After we move into the weekend (and after a bit of a delay with posting here – sorry about that!), let’s talk sustainability. Sustainability means a lot of different things:
reducing/eliminating our carbon emissions, by downsizing, radically reducing our flying, switching to a plant-based diet, and more
ensuring that our programs are well designed and achieving their goals
electing governments that have truly sustainable policies at their core
and so much more
So, for today – here’s the question:
What’s one (or more) areas of sustainability that you are interested in learning more about? What’s something that you would like to see more of? What resonates with you?
Share in the comments, and I’ll build your answers into future posts. Let’s talk!
There has been some work going on behind the scenes, and I invite you to check out the new and improved MennoAdventures IG page! There are still a few updates being integrated, and I appreciate your patience as those get fixed.
In the meantime, in the comments, please introduce yourself and share where you live – and one sustainability change you have made in the past that you are excited about. Have you reduced or quit flying? Switched to more plant-based eating? Become vegetarian or vegan? Encouraged your office/school/worship space/extended family/friends to be more actively LGBTQ+ safe? Something else? I look forward to hearing what everyone is up to!
A growing chorus of young people is focusing on climate solutions. “‘It’s too late’ means ‘I don’t have to do anything, and the responsibility is off me.’”
With evidence of the climate crisis growing every day, along with the rise of authoritarian governments, war and other tragedies, it can be hard to stay motivated to keep working for what’s right, for a sustainable, livable, safe planet, for everyone.
In development and sustainability circles, a phrase that is often heard is
Individual action is a great place to start, but a terrible place to end.
And it’s true, in certain ways. We absolutely need strong government action on many things. At the same time, the downside to phrasing our work like this is the somewhat implied apathy, which can lead to
It doesn’t really matter how much or little I try to change my own life, my own actions, how much I try to influence my circles or institutions to change. Someday, some bigger agent than me is going to swoop in and fix everything, so I’m off the hook. I can try a little bit, and then stop when it gets hard or inconvenient.
Here’s the catch. Big systems changes are needed, and we have to keep working for them AND those changes if/when they happen will simply accelerate the changes that, in many cases, we can already make now, for ourselves, without waiting.
For example:
Goal
Government/High Level Action
Individual Action/What We Can Do Right Now
Reduce emissions from travel
Carbon taxes, disincentives for frequent flyers etc
Stop flying. Don’t fly south for a holiday winter. Don’t fly to Europe for a vacation. Don’t fly to a meeting that you could join remotely. Don’t do one more big trip now that Covid restrictions are lifting, even if it’s tempting.
Reduce emissions from food
Gov’t change to food systems, better food guides etc
– Switch to 100% Whole Foods Plant-Based diet (or as close as possible), starting now – Convince your local cafeteria at your work/school etc to significantly reduce or eliminate animal products as soon as possible – Encourage your local faith groups/community groups that you are a part of to switch events to plant-based
Reduce emissions from transportation
– Significant investment in clean public transit – Significant investment in EV chargers – Absolute end to fossil fuel subsidies
– Get rid of any gas vehicles in your household (now or as soon as practically possible) – Use public transit as much as possible – If owning a vehicle is in your plans, switch to an electric
Reduce emissions from housing
– Increased high density housing and investments in housing affordability
– Sell any properties other than primary (if applicable) eg cabin, cottage etc – Downsize primary property (if applicable) to reduce heating etc costs/emissions of a larger-than necessary property. (Bonus benefit – that will open up that housing unit for a family unit that needs the extra space for more people) – Live near as many amenities as possible, to walk (or at least eliminate long drives) for groceries, errands etc.
Others (Too many to fill in here)
– Reducing or eliminating plastics, single use items, take out coffee cups, buying better quality clothes instead of cheap fashion and so many others -Anti-racism, ant-discrimination etc work is also critical, but not directly related to emissions reductions. Not specifically in this category, but too important not to mention 🙂
So, while we continue to advocate for massive government intervention, which changes can we – individually and in our circles (extended family, faith group, community groups etc) make today? Which changes are you ready to make today? Which changes are we each prepared to make, even if nobody else does it with us?
In the comments below, let’s share which changes we are ready to make today. Which might we be ready to encourage others to do with us? What steps are we taking, today, for a better tomorrow?
CBC Keith Baybayon says he struggled with self-acceptance as he reconciled his sexual identity with his Catholic faith. He says flying the Pride flag at his school will help LGBTQ students feel more included and safe. (Jared Thomas/CBC )
Although this is only a small step in the right direction, it is worth celebrating. At the same time, there is still a shocking level of resistance – within the Ontario Catholic system and in other places, to a move as modest as flying a flag to demonstrate inclusion. For the record, the “faith-based” resistance to full acceptance of our LGBTQ+ members is not new, and it’s not something I am going to use space articulating here (but it is cited in the article, above). I’m sure that we’ve all heard it before, and the focus here is on how to move forward, more positively, not on giving space to outdated and discriminatory ideas.
