Hey you, yes you! Your tap is still leaking. Your child left the lights on. Why haven't you purchased that eco fridge? Your carbon footprint is out of control, my friend. It is your personal inaction that is leading the world to a climate catastrophe. You had too many kids. You didn't have enough. You didn't bring in a reusable cup, but you brought it in by mistake during the pandemic. How dare you, you could have killed someone! You didn't partake in meatless Mondays. You didn't choose the Ocean Wise tuna can at the store. You didn't recycle enough. You used too many plastic straws. Too many plastic bags. It was your avocado toast habit that fueled the Mexican cartel. You are going to have a lot to answer for when your teenage offspring slams their door in your face. Nice, they have their own door. Must be nice to be rich. Take a breath, take a step back. You're one person. Could you really have changed the course of world? Made an impact on the climate? Has Al Gore? Has Greta Thunberg? If they haven't made a shift in our global system, how could you? The first step to solving a problem is to understand it. Consumer shaming is a way to confuse and divide the people. It's a manipulation tactic to cloud our judgement, so we keep buying and feel good about buying because we're making a "conscious choice". We've been led astray, held responsible for a problem that requires a solution that beyond our purchasing choice. Our planet requires a solution that requires a complete restructure of our economic system that centers around planetary loot and dump. Quarterly growth outlook has no room for the environment. It never will. We generally have a difficult time picturing our future and taking steps in the immediate present makes us uncomfortable. We used to put very little value on children. We still do, but that's a different story. We studied and learned. Only in the last 100 years we figured out that a child's upbringing shapes them to the adults they become. We put a lot of work and effort into our children without really knowing who they will become and whether they will appreciate that effort. We do it because we love them. We need to come back to ourselves and fall in love with our planet once again. Trust me what you'll find is absolutely beautiful.
