Yeah! Go me!
Thankfully, the very notion that we could destroy the planet or possibly harm nature is a complete fallacy, one based entirely in arrogance. It is as an idea as self-centered as presuming that the sun rotates around the earth because that's how things appear to us. But on the contrary, nature is all-encompassing and we are just one part of it. Indeed, there is nothing that is not nature – not even atom bombs, synthetic fibers or your iPhone, and nature will still be here long after we are gone. The current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not hurting nature; the oil gushing out into the water is nature. And although it's making a huge mess all over the nature in and along the Gulf, it's just one part of nature affecting another. This spill may threaten our own existence by disrupting the ecosystem in the Gulf, but nature is in no way “under attack”.
Indeed, we are merely one part of nature, and we are not the only ones known to drive a species to the point of extinction. If a flood wipes out a species, the lesson isn't to prevent floods at all costs in the future. No, the real lesson is that Darwin was right – circumstances change and the species that fail to adapt don't survive. It's really disappointingly simple: Nature is constantly changing and evolving; some species change and mutate to form entirely new ones, and others die out. And as a part of nature ourselves, we sometimes wipe out other parts. But we are no different than a flood or a volcano and there is no arbitrary point in time we can point to as “perfect” and insist that it be preserved by all means necessary. This is a fool's errand, a task as impossible as it is pointless. However, it is precisely what the environmental movement at large is insisting we do.
I work in a wood shop that makes furniture and cabinets, mostly for customers who have a lot of money to spend on “eco-friendly” products that help them feel good about themselves. But what's so noble about buying new furniture? Even making something out of reclaimed lumber is an energy-intensive endeavor and buying a “green” dresser or table isn't as green as simply being content with what one already has, or buying a smaller house that requires less furniture to furnish. And because most of our furniture is custom, I burn tremendous amounts of diesel driving the shop truck around town looking for the particular lumber and hardware our customers want. But that's not what they'll tell their friends about; they'll talk about the furniture's low-VOC finish and the sustainable materials used in its construction. The truth is that our customers just want a new piece of nice furniture, and that's fine. And besides, they pay my rent. But they're deluding themselves by taking credit for any more than that – getting new furniture and paying my rent.
In addition to our self-declared responsibility to “buy green”, we now feel obligated to protect and manage other species. Now we may feel sad that something we did wiped out a species, and we can try to save a species on the brink of extinction, but this emotion should not be confused with environmentalism. The real task at hand from an environmental standpoint is to maintain a hospitable, life-sustaining environment that will provide us with adequate food, water, and shelter. But we must be honest with ourselves – we are NOT saving the planet. We pose absolutely no threat to the planet, and this is not some altruistic or selfless act. It is simply a matter of self-preservation: we like being alive and living in at least relative comfort, and we want the same for our children. Indeed, we are concerned with the environment for two reasons – one, because of the guilt we feel for running over cute little bunnies with our cars – and two, because we want to protect our species and quality of life. We want to feel better about the impact we have on other parts of nature, but we definitely don't want to give up our cars or air conditioners. And who could blame us?
Besides, there really is no reason to feel guilty; we should instead foster an appreciation for the extremely high quality of life we enjoy and work to maintain it. Even a person working a menial job for little money has a high quality of life compared to many people throughout history. There is no reason to feel guilty for enjoying the bounty we have created for ourselves, but there are plenty of reasons to foster an appreciation for it. We are extremely lucky to be alive here and now, to have shoes and dentists, and freedom from a king or slave owner. For our own sake and the sake of our children we want to maintain a hospitable environment in which a person would want to live. But the dead bunnies don't hold roadkill against us any more than they resent the storm that causes a flood, or the wolves that hunt them for food.
However, this is not the story we hear. We are bombarded both by stories of our greed-driven atrocities worldwide, and by products that make us feel like we're making a difference. Understandably, there is a lot of emotion wrapped up in all this and it's easy to let those feelings get the better of us, but that passionate emotion can push us to make impulsive decisions that may not turn out to be so helpful. Environmental issues can be best solved by objective, scientific research and carefully calculated figures and plans. But how many of us know how much energy it takes to recycle a plastic bottle rather than make a new one, or what makes the “green” dishwashing liquid superior to the conventional version?
What most of us do know is that we live very comfortable lives, that our lifestyles have negatively affected some other species, and that we feel bad about that. However, this information is not adequate to make decisions that will help other species or ourselves. There are no black-and-white absolutes, and different methods and products each have advantages and disadvantages. For example, buying a Prius is a really attractive option because I get a new car out of the deal, which is something I want already, and on top of that I get to feel like I'm literally helping to save the planet. It seems that as long as I have the money, I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
But that's emotion talking, along with my own material desire. Buying a Prius is probably a better option than buying a full-size truck, but there are many factors that go into evaluating the most environmentally friendly option. What kind of car do I drive now? Does it get decent gas mileage? Do I maintain it well to maximize that mileage? How much of an improvement in gas mileage will I get from a hybrid car? How much energy does it take to manufacture a hybrid car as compared to a conventional small car like a Civic or a Corolla? What is the environmental toll from disposing of the toxic batteries in a hybrid car when they have to be replaced? What kind of driving do I do? Do I do more in-town driving, or is it mostly long-distance highway driving? Are there a lot of hills to take advantage of the energy-generating ability of the brakes in the hybrid or do I drive on mostly flat terrain? These are just a few things I must consider if I am truly looking after the environment and not just my own self-interest.
There are many things I can do that cost little or nothing and offer significant benefits to the environment. Many environmentally conscious people ignore the less exciting ways to go green like performing routine maintenance on their car and changing the filter for the air conditioner in their house regularly. They stand in the doorway discussing sustainable materials while the cold air pours out around them. These conservation practices aren't sexy, but they make a big difference. So this is my environmental war cry: Keeping the front door closed when possible is going green! Keeping your car tires properly inflated is going green! Parking in the shade in the summer and turning the AC off when you leave the house is going green! Knowing where you're going and planning an efficient route so as not to drive in circles is going green! None of it is very exciting or fun, and you're not going to get a hot date or anyone's praise because you change your air filter regularly. Frankly, no one will care, but praise and approval can't be our goal.
Well, that's not strictly true – I will give you a most emphatic high-five if you tell me about the rather dull but significant ways in which you've gone green. There must be more critical thinkers out there, and we are poised to make a real difference. We can take the environmental movement back from the insincere who are involved for self-serving reasons. We can reclaim environmentalism as a legitimate movement that operates based on scientific data instead of marketing campaigns, half-truths, and eco-guilt. And if you don't care to help, that's totally fine. I certainly don't do nearly as much as I could, but let's call a spade a spade: Buying furniture and participating in an environmental protest aren't going to determine how to make decisions that will benefit the environment; critical review of hard data will, and it's time to stop playing, start thinking, and make that happen.