So, in order to help transform the conversation from negative, to positive, I (along with countless others that are working for more inclusive faith groups), would like to suggest the following as a reframing of how we view our faith and actions, for ourselves, and others:
Instead of the too-often used, traditional, inaccurate and discriminatory stance:
“My faith tells me, based on centuries old (mis)understandings of gender and sexuality, that you – and your basic core identifiers, or what you do with your body – are wrong, and I am right. For me to live true to my faith, I need you to change who you are, in order for me to tolerate you.”
Let’s switch to:
“My faith tells me to love my neighbour, so I am called to accept and embrace the diversity (including gender, sexuality and many other things) that we all bring, without judgement or prejudice.”
“My faith tells me to be a good neighbour, so I am called to serve others, instead of demanding that others change their core identity to appease me.”
“My faith tells me that if I own two coats, and my neighbour has none, I should share – so therefore, I am called to give up my big house and move somewhere smaller, live simply, share my wealth, support a universal basic income and work to end wealth inequality in the world.”
“My faith tells me to care for creation, so I am called to stop eating animal products, use zero waste instead of single use products, switch away from my gas vehicle as soon as possible, and vote for governments that take the climate crisis seriously.”
My faith tells me to not kill others, so I am called to actively support peacebuilding instead of militaries, not own a gun, ensure that I am not glorifying war or weapons in any way, and actively vote in governments that show love to our global neighbours instead of engaging in war.”
“My faith tells me to live at peace with others, so I am called to learn the history of racism and discrimination in the world, locally and globally, and actively work to deconstruct any misperceptions I may have about systemic racism in our world. Likewise, I am called to actively welcome refugees and other newcomers with open arms.”
and so on…
Or, in the super-simplified form…
“My/our faith calls me/us to be better global citizen(s), and to serve others, without discrimination. One of the worst things we can do is latch on to the misguided idea that all we need to do is force someone else to change who they are (“be straight instead of LQBTQ+”, “don’t get an abortion”, “don’t be a refugee”…) and then that will be our ticket into heaven. Over and over, in countless faith traditions, we are called to change our own actions (giving up our own wealth, serving the poor and refugees, giving up our own power and status) instead of forcing change on others, especially on aspects of core identity, that break modern anti-discrimination laws in many countries. God calls us to give up our own privilege and wealth, (which is very hard to do), instead of demanding that others change who they are to appease us.”
So, with that, let’s get Pride Month going!😀
More info:
Taking a stand for her father and her family, she’s raising the Pride flag at her former Catholic school – CBC
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Looking for zero-waste, plant-based or sustainable items? Check out the MennoAdventures online store! There are always lots of great deals to be found, with our many amazing partners! Happy browsing!
Exclusive: documents seen by Guardian show companies fought clean-air rules despite being aware of harm caused by air pollution Guardian
As with the climate crisis, further documentation has emerged that demonstrates that the fossil fuel industry knew – at least 50 years ago (before I was even born) – that their products cause significant negative health impacts. Despite that, they have spent decades not only continuing to produce something that is known to be harmful, but actively fighting against regulations.
The documents, which include internal memos and reports, show the industry was long aware that it created large amounts of air pollution, that pollutants could lodge deep in the lungs and be “real villains in health effects”, and even that its own workers may be experiencing birth defects among their children.
But these concerns did little to stop oil and gas companies, and their proxies, spreading doubt about the growing body of science linking the burning of fossil fuels to an array of health problems that kill millions of people around the world each year. Echoing the fossil-fuel industry’s history of undermining of climate science, oil and gas interests released a torrent of material aimed at raising uncertainty over the harm caused by air pollution and used this to deter US lawmakers from placing further limits on pollutants.
And yet, despite the overwhelmingly negative impacts of fossil fuel use -for people and the planet – not only are we not doing everything in our power to end the fossil fuel industry’s damage, nationally and globally, we are still actively subsidizing the very industry that is causing so much damage. So, things need to change – and this is not a “tweak around the edges” kind of change, but rather a complete, top to bottom systems change. Fossil fuel producers know that they are causing harm, and are actively taking massive public subsidies (direct and indirect) to continue to do things that cause harm. Essentially, we, as taxpayers, are paying them to cause harm, and then paying again to clean up the mess that they made. A radical systems change is needed (and should have started 50+ years ago, when the harm was first known.)
Among other changes, one of the most basic is to stop paying others to harm us, and require that companies (and others) pay the full price for their pollution, while actively supporting more positive options.
