So, I took a leap today into a bit of a controversial realm in my blog @ work. Yes, I know you aren’t supposed to talk about politics on a first date or at work. But, since I do talk about politics on the first date, I might as well also talk about it at work.
I was also feeling particularly rilled up since I haven't gotten a lot of participation in my blog from my colleagues. I decided to try a little something different. You may read below and say - "This really isn't that controversial, Colleen." Remember though, that my company really just started a concerted effort to be more sustainability 3 or so months ago. So everything is new and potentially controversial....
In any case, read on and let me know what you think....
The title of my blog is borrowed from an essay written during the Women’s Liberation movement of the 60s and 70s*. I bring it up today because I think the idea is compelling when thinking about the modern environmental movement.
Often when I open my big mouth about the environment, I get into conversations about whether any one person taking action to be more sustainable is a worthwhile pursuit. Some argue that the fact that someone composts and recycles really isn’t going to save the planet. It has to be, some argue, governments and industry making drastic changes in the way they do things to really make a difference.
First, yes, I agree that governments and industry need to take big steps. But I also strongly believe in individual action in each person’s life. Governments and industry won’t change without the influence of individuals. And, I’ve seen in myself how living a more personally sustainable life has taught me about greater global environmental issues. It has made me a more informed voter and political being. And it has made me more vocal and active. After all, I’m writing this blog in hopes of helping to educate, aren’t I? I’m pretty sure that I would never have been doing this unless I had taken those first steps to stop eating meat after measuring my environmental footprint and seeing the impact of the production of meat. (I now recognize this is a more complicated issue than it seems, and I do eat some non-red free-range meat for various reasons. But I still think this first step was an important part of my personal environmental journey).
Sometimes, I wonder if by saying “government and business need to fix themselves for anything to really improve”, it leads us to just give up. It makes the situation seem so insurmountable.On the other hand, wach little action I take to make my life more environmentally-friendly makes me more convinced that others (including the government and industry) can successfully face the challenges of sustainability. I see that each change I make encourages others to make their own changes. Hopefully I start my own small-scale “pay-it-forward” movement for the environment. And maybe each of these people will also become more politically active and join the greater movement to influence change in larger institutions.
If this discussion is interesting to you, I highly recommend No Impact Man’s blog. Colin Beavan has taken being personally sustainable to the next level – he gives me an ideal to strive toward. It is definitely a fave on my Google Reader (yes, I like it even more than Valleywag).
And if you are ready to be a little more politically active about sustainabilty and the environment, check out where each presidential candidate stands on the environment.
*From an essay of the same name by Carol Hanisch
