of animals that humans consume for food is disgraceful. However, I truly felt hopeless to stop these practices. I knew that if I decided to stop eating meat and only eat salads, these practices would still continue. One person changing their mind was not going to matter one bit. My craving a cheeseburger was actually sympathy for the animal - I didn’t want their suffering to be for nothing.
As I read now about the destruction that humans are doing to the environment, I feel much the same way. I am only one person. If I drive less, that’s not going to make my neighbor drive less. Sure, I can opt out of Christmas and all the buying, but the malls are still going to make a killing next December. The scariest thought of all is the thought that it may already be too late - that maybe, even if we did change, it really and truly won’t make a difference at all.
These thoughts are very, very depressing. They make me wonder what value I bring by living. Wouldn’t the world be a better place with one less American consumer? But then I realize, just as I did with the chicken farms, even if I stop consuming, it won’t be enough. One person changing will never be enough.
So, Why Do It?
Which leads me back to simplicity and the question I opened with: what is the point of environmentalism? I can’t answer this question for everyone, but my answer may resonate with you. As I explained above, it seems as if my efforts won’t make a difference. But - this may not be true. I know that if I ran off to a third world country, or went to the extreme of suicide, that definitely won’t make a difference. So, since I really don’t want to die, my only option is to keep on doing my best. There are lots of stories of people who have made a difference. Individuals who gathered enough other individuals to have a significant impact.
So, why will I fight for the environment? Why will I decrease my consumerism? As hopeless as it feels, I can’t know for certain that my efforts are a waste of time. In fact, it’s likely that my efforts will make a difference, even if I only get one person to follow me. Maybe they will change the mind of one other person. Even if this continues at the rate of only one person at a time, we will add up. And if one of the people in the chain actually influences more than one person, we expand even faster.
Here’s another thought - what if I change the mind of someone who is in a position to change millions? It’s said that we are a maximum of 6 degrees removed from everyone else in the world. Theoretically, that means that the chain of change only needs four others between me and the president of the United States, or someone else with vast political power. Perhaps it will take even less people in the chain.
In the end, the answer is simple: I must act. I must do what I can, no matter how small.
Have you asked yourself the same question? If not, I encourage you to do so now. Please let me know what your answer is in the comments below.
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I guess for me there is a lot of impatience with stupidity I don’t want any part of.
I hope I will influence others in some small ways.
I hope by adding my voice and behaviour to others that we will collectively make a difference.
I think when the crash(es) come we will need new ways of doing things and we need to start building the alternative now.
There are a couple of typos, the significant one being If I drive less, that’s not going to stop my neighbor from driving less
the last word should be more.
Evan,
YIKES! Thank you for pointing out the typos; I’ve gone back and corrected several. Geez, and I even set this post aside for a day and came back to it with fresh eyes looking for those kinds of mistakes. Oh, well!
I’m not sure if back in college, almost 10 years ago now, the message held quite so much weight. However, it seems to me that the problems are getting worse much faster than before. I hope that now is the right time for people to really pay attention. I also hope that when those who are currently oblivious start looking for answers, they will turn to us for those answers.