The Problem I have With Environmentalists

The problem I have with environmentalists is not that they are caring about the environment and are passionate about protecting it. My brother is a passionate environmentalist, so I know he’s not part of the “bought and paid for activists” that are inside many of these environmental movements. I also know that he’s genuine about why he thinks we should be protecting the environment.

To be honest, I am probably no different than he is, I believe in protecting the environment just as passionately as he does. So why do I have a problem with environmentalists? Well, it’s not environmentalist but the radical ones who are ignorant of their own belief system that I have a problem with.

I can already predict some environmentalists are going to stop reading this article after the first paragraph and immediately judge me because they have already figured I do not fit into their belief system.

For those who are continuing to read that’s great because it is quite dangerous that someone can be that stuck in a belief system that they would be afraid to read someone else’s point of view because they aren’t fitting into the mold of what the environmentalist movement has become. Afraid to read different views is a sign of an insecure belief system. So good on you for continuing reading even if you disagree with me. 

It’s important to make sure we all understand that being an environmentalist doesn’t mean humans, big corporations, oil workers, are evil destructive means to and end of destroying the planet. Neither does being an environmentalist have to mean we need to ask governments to force us, entrepreneurs, to protect the environment.

If as individuals, you truly believe in saving the environment everyone can do something by making different buying decisions starting right now. This buying power literally forces the industry naturally to change direction based on what the market is asking for. A couple of examples coming later. 

If the environmentalist movement started changing buying habits immediately, even if it meant sacrificing luxuries, conveniences, and a way of life, they would literally start organically creating change. Instead many of them are still enjoying the luxuries, conveniences, and way of life, while they kick and scream at governments to do the changes. Not only is this a long dragged out plan but it only gets us more lobbying, expensive alternatives, and a slow almost nonexistent change.  

I believe there is something sinister about governments who are pushing this narrative that they are the way to saving the environment and these radical environmentalists are ignorantly falling for this sinister plan. The same governments that got us into the mess we are in today are the same governments who now want to come and be saviours. I like to compare governments saving the environment as “basement savers” , something that firefighters are called when they fail to react to a house fire efficiently enough to save the house. 

What do I mean by the sinister plan? Governments are using the environmental movement as a means to an end to asking you all to give up more control over to them all in the name of saving the world.

If governments and big loud voices truly believe in the environmental movements you’d see leaders taking immediate action utilizing technology to have their big conferences instead of all the jet flying around the world to tell people they are good and industry are bad. It’s justified when environmentalists who don’t walk the walk and just talk the talk are called hypocrites. 

Alright, now to the two examples I mentioned earlier regarding people and their buying habits creating real change. Quite a few years ago now McDonald’s had all this negative press after the release of some documentaries about their product quality, it was only a couple of years after that the company reported a huge loss in the market due to the fact that people started looking for healthier alternative meals. McDonald’s responded to the market and changed its menu to offer healthier alternatives. They didn’t do this because the government forced them, they did it because consumers forced them too. 

Another example is the tobacco industry. When they started putting those pictures on the packs of cigarettes a couple of years later the industry had a huge loss in their business because there were more people quitting than starting to smoke. 

These are just two examples of many more that prove essentially what happens when consumers organically change their buying habits. Education leads to behaviour change; behaviour change leads to market change. This is a change that happens much faster than election cycles of 4-8 years. 

I’d like to end my long ramble with a suggestion. Try being as passionate about your consciously aware buying habits as much as you are consciously aware of your voting habits and you will see change the world.