Oh temptation! Though I'm definitely not a Catholic I want to confess my sins. Since I got my driver's license and moved to Halifax, I've been borrowing the car now and then and not riding my bike (never it seems!) nor even taking the good transit system here. I have no excuse really. Driving is faster and I'm lazy.
This realization has been a big challenge. Basically I'm going against everything I stood for and believed for the past few years. I feel shame, especially because right now I'm not living in the country where driving is kind of the only option.
The other part of me though says: don't feel shame, every other fucker is driving and everyday. You use the car to go to your late night indoor football matches and driving lessons (funny I know). That's a few times a week and soon it'll only be one time a week.
But that's not the point. We are all wrong, we are behaving badly and mistreating the world on which we depend. The problem is that I may recognize this and never get on another airplane and try and grow all my own food but most people don't take these steps, in fact they probably can't for a whole bunch of reasons.
Bring on the waterless flood and wash away all my sins!
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I am really glad you said this. I have a feeling that we all have these 'sins' that we commit.
ReplyDeleteIts just another reminder that environmentalism can be just another religion unless its taken with a grain of salt.
By saying them out loud sometimes we can overcome them. But sometimes, personal action is overrated.
Ultimately, what would change things is getting off oil. Making things more efficient.
Look at scandinavia. They are a bunch of the most happy people on the world. And its not like they are just rich, they are also some of the most charitable countries.
For such small places, they are inspiring to me.
I think what you are doing Thom, is really inspiring and someday I want to hunker down build a yurt, live in a forest and get in touch with the soil.
For now, I'm going to use the planes to fly places. But I'm also going to just use transit and bike around.
As it happens, I don't need a car. Someday I might. If I want to be an art teacher (my dream) I will need one to drive around and find work.
I think we need people to be a little extreme though. Who don't choose these negative behaviors. They are the true heroes. As long as they don't believe they are changing everything. But they certainly are affecting something! God bless them in a totally secular way.