Sick of the environmental conversation yet? Or have you simply stopped taking notice?
If you have, on so many levels it’s not surprising. We’re encouraged to “think globally, act locally”, turn off our lights when we leave the room, unplug devices rather than leaving them in standby and make sure you recycle. OK – done that…now what? At this stage you’re either basking in the warm glow of having done your bit, or you’re looking for guidance and leadership from community and political leaders and perhaps not finding too much.
UK comedian Sean Lock summarises this position very well:
“I recycle, turn off the lights and wash out all my jam jars. Then I went to America and thought “What’s the point?”. I feel like someone who has turned up to a disaster zone after an earthquake to help the cleanup with a dustpan and brush.”
Part of the problem is that we’re not all full-time environmentalists. Most of us (me included) are trying to incorporate this stuff into our everyday lives as best we can, thinking that we should be doing more and feeling guilty about not doing so. But there are jobs to be done and bills to be paid, and when we see the worst environmental offenders being given an easy ride, a certain amount of apathy creeps in and suddenly you don’t feel so guilty about leaving the TV on standby.
I’m a big believer in the power of market forces as catalysts of change for greater social good, but the reality is that even though we are all consumers with the power which comes with that position, we don’t have as much influence as we need to make wholescale economic and social changes. Governments can, and we elected the government, so why is it so damn difficult? Possibly because government and politicians need the occasional reminder that they have to acknowledge the electorate during terms in office as well as at election time….
What is comes down to is that doing your bit for the environment in any meaningful way is just too expensive. Solar panels cost too much, hybrid cars are luxury items, there’s no tax incentive for NOT driving to work and businesses only have to cut their emissions if they feel like it.
We need leadership, not guilt. Empowerment, not platitude.
