As
we prepare for the 2015 Sustainable Living Fair, which is coming up Saturday,
Oct. 17, some wonder: Do individual actions really matter? Does it really make
a rat’s ass worth of difference, in a world of more than seven billion
people—one that appears to be going to hell in a hand-basket—if we recycle,
compost, ride a bike or plant a garden?
The
simple answer is “yes, it does.” The combined impact of humanity is the sum of
all of our actions. Insulating and weatherizing your house will reduce your
demand for energy to heat and cool, and this, besides saving you money, means
just a little bit less in the way of greenhouse gases and other environmental
pollution. By itself, it’s not “the solution,” but it is a baby step in that
direction. If just one person does this, the impact is tiny, to be sure, but if
a million Missouri homes took such action . . . . there is a cumulative effect.
This,
of course, begs the question: how do we get a million Missouri homeowners or
landlords to take such action? Or, how do we get folks to go solar? And the
answer to this is neither clear nor simple. You might come to the SLF, find out
about solar photovoltaics, hook up with a vendor and get solar panels
installed. Or you might arrange an energy audit and then invest in tightening
up your building envelope. The chain of decision making is in your hands and
the actions yield definite, albeit limited, results. Each of us has the most
control and say-so over our own choices and actions.
Getting
others to take such action, however, is more challenging. It can come through
public education, but, more often than not, it comes through changes in public
policy. This can include prescriptive or proscriptive laws and codes. It also
can include offering financial incentives, including tax credits and rebates.
We,
here at Peaceworks, along with our allies, continue to work for these, but our
ability to influence the process is limited, particularly when majorities in
legislatures at the state and federal levels are generally bought and paid for
by the fossil fuel industry. They are lukewarm at best on renewables and energy
efficiency, the two keys to a sustainable future.
So,
to actually achieve public policy changes, it is imperative that we forge a
mass movement. Such movements are a necessary ingredient in almost all social
change and especially in making changes that challenge the power and
perquisites of those who are profiting from current arrangements.
But
mass movements are only truly effective if its participants’ means are consistent
with their ends. A movement for climate justice led by hyper-consumptive
jet-setters living in McMansions and driving everywhere in gas-guzzling SUVs
isn’t going to win over many people.
Rather,
we must heed Gandhi’s call to “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” We must
recognize the potential for each of us to serve as an example to others. If you
plant a big, organic garden and have lots of great produce, your neighbors
likely take notice. If they see you peddling off to work or school, it might
get them thinking. And, if another neighbor joins you in one of these
activities, it’s no longer just that one kooky granola, but rather something
that’s catching on; something that maybe, just maybe, they should consider
becoming a part of.
So,
as the October 17 Sustainable Living Fair approaches, our invitation is out
there. We need you to be part of the solution. We’re talking about being an
active part of a movement that calls for a radical (that is “to the root”)
rethinking and restructuring of our economic system and our very way of life.
We’re asking you to participate in an active fashion, both in the more
“political” aspects of this process—that is education and advocacy—as well as “walking
the talk” by adopting more sustainable ways in your own life.
In
summary, sustainable living is necessary, but not sufficient. It’s an important
part of what we need to be doing. We encourage you to join us, learn more,
apply the lessons as you can to green-up your lifestyle, and then take it to
the next level by helping build a movement that can redefine our system. In the
process, working together, hopefully we will prevent the more catastrophic
impacts of runaway climate change and, in the long run, help restore planetary
balance. It’s up to all of us.
Want to help with the SLF? We are looking for volunteers. Contact us via mail@midmopeaceworks.org or by calling 573-875-0539.
