Why We Need to Abandon Hope in The Fight Against Climate Change
Trust me, the title of this post is much scarier than the post itself. Which, I guess you could argue, is full of hope...?
I have been thinking about this concept for a while now. What is hope? There is no way to measure such a thing and, as I've said in previous posts, it's a pretty vague question that does not pose a perspective that is rooted in reality. In my opinion, I think this idea of "hope" and "optimism" for the future is holding back the climate change movement. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think people should live their lives as pessimists. As today's science will tell you, being a pessimist is actually bad for your health. However, I think when regular people (who may not be very involved in the movement or have much interest in it) see that scientists and others are still "full of hope" and are feeling "optimistic," it doesn't motivate change. I also think that it hinders people from feeling and dealing with the emotional consequences of climate change. Climate change is here, it's happening, and it's freaking terrifying. But if we try to hide ourselves away in this bubble of hope and optimism... we aren't doing the gravity of the situation justice. I think that is one of the biggest challenges facing the climate change movement, that it is an emotional one. And we as Americans (and people in general) are not very good at expressing negative emotions and working through them in a healthy way. People should feel sad. It's sad what's happening and we need to take the time to sit in that sadness; and then get up and get in the fight, because that is what this challenge demands of us.
Sorry I feel like I was slightly getting off topic...
I think we need to abandon this idea of "hope" for a sustainable future, not because I don't think it can't necessarily be accomplished, but because the real life-altering movements that have happened in the last 200 years, were because people had lost hope, and in turn, had nothing more to lose. Maybe the idea of hope is more of a restraint than a motivator. If we feel like we have nothing to lose and we simply do what is right for the sake that it's the right thing to do, maybe then we will get more people to care about this issue.
We need to do what is right, just because it's right. Don't we owe that to ourselves and to future generations?
What prompted this was a short essay I had to read for a class I'm currently taking by Michael P. Nelson, called To a Future Without Hope.
http://moralground.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/MichaelNelson.pdf
I provided you with the link.
Nelson also states that we should do what is right for the sake of it being the right thing to do, regardless of hope. He writes about how students of his get so discouraged because they think or someone else tells them that their personal actions will have no real change on the world or other people. We both agree that is kind of bullshit, but also, should you be doing what's right because you want to be solely responsible (or among a few) for saving the planet? Shouldn't you just do what is right regardless of what kind of affect it may or may not have on society?
Here is an example: The most amount of views I've had on one of my blog posts is 24. Obviously, I am not doing this for the views, in the hopes that I will change the entire world for the better. I do it because it's the right thing to do. Even if I help just one person get started on their journey to a more sustainable lifestyle I will be happy with that. Because that person could potentially help one other person and so on and so forth.
I cloth diaper my son because it's what's right. I'm not under the impression that me doing this will have a huge impact on the world, I do it because it's the right thing to do and I don't want to be contributing to the problem. I bring reusable bags and coffee cups, because it's the right thing to do.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is, don't just "hope" for something, or else it won't get done. Just start doing the things because it's the right thing to do. Take hope out of the equation and just do what you can do every day to make it right. Decide that you are going to live a sustainable lifestyle and then take the steps to get there. You aren't alone. We are all in this scary fight together.
~Sadie~
I have been thinking about this concept for a while now. What is hope? There is no way to measure such a thing and, as I've said in previous posts, it's a pretty vague question that does not pose a perspective that is rooted in reality. In my opinion, I think this idea of "hope" and "optimism" for the future is holding back the climate change movement. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think people should live their lives as pessimists. As today's science will tell you, being a pessimist is actually bad for your health. However, I think when regular people (who may not be very involved in the movement or have much interest in it) see that scientists and others are still "full of hope" and are feeling "optimistic," it doesn't motivate change. I also think that it hinders people from feeling and dealing with the emotional consequences of climate change. Climate change is here, it's happening, and it's freaking terrifying. But if we try to hide ourselves away in this bubble of hope and optimism... we aren't doing the gravity of the situation justice. I think that is one of the biggest challenges facing the climate change movement, that it is an emotional one. And we as Americans (and people in general) are not very good at expressing negative emotions and working through them in a healthy way. People should feel sad. It's sad what's happening and we need to take the time to sit in that sadness; and then get up and get in the fight, because that is what this challenge demands of us.
Sorry I feel like I was slightly getting off topic...
I think we need to abandon this idea of "hope" for a sustainable future, not because I don't think it can't necessarily be accomplished, but because the real life-altering movements that have happened in the last 200 years, were because people had lost hope, and in turn, had nothing more to lose. Maybe the idea of hope is more of a restraint than a motivator. If we feel like we have nothing to lose and we simply do what is right for the sake that it's the right thing to do, maybe then we will get more people to care about this issue.
We need to do what is right, just because it's right. Don't we owe that to ourselves and to future generations?
What prompted this was a short essay I had to read for a class I'm currently taking by Michael P. Nelson, called To a Future Without Hope.
http://moralground.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/MichaelNelson.pdf
I provided you with the link.
Nelson also states that we should do what is right for the sake of it being the right thing to do, regardless of hope. He writes about how students of his get so discouraged because they think or someone else tells them that their personal actions will have no real change on the world or other people. We both agree that is kind of bullshit, but also, should you be doing what's right because you want to be solely responsible (or among a few) for saving the planet? Shouldn't you just do what is right regardless of what kind of affect it may or may not have on society?
Here is an example: The most amount of views I've had on one of my blog posts is 24. Obviously, I am not doing this for the views, in the hopes that I will change the entire world for the better. I do it because it's the right thing to do. Even if I help just one person get started on their journey to a more sustainable lifestyle I will be happy with that. Because that person could potentially help one other person and so on and so forth.
I cloth diaper my son because it's what's right. I'm not under the impression that me doing this will have a huge impact on the world, I do it because it's the right thing to do and I don't want to be contributing to the problem. I bring reusable bags and coffee cups, because it's the right thing to do.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is, don't just "hope" for something, or else it won't get done. Just start doing the things because it's the right thing to do. Take hope out of the equation and just do what you can do every day to make it right. Decide that you are going to live a sustainable lifestyle and then take the steps to get there. You aren't alone. We are all in this scary fight together.
~Sadie~
I very much agree with the idea of doing the right thing because it is the right thing (obviously, what is right isn't always an easy thing to discern, but minimizing waste as much as possible seems like an easy one) - it sort of shocks me that people would be focused on wanting a guaranteed outcome as the reason to do something.
ReplyDeleteThank you for contributing to this conversation! I would go as far to say that some people now-a-days don't want to do something without there being some kind of "recognition" involved. I think social media is what we need to thank for that kind of mind set. But you're absolutely right that people should just do the right thing without the idea that they will be praised for it or that it will guarantee a specific future outcome.
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