But I’m not here to be unkind either.
I’m here to critique destructive social norms, institutions, things we have stopped questioning but need to question, things we never questioned in the first place but just accepted as they rolled in with their promises of ease and convenience.
Single-use plastic, disposable diapers, a million different detergents and cleaning products, leaf blowers, violently cheap clothing, online cheap everything, chopping down trees to widen roads, thinking it’s not only OK but good to live on a suburban half acre and spend your life mowing it and not be able to walk anywhere, constantly going on cruises and traveling to Europe but not knowing your own local area (beyond the major arterials and big-box stores) or meeting your neighbors. … The list goes on.
Don’t beat yourself up about it — question it!
Our daily (Global North) lives are incredibly destructive to the planet, and they don’t have to be.
I’m not here to make you feel bad; I’m here to get you thinking about what might not be necessary.
If you ever feel attacked or insulted by anything I write or say, always remember that the core of my message is that we have a self-interest in breaking the chains of consumerism.
We forget that convenience doesn’t necessarily bring joy.
We forget that choosing to do without some things can be incredibly liberating and allow much more joy and beauty into our lives.
In my work as a climate communicator, I constantly find myself navigating the tricky terrain between legitimately calling out harmful patterns, vs causing unnecessary hurt. There are times when I reread some thing I’ve written, and I have to revise it because I realize that I have been unnecessarily harsh.
The work we are doing is not a game. We’re either going to get our act together, or we’re not going to get to live on this planet. At the same time, if I say things in such a manner that it causes so much hurt that people can’t even take it in, my efforts will backfire.
I always welcome your questions and comments on anything I write or say. I appreciate the people who have corresponded with me over the years either via email or my social media sites, talks, or what have you.