Dealing with Eco-Anxiety: Feeling Less Guilt, Being More Green
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 5.08
What do you do after you've changed all your light bulbs? San Francisco magazine takes a long look at the rising tide of green guilt by chatting up some Bay Area residents who stay up nights worrying about drowning polar bears, having to drive anywhere ("I feel like I’m taking a spray can to the environment," says one eco-anxious respondent) and drinking Bisphenol-A with a bottle of water.
The guilt from engaging in behavior that ultimately damages the environment is a growing problem for these people, who fear the consequences of not recycling, buying new things, and letting once-used water go down the drain. It causes crushing paralysis in some, where there are so many problems to deal with, they seemingly can't move under the weight of the world. But it doesn't have to be that way.
The solution, according to the piece: embrace relativity, please. Using the oft-quoted starfish parable -- a parent and child come upon a beach of thousands of starfish, drying out in the sun. The child reaches down, picks up a starfish, and tosses it back into the ocean. "That's not going to help," says the parent. "But it will help that one," says the child. -- as an example, the conclusion is essentially this: work hard at it, be reasonable, do what you can, and keep learning about the next step. We think that's pretty good advice.
We know that singular, one-off acts like changing your light bulbs will not save the planet alone, and, while there are a lot of potential planetary problems hanging over our collective heads, there are a lot of solutions, too. The article suggests (and we second their recommendation) to concentrate on what you can do, rather than what you can't to help assuage whatever guilt your eco-lifestyle inspires.
We aren't going to cause the extinction of the polar bears individually; nor can we save them all by ourselves. But by buddying up, taking the pledge (or taking this pledge), and/or joining the march, it's easier to feel pro-active and positive rather than consumed by green guilt. What do you think? Is green guilt a problem? How do you deal with it? ::San Francisco magazine via ::Re-nest
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Pink is the New Green
- The Living Walls of San Francisco's Embarcadero
- High Speed Rail from San Francisco to LA Will Make an Even Greener California
- SF Bay Area Will be Electric Vehicle Capital of US: Better Place, Coulomb Technologies Expanding EV Infrastructure
Can't we just go get the Polar Bears and bring them somewhere esle.. Yea - it makes little sense, but the reality of the alternative is worse..
Something that was not touched on in the San Francisco article: 'green guilt' might also sometimes be a symptom, rather than a cause, of depressive or obsessive-compulsive disorders; i.e. if it wasn't the state of the environment, it could just as well have been something else. I'm not suggesting that 'green guilt' itself indicative of a disorder, but paralyzing 'green guilt' could be... short message, people are good at externalizing things, and don't be afraid to seek help if things get to be overwhelming.
Being green is one thing, being anxious about it is another...
In a related story: "How-to cure your obsessive-compulsive disorder by cleaning up your house real good."
Doing good things should make you feel good. If not, stop doing it. Duh.
Too much white noise when it comes to "eco-friendly". Every single day we are bombarded with new stories of something being eco-friendly. But can we really make eco-friendly goods? Or are we talking about eco-friendlier? Everything has an impact on the environment. Some just more than others. So why do we insist that some things are eco-friendly and others not. Is it not just a case of eco-friendlier than the alternative? Is a Prius eco-friendly? No. You won’t suck on the exhaust pipe. It is just better than the alternative. More on this at my blog in http://angryafrican.wordpress.com/2008/02/17/make-it-better-how-friendly-is-eco-friendly/
I strongly agree, focus on the positive and what you 'can' do as a single individual. Besides, the fate of the polar bear coincides w/ our own fate and who knows what tomorrow brings, the earth will still be here, maybe just w/ different forms of life in the future...
If you are feeling guilty, you are on the right track! It is time to feel guilty about violating our own living space. If you were traveling on a boat and did not know when you get to your destination would (or should) you feel guilty about munching away on the ships' supplies as if there is no tomorrow?
If you are doing the things that matter and teach your children or others how to do it as well, you are pretty much doing what you can. If you cannot figure out what are the important changes go to the site below. There are plenty of ideas for eco-positive actions for the individual.
And, I have to disagree with a post above: Doing the right thing about the environment feels a whole lot less great than doing the right thing. That is the difference between responsibilities and wants. You don't do it because you want to - you do it because it is necessary.
We have focused on what is fun or comfortable for way too long. It has resulted in the current situation. It is time for responsible behavior and feeling guilty about not doing what is responsible is an appropriate response.
Karsten
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http://www.polluteless.com
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Living on Earth:
Sufficient resources - Wasteful existence - 6.5 Billion humans; Preserve two and abandon the third.
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I agree, people SHOULD worry, feel guilty about themselves, and humiliate others into action.