17 replies to this topic

[Scott Bartlett]

I think this blog post contains an important message for environmentalists.

All right, environmentalists: I think it’s time for us to come clean.

We don’t belong to a select club of pious treehuggers. We don’t live at the top of an ivory–er, green–tower, studying the unsustainable masses below with disdain.

And don’t worry–just because I’m the one currently pointing this out doesn’t mean I think I get a free pass.

Read the rest here.

[eds]

When renewable energy is blocked by people because it's transmission lines,
. . . may damage the environment, may kill a bird, or may deprive people of a pleasing viewing,
. . . then I agree, those people maybe hypocritical environmentalists.

Most people just don't like change, and will resist it as long as necessary.
. . . (I just bought a new "Car, Furnace, Yard care, Oil, Gas, Coal using thing")  

But some of us are taking small steps to save energy, money, cut pollution, every day, in every way.
. . . Hypocrite! . . . Walk a mile in my shoe's son . . . show me what you've got!  

[steph84]

Haha, great post Scott! I always feel like a hypocrite when I forget to take my reusable totes along with me and am too lazy to carry out my products so I get a *gasp* plastic bag to carry my stuff! I know it's bad, but then I try to make up for it by reusing that bag for as long as I can.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Scott Bartlett, on 23 May 2012 - 06:54 AM, said:

studying the unsustainable masses below with disdain.

That's my favorite part.
.................

& I'm not a hypocrite. I walk around naked (no chemical dyes for clothes, no water wasted in manufacturing
or care, no dryer using coal)-
I walk to work-no car, no gas, no nothing. (I do get gawked at occasionally)

I don't eat-too much of it is either gmo's/ wasted water to produce or emit something. Who needs the quilt?

I live in cave and even my computer is made out of hemp.
So, it's all good.

[E3 wise]

Thanks for letting me feel better about being imperfect.  I struggle with finding a balance in my life, knowing that even though I try to live green, conserve, reduce and recycle, I am still taking from the planet.  How bad has it gotten, well I stopped eating sushi because tunas are quickly becoming endangered, I cut my beef consumption by half, cause it’s the second largest producer of green house gasses, I put in low flow toilets and dishwasher, bought solar panels, grow a garden using rain water and drip irrigation and still I feel so guilty.

I fly almost every week, not a time goes by that I don’t feel bad about it.  We started skypeing more to cut down but I still have to travel to look at facilities for installing alternative energy, because that’s what we do, and still I feel guilty.  Maybe I obsess too much but I feel we are living on borrowed time, that it may already be too late; I don’t want to be a hypocrite but I guess its impossible to not be.

[FamilyTreeClimber]

Aren't we all hypocrites?  Everyone attempts to do what is within their means and abilities.  But, we are human and we fail.  We slough off at times.  We get lazy.  After a long day at work, we might not feel like sorting the garbage into the right bins.  We might bring home take out food instead of cooking from our own garden.

Sometimes it's not possible to use a green method because there isn't a option available.  It would be very difficult to get from one continent to another without air travel.  I did see a man on the news demonstrating the glider suit he created.  I don't think it's ready for prime time yet.

Shortpoet, That wasn't you on the news the other night shopping in the nude, was it?

[Shortpoet-GTD]

FamilyTreeClimber, on 23 May 2012 - 11:48 PM, said:

Shortpoet, That wasn't you on the news the other night shopping in the nude, was it?

Couldn't have been-I don't eat (too many emissions), remember?  

[Scott Bartlett]

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone! I'm delighted to see my post has generated so much discussion, here and on my blog as well. 'Hypocrite' is a pretty loaded word, and there are a couple who seem uncomfortable with the way I've used it. But I hope it's clear that my aim is to help the environmental movement grow.

Shortpoet: clearly you aren't among the target audience of my post--you're perfect!

[artistry]

..Interesting. Shortpoet, you are wild and crazy. Me...I don't do enough for the cause. But I refuse to wear the guilt trip sign. Good article. Cheers.

[Sandra Piddock]

Very entertaining, and I like the bit about the only green people being dead people. Almost makes me want to die to help out the planet more and prove to the world that I'm not a hypocrite! Actually, I don't think I am really. Unless we go around naked like Shortpoet and don't drink, we're all making a carbon footprint, and sometimes it's going to be a few sizes too big for comfort. That's how it goes.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Scott Bartlett, on 24 May 2012 - 06:38 AM, said:

Shortpoet: clearly you aren't among the target audience of my post--you're perfect!

I'm glad you didn't take it seriously.

But in all seriousness-my biggest problem/issue is my damn judgemental attitude.

I recycle, I've drastically reduced my coal footprint by being smarter with electrical use at home, adding insulation,
better windows, reading labels, buying fresh, local produce-and why can't more people do the same?
If people "choose" to eat gmo foods or drive large pickup trucks for the "status" without considering
the consequences or even "knowing" the consequences-it drives me nuts.

If I had the money, you can bet I'd have solar panels on the house, and drive an electric car. But I can't.
So I do the best I can everyday in reducing my footprint on this magnificent planet we call home.

And if cruising around nude does it? You bet I will.

Thanks Scott-you gave me the opportunity to laugh and make others laugh, and that's the best=laughter, so
thanks for that.

[SpiroFlo]

This was the main reason why I started a blog on green issues with a sense of humor. Sadly, the green crowd can be rather humorless and unable to see our own flaws. I think it's fair to admit there's more than the environmental side of things to consider (and yes, sometimes they will be in conflict with one another -- thus it doesn't always make it hypocritical, sometimes there's just more to the equation).

As stated above, everyone's a hypocrite. It's just a matter of what it's worth being a hypocrite for.

[Hardison]

This is a great article. I think it's less about being hypocritical and more about being clueless. I really didn't understand the impact I had on the planet's environment.  I have recycled for years. I haven take public transportation or carpooled. I have given money to Greenpeace, Sierra Club and the like. I have even done some fundraising for them. I've signed plenty of petitions. I did all these things, but was still unaware or even clueless about my use of styrofoam (yes, I'm now mortified) and overuse of plastic bottles, etc.

It really struck me when I saw a local news report about a man who had no garbage. He completley re-used everything. He was on the news because the trash company wanted to charge him even though he had no trash. It was ridicious. His utility bill was pennies. This guy was completely awesome. I had to really think. Do I really want to do that? Do I want to work that hard? Do I want to scarifce that much? The answer then and now is no. Then, it didn't bother me so much because I was clueless. Now, the answer really bothers me. It's not about being clueless anymore. I know and understand more. I know that makes me a hypocrite, but I'm working on it.

Thanks for such an insightful article.

[btatro]

It's so true! I do what I can, but do not see myself as any sort of "green-goddess". Do your part, hold your humbleness, and share your ideas and thoughts with others, so they can make some simple changes too!

[Nickelasser]

Great piece of advice, im always looking for ways to help then environment and am always open to ideas. What are some things you guys think can really make an impact?

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Nickelasser, on 31 May 2012 - 08:25 PM, said:

Great piece of advice, im always looking for ways to help then environment and am always open to ideas.
What are some things you guys think can really make an impact?

Lot's of ideas in these threads.
http://www.altenergy...o-living-green/
http://www.altenergy...n-in-your-home/
http://www.altenergy...green-cleaning/

[Nickelasser]

wow i never would have thought of all that

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Nickelasser, on 01 June 2012 - 09:03 AM, said:

wow i never would have thought of all that

Happy to help.