During Plastic Free July I raised the question ‘What’s my ‘fair' share of the planet saving load?” And the question has been playing on my mind, as I become more aware of the plastic all around us I’ve been getting angrier at people who don’t seem to care.
Things like...
- Is thinking that we can save the planet naive, when people continue to put 1 banana into a plastic bag?
- Is my individual action going to make any difference when companies around the world pollute in mass proportions?
- Is my consumer purchasing power going to make a difference when government leaders almost deny climate change even exists?
Thinking about some example of human behaviour
Our Own Lives
- People continue to do things that are known, scientifically proven, to be significantly harmful like smoking and taking drugs. These substances are known to be addictive but what’s our excuse when it comes to plastic?
- People take careless risks to save time like not using pedestrian crossing on major highways and driving too fast even when it’s raining.
Other People’s Lives
- We are in a pandemic and people cannot even stand 2m apart in a queue for a few minutes?
- We are being told close contact spreads an airborne disease that could kill people and we can’t stop shaking hands and hugging?
- People hold house parties when it’s illegal and are issued official fines.
If we can’t follow the actual law or science when people’s lives, even our own lives, are at risk how can we expect to change mass consumer behaviour in a way that benefits the planet?
My Fair Share
Despite my despondence at the world at large, I’ve decided that there is no ‘fair’ share. Instead I have to be 100% responsible for myself. It’s not actually about what anyone else does, but solely my feeling in regard to what I do. I can reduce my plastic, I can reduce my consumption of high impact foods, I can reduce my food miles and I’m privileged enough to be able to make these choices. I can talk, share and encourage others, I can write to companies and ask them to change. I can support others who share my values and take action.
I can anticipate : be excited for what the future holds and the possibilities.
But I shouldn’t expect : try to control the future and restrict my happiness to a single outcome.
Maybe it is futile but I don’t want to look back and wonder if I could have made a difference. I want to know I did what was within my power and privilege and took action aligned to my values.