No Guilt, No Judgement

Heart of the Earth Logo

"No Guilt, No Judgment"

by Barry Fraser

A few weeks ago during one of our Council meetings, one of our members expressed that, as much as he is committed to the concept of taking individual actions in his own life to minimize his environmental impact, it seems like "everything I do has some sort of a detrimental impact on the environment, and I wind up feeling guilty about everything. "

"Green guilt" is common among those of us trying to lessen our impact on the earth as we try to be aware of all the things that we can do to protect our precious environment. For so many years now we have been bombarded by books and articles that tell us all the things to do and not do in order to protect our planet. Plant a tree, snip six-pack rings, drive less, take flea collars off your dog, eat lower on the food chain, avoid releasing helium balloons, don't water your lawn on windy days, cover your pots when boiling water, don't use air fresheners, wash bottles before recycling. I get overwhelmed just thinking about the "1001 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet."

To be sure all of these actions are worthwhile in protecting the environment. But the simple fact is that some of them are more important than others. And where we get ourselves into trouble is thinking that we can and should do everything, and we blame ourselves if we sometimes choose other priorities over something that would be environmentally helpful. And as a result, we can wind up feeling guilty, depressed and demoralized.

The truth of the matter is that it is more productive to focus on what we can do. We must each decide for ourselves what we can best do in our own lives to diminish our ecological footprint. No guilt, no blame. Part of our work is to provide an example for others, and if we make ourselves miserable, or allow ourselves to burn out, no one will follow.

The best way to decide what's right for us is to find out what actions or non-actions make the biggest difference on our impact on the earth. If we can only do so much, what actions can we prioritize that will make the biggest difference? Does eating less meat have more of an impact on the environment than not using spray cans? Does using cotton vs. synthetic clothes save more resources than driving and SUV? How much does it matter if we use newspaper rather than polysyrene "peanuts" for packaging?

In case you might be feeling like, "oh no, not one more thing I have to do" the Union of Concerned Scientists has developed a list of consumer actions that have the most impact on the environment. Most of the actions relate to Heart of the Earth's goal of reducing your personal consumption of fossil fuels. We've adapted some of their suggestions, and however you can do it helps the earth. Just find ways to reduce the amount of gasoline you burn and electricity and gas you buy, and use the savings to reduce your consumption even more. Then feel good and know that you are making a difference in this problem.

Priority Actions for American Consumers

Household Operations

1. Install efficient lighting and appliances.
2. Choose an energy efficient home.
3. Lower thermostats, and use efficient appliances

Transportation

1. Whenever practical, walk, bicycle, car pool, or take public transportation.
2. Set concrete goals for reducing your travel.
3. Think twice before purchasing another car.
4. Choose a fuel-efficient, low-polluting car.
5. Choose a place to live that reduces the need to drive.

Food

1. Eat less meat.
2. Buy certified organic products.

Long time environmental activist Joanna Macy in talking about facing the sadness and guilt we feel about the part we play in harming the environment says, "In our society, it is hard not to feed, clothe, and transport ourselves at the expense of the natural world and other people's well-being." And although it is immensely important for us to let ourselves feel these feelings on behalf of the earth, it is just as important that we not judge ourselves or others for the choices and priorities we make in our lives. We're in this together. We're doing the best we can in a world and society that sometimes doesn't support values that will protect our planet. What we need, and what will ultimately move us along the path toward environmental responsibility, is to love, support and educate one another in finding ways that will do less harm to the environment and to the natural world. This is truly what we owe to future generations.

To comment on this article or for more information, please contact Heart of the Earth:

http://www.heartoftheearth.org
info@heartoftheearth.org
(850) 216-8400

Originally published in Alternatives Magazine, June, 2001