Don’t gloat if you are green

Green

Every week, I receive several requests for help to go down the zero-waste path. I like that, but it also bothers me because one individual aiming high doesn’t matter. The problem is too big.

I’m not saying we revert to being consumption-monsters again. We should continue doing what we are doing personally but we should know that it isn’t good enough.

The value of having set off on a zero-waste journey is that you have an idea of what it takes. And then, you have the moral authority to share and convince your neighbourhood. Indeed, that should be the quick next step, even if you haven’t reached any kind of perfection yet.

When that happens, take time out and gloat. But not for long, because even that is not enough to make even a city more sustainable.

For that, we need systemic changes-reduced consumption, which will mean less energy consumption and mining, for example. It will mean using less water and not reclaiming wetlands for other uses, perhaps. Who’s going to do that? We don’t know since we haven’t seen it happen, but my guess is policy makers under enormous public pressure.

This pressure will come from badly impacted persons-such as those who fight against projects that cut forests or take away their land, and it will find support amongst some of those green individuals.

Tempering you for bigger challenges is the most important outcome of individual green action, if it happens.