I often feel perplexed if the worldwide surge in climate campaigns, protests and the ongoing global conferences to save our environment help meet the desired objective. Yes, these do create awareness about environmental damage.
But do they hit the critical target that causes most environmental damage and severe climate changes? For example, the devastating floods in Pakistan last year.
Palpably and seriously, that overlooked and evading target is me, along with most of us living in the affluent West!
Despite being utterly aware of the deteriorating environment, I’m contributing significantly to its global degeneration.
I’m the root cause. I’m the one who is creating demand for goods and services, cheap and in abundance.
But I instead blame big businesses, manufacturers, and industrialists for their greed and irresponsible practices causing the escalating planetary catastrophe.
I’m shouting at the world leaders that they’re escaping their responsibility.
I’m telling the conservative folks that they are ignorant and don’t understand the science of the environment.
I’m part of the worldwide cry about environmental destruction.
But my concern for the declining environment is fake.
That image I’ve created to showcase it and enable me to participate in hot climate-change deliberations.
Covertly, I indulge in everything that generates the cause while overlooking the consequence. The cause and its effect apply to “we human beings.” Excluding me!
I do realize my collective responsibility toward a cleaner environment. But that is occasionally put into practice.
I do a lot contributing to environmental deterioration. I have a mindset with an excuse. Mine is just a drop, an insignificant share that does not add to the damage.
My eating habits, buying habits, and social practices are environmentally immoral.
But I pose as a committed environmentalist on the street and social media.
I know the Earth is warming, seas are rising, and glaciers are melting. As a result, some island countries face submersion in their surrounding oceans. And the coastlines are being eroded.
However, I need to understand what the guarantees in the business of carbon reduction mean, how it works, and how it is traded or manipulated. But I do support net-zero carbon emissions goals.
I’m pretty aware that the global political heads and their expert advisors deliver, year after year, a plethora of environmental accords that do little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
After intensive wrangling at the global climate action summits, those lofty resolutions and goals still need to be revised.
They are easy to get in and easy to get out.
In my socialist outfit, I demand zero economic growth where we could stop our economy from growing endlessly, halt endless increases in our consumption of resources, and take some of the pressure off the environment.
My social attachments and lifestyle do conflict with my environmental responsibilities and accountabilities. In a culture of accumulation, where there are choices galore, the shopping spree is an indulgence.
The closets are overflowing, the kitchen cabinets and the refrigerators are loaded, and the garage is a big storage container.
Getting bargains is a pride and prized achievement of shopping loot.
The industry is ready to flood the market with goods in this environment of amassment for every need or no need. Otherwise, who would care to buy an inessential banana hanger? While creating my environmental footprints, I’m criticizing those who pollute Earth.
But in my conscious mind, I realize that environmental cleaning needs to start from where it begins.
