Personal change

Above the classroom door at my high school was a quote: “Everyone wants to change the world yet no one wants to change themselves”, or words to that effect. This quote is appropriate in the current climate change conversation.

Protesters, teenagers, columnists, scientists, and letters to the editor treat climate change as if it’s someone else’s fault and demand change, especially by politicians and corporate leaders.

There is little, if any, real honesty that climate change is directly caused by our insatiable greed to live beyond our means. Sure politicians, as our elected leaders, have a critical role to make appropriate decisions for a sustainable future — and they should be held to account.

However, they do not tell us to be greedy, demand more energy, pollute the environment and be wasteful. These attitudes are the products of our disposable society. Blaming politicians, or corporate leaders, is simply a means to abdicate our personal responsibility.

The honest response is that each of us owns up to our responsibility, as much as our personal influence allows. I eagerly wait for a placard is that simply states, “I am responsible. I will change”.

Dr Murray Boardman, Browns Bay.