With Climate Breakdown Occurring Now, I Thought Talking About It Would Get Easier

The question my climate activist friends often ponder is ‘how bad does it have to get for folks to start listening and changing their behavior?’

I’m still having uncomfortable conversations, mostly about vacations and flying, because it seems like low hanging fruit. If we can get our minds off vacations and focused on the problems at hand, we can do the work we need to do.

I’ll start with an excerpt from an email I sent a friend. She lives across the country and I don’t talk with her as much as I would like. We had a long, heart felt conversation. I wasn’t able to say everything I wanted during our phone conversation because other topics took precedence, but I felt I should to speak up after I got off the phone.

I hate to be a pain in the ass, but when you said you were going on vacation to Italy, it makes me think you really don’t know the extent of the climate and ecological emergency. Here’s the latest from Alan Urban, a man who brilliantly summarizes what is happening globally each week.

Collapse Catch-Up: June 24–30. 2023

It’s too uncomfortable for me to say this in person, but flights are a huge part of our carbon footprints and big vacations take our minds off the crisis at hand that must be addressed NOW — a difficult fact to face. Here’s another spot on article by Umair Haque.
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Why Our Civilization is in a Climate Crisis — Why We Can’t Kick our Fossil Fuel Habit — Even When It’s Costing Us Everything

It seems like we should be sharing with others and caring for others (mutual aid) and standing up to the forces that are going to literally end life on earth. Yes, we need to take care of ourselves (bicycle rides, yoga, hikes), but we also need to use our privilege to help others. We can’t each do everything, but we each can focus on something.

Watching and reading Station 11 made me think of all the luxuries I have at home. Electric lights, a refrigerator, running water, a toilet! Heat to keep me warm in winter. Windows to let the light in. Rice from Asia and other foods from around the world. An electric car and a bus stop just down the street. I’ve got it damn good.

You know I love you. I don’t want to come across as preachy. I just can’t stand going forth with business as usual and confronting reality is the best way I can see to do that.

Much love,

Andrea

She didn’t answer, and I didn’t expect her to. But I had said what I needed to say.

Later in the week I asked my cousin, who is living through the latest Texas heat wave, to not fly to a celebration of a milestone birthday for my mother who lives near New York City. My cousin said she would try to be there, if only for a day. When I said we love her, and would love to see her, but a phone call would do, she said, “But I want to.”

At this point, what we might want for ourselves and what we must do are not yet the same for most people.

Then I had this interaction today — on Facebook. A former colleague posted:

Ever flown Iceland Air?

Don’t. It’s the Southwest Airlines of international travel. It’s 1am Seattle time. People are trying to sleep. Most people have left their window shades open.

I have slept 0 minutes. I’m going to die.

I get it. The post was funny. I’m sure that being on the plane was not pleasant.

Most of the comments were like this one.

You’re going to Paris. I’m so jealous!! Enjoy friend! Post lots of pictures so I can live vicariously through your trip.

I commented “Or, as we are looking at record breaking temperatures, stop flying.”

Then I entered into a conversation with her husband.

You’re right, next year we will take a cruise ship and then train on in. To be honest, your micro-aggression should be more focused on the rich who take private jets, rather than folks who are taking the equivalent of a flying bus.

My response:

I’m focused on them too. Current climate news on how fast warming is happening is truly scary. As Antonio Guterres said recently — we need to do everything, everywhere all at once.

We have so much that fossil fuels have provided, but this simply can’t continue. I’ve been arrested trying to stop pipelines, written letters to the editor, and postcards to voters. Commenting on a Facebook post is one more way to talk about this. Nothing personal — but we’re all in this together.

Then I added the link to the book

Under the Sky We Make by Kimberly Nicholas PhD

Here’s where I sensed a strange sense of anger.

Andrea O’Ferrall Question for you. How often do you drive alone in your car? If it’s more than 1 time a week, then you are contributing to the problem — even if it’s an EV. More single passenger cars, equals more congestion, equals more fossil fuels being burned.
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I only mention this because I remember Sarah saying that you only recently took a bus alone for the first time. That is amazing that it took you so long! All those years where you were harming the environment.

Here’s the deal. We do a lot to offset our carbon footprint. All EV cars, we ride our bikes often (Sarah even to work), I work from home — less time spent creating traffic, installed enough solar to fully offset our electrical, plus working on removing gas as a source of heat in our home.

What I’m saying is, the manner you promote climate activism is very off putting. And because of that, it causes me to want to burn a pile of old tires. Maybe re-think how you present your cause. Otherwise, you’re just adding to noise pollution and hurting the cause more than helping.

So my comment — “Or, as we are looking at record breaking temperatures, stop flying.”

Made him want to burn a pile of old tires!

Then he added:

PS — Are you suggesting I kill trees by purchasing a book? And then create pollution by having a single book shipped to my home? Seems wasteful.

I replied:

I’m trying to understand the problem better every day and get the discussion going in any way. I have learned that flying is a huge part of one’s carbon footprint. You can’t blame me for wildfires, floods droughts and heatwaves, but we can look at our behavior and do our best, now, to promote a livable future. If we, in the US continue to take more than our fair share of the carbon budget that is left, that seems morally wrong. I try to live by example and I bring up the scary state of affairs often, not to be a Doomer, but in the hopes that people can change. I think less of ‘I want to’ and more of ‘we need to’. Sorry that my bringing this up makes you want you to burn tires.

Finally nearing the end of the exchange:

Andrea O’Ferrall A suggestion — maybe look into presenting your information in a less confrontational way. Example, S — ’s post was about having a poor flying experience and was just asking if others had experienced the same. But you came in all “Doomer” and was like “maybe you shouldn’t fly at all”. That was uncalled for, especially to whom your comment was directed to, as S — and I do consider the environment and climate a lot in our everyday and long term actions. Example, we walked 13 miles today through Paris. We do not plan to take any fossil fueled transportation while we are here. As previously mentioned, we are very environmentally conscience, and probably more than most people.

What I am saying is, you are shaming an ally. Granted we may not meet the same standard as you hold, but nonetheless you are shaming an ally. When you start attacking allies, then your message gets lost and it hurts the cause. Maybe consider that before you comment.

My reply: