How can catastrophic climate change can be prevented?
Global warming is already underway, so it can’t be completely stopped, but any action we take now can
have an enormous impact on how severe its effects will be and how soon they’ll occur. The scenario spelled out in World Without Winter doesn’t have to happen, and I sincerely hope it does
not. There are lots of things each and every one of us can do to avoid such a disastrous future, and many of which have already been suggested. In fact, you’ll find a useful list at
Stop Global Warming (click to view) as an example. But such actions, important as they are, tend to focus on
the minutia of daily life rather than the big picture—which is what I’m focused on. So instead of reiterating all the little things you can do to combat the greenhouse effect, I’d like to
lay out a few key concepts to serve as a guide to tackle the problem in a larger sense. The way I see it, there are three main things we need to do. They’re interconnected, so please read
read through all of them before you act on one.
1) Make Choices
Every time you spend a dollar (or a yen, or a euro, or a pound), you’re casting a vote. What are you voting for?
Are the products you’re buying made in an environmentally responsible way by conscientious companies? What about the services you pay for? Where does your power come from? Are you using green energy?
I know, you’re probably thinking, “I only pay for the things I do because that’s all there is to choose from.” Are you sure? Have you taken the time to investigate what other alternatives
there might be? You’d be surprised what you might find.
Take Working Assets. They provide phone and credit services and donate a
portion of their profits to environmental organizations and other meaningful causes. Since 1985, they’ve raised over $50 million! They even print your bill on recycled paper with soy ink. And
their customers have the satisfaction of knowing that they’re supporting a company that’s making the world a better place. That’s just one example of a service you can buy that helps create a
sustainable future. But there’s a better success story than that.
When the natural food industry began in the 70s, the business world scoffed at it. They never believed that anyone would
pay more money for organically grown, pesticide-free food. But because people chose to support it, it became one of the fastest growing sectors of the food industry. In fact, the very companies that
laughed at the idea in the first place later ended up buying into it. Why? It proved to the business world that there is a way to do things ethically and still make money. Money! If I had to use one
word to describe the climate crisis that would be it: money. We all have some. Maybe not as much as we’d like, but some. Use it wisely.
2) Make Noise
Once you’ve looked around to see what other choices you can make you begin to realize that there aren’t as many as there should be.
That’s when you start making noise. Get on the phone, send emails, write letters. And I don’t just mean to government officials—though that is vitally important as well—I mean to the companies that make the
products and offer the services that you buy.
For instance, “I like the cars you make, but why do they all run on gas? Don’t you have any electric ones? Why not? I’d love to buy one from you. Have you
considered making them?” If enough people sound off like this, it can make a difference. Public pressure forced McDonald’s to phase out its Styrofoam packaging and begin using recycled paper products instead.
Yes, even a behemoth like McDonald’s can be motivated to change. But if we remain silent, it’s as if we’re saying that everything is okay the way it is.
There’s a calculus about public opinion that
you may not be aware of. Since most people never take the time to speak up, it is often believed that when one does, there are 99 other people that feel that way. That means your voice is 100 times more
powerful than you thought it was! Use it. You’d be surprised what we can accomplish if enough of us take the time to praise worthwhile efforts, and object to destructive practices.
3) Wage Peace
Of all the destructive behaviors our civilization engages in, the worst is war. It’s an utter waste of the planet’s resources, and an
absolute failure of human society. Yet when nations choose confrontation over negotiation, it happens. We also need to be mindful of that tendency in our own lives, especially with regard to this problem. I know
how frustrating it is to witness the ongoing harm we’re doing to this planet, but taking that frustration out on others we perceive to be responsible is not the best way to motivate them to change. This is the
hardest part of this tripartite formula, but it’s also the key to the other two parts. When we make noise, if we’re coming from a place of anger, it’s much less likely that we’ll be heard. And we can’t make sound
choices if we’re upset. There’s an important historical example of this that we would do well to learn from.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
is a well-meaning organization fighting for an important cause. But around the time they were founded, vandals started spray painting coats to protest the wearing of fur. Did that stop the victims from wearing it? No,
they just went out and bought new coats and even MORE animals were harmed as a result. Even worse, the animal rights movement became associated with fanaticism, so the message they were trying to get out was often
ignored. It didn’t matter if the overzealous individuals who committed the acts were associated with PETA or not. They discredited an entire movement by choosing the path of confrontation. And the people wearing the
fur—whose minds they were trying to change—were merely alienated. Most sadly, animals are still being exploited—not just in the fur industry, but on factory farms and elsewhere. And to this day there are those who
still think people that believe in animal rights are “kooks.” It’s an unfortunate example of what can happen when we choose to confront, rather than reach out to, others who may not share our point of view.
Everyone deserves to be given the opportunity to change. That applies to people, companies, and governments. If they still remain intractable, more persuasive methods can always be used later (boycotts, for instance),
but civil disobedience should not be the first course of action. It’s just another form of war.
Pretend for a moment that you’re a receptionist at a big energy company. The phone rings. You get one of two calls.
The first one is from an angry person blaming you for destroying the planet. Here’s the second one: “I appreciate the fact that you’ve helped provide for my energy needs so reliably, but I’m concerned that not enough
is being done to protect the environment. Can you tell me what steps you’re taking to develop cleaner technologies, and what I can do to support those efforts?” Which message are you more likely to pass on to upper
management, one from a “crazy kook” or a concerned consumer?
When you wage a battle peacefully, you’re more likely to be listened to, and you’ll end up with better choices. That’s how these three principles all
work together. I think they’re a potent formula for change, and hope you find them useful in combating global warming.
(Wind and solar energy images displayed on this page came courtesty Freeimages.co.uk)