Clearly, pricing the negative consequences of fossil fuels, especially carbon dioxide, is critical. “If fuel prices had been set at fully efficient levels in 2015, estimated global CO2 emissions would have been 28 percent lower, fossil fuel air pollution deaths 46 percent lower, tax revenues higher by 3.8 percent of global GDP, and net economic benefits (environmental benefits less economic costs) would have amounted to 1.7 percent of global GDP,” according to the IMF report.
I firmly believe that we can’t fix what we don’t acknowledge. Denying the scale and scope of a problem does not help us get to a solution. In this case, fully understanding the scale to which some governments and major corporations are actively working against humanity is the first step towards positive change. With this info, we are now better equipped to:
take individual action to reduce our own carbon footprint
work in our communities and groups to collectively reduce our carbon footprint
actively work to elect governments that are serious about tackling the climate crisis at a national and global level.
All problems are solvable, and we can do this, too, if we work together to create the positive future that we all want for future generations.
Further reading:
Fossil fuels are underpriced by a whopping $5.2 trillion: We can’t take on climate change without properly pricing coal, oil, and natural gas. But it’s a huge political challenge. VOX
The Guardian: UN secretary general urges all countries to declare climate emergencies.
BBC News: Climate change: ‘Default effect’ sees massive green energy switch.
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There are always lots of amazing deals on sustainable, zero-waste items in my online store! Check the website for details!
2020 was not the year that any of us were expecting, when the year began. A global pandemic forced a radical reset of how the world operates, in countless ways. Some of those changes were relatively easy – such as office workers switching to more remote meetings, with less travel for in person work. Other changes were much more difficult – in addition to the catastrophic death toll that results from any pandemic or other major crisis. Some of these changes, however, have resulted in a significant – if temporary – reduction in our emissions. Contrary to the frequently asked question – “When will things go back to the way they were?” – we were, globally, on a trajectory that was not sustainable. Therefore, we should, instead, be asking “How can we come out of this pandemic to something better than what we had before?” (as many people are already doing).
Covid Took a Bite From U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2020: NYT
BBC News – Climate change: US emissions in 2020 in biggest fall since WWII
Amid 2020’s gloom, there are reasons to be hopeful about the climate in 2021 Guardian
InsideClimate News: Many Scientists Now Say Global Warming Could Stop Relatively Quickly After Emissions Go to Zero.
InsideClimate News: Many Scientists Now Say Global Warming Could Stop Relatively Quickly After Emissions Go to Zero.
Lloyd’s market to quit fossil fuel insurance by 2030: Guardian
What does coming out of this to a new, better normal look like? What changes do we need to keep? What new changes will we still need to make? There is not the space here to allow for a comprehensive answer, but there are a few key pieces to highlight:
We must continue with the significant, rapid reduction in emissions that we saw during this pandemic. The rapid pace of change that happened showed that change is possible, where there is a will. Now, we need to maintain the momentum of these changes, without the catastrophic pressure that comes from a global pandemic. Globally, we all need to act fast, without waiting for others who might be further behind in this process.
A Universal Basic Income is essential, for many reasons, and should be implemented as soon as possible.
Multi-party systems, with proportional representation, seemed to fair better (based on research that others have done), and also are key to reducing polarization and misinformation campaigns. Countries that still have First-Past-The-Post or other non-proportional systems should put serious effort into switching as soon as possible.
Food and travel/transportation are big areas of emissions, both of which we have significant control over in our daily lives. Changes are critical – and will need to go beyond what is easy or comfortable at times.
Moving into a better 2021 – and beyond – means living within our planetary boundaries, not taking more than our fair share and living simply, in balance with our global neighbours and with the earth. (Photo Credit)
Here’s to a new year, filled with lots of good things, including (but not limited to…) progress towards the end of this pandemic, strong climate action, electoral reform, peace and justice locally and globally, and civility towards each other.
Stay tuned for more website updates in the coming months. 💻😊
Further data here from the Guardian on the massive environmental impact of air travel, particularly among those who take the most flights in an average year. In addition, the failure to demand that the airline industry pay for the pollution it contributes results in a massive subsidy for airlines, while also contributing significantly to environmental degradation.
Frequent-flying “‘super emitters” who represent just 1% of the world’s population caused half of aviation’s carbon emissions in 2018, according to a study.
Airlines produced a billion tonnes of CO2 and benefited from a $100bn (£75bn) subsidy by not paying for the climate damage they caused, the researchers estimated. The analysis draws together data to give the clearest global picture of the impact of frequent fliers.
Only 11% of the world’s population took a flight in 2018 and 4% flew abroad. US air passengers have by far the biggest carbon footprint among rich countries. Its aviation emissions are bigger than the next 10 countries combined, including the UK, Japan, Germany and Australia, the study reports. (Bold mine).
With the significant pause in air travel as a result in the pandemic, what will governments and other players do to ensure that, instead of getting back to “normal” (as it was pre-pandemic), that we build back differently, with a true aim to create a sustainable future?
As a start (and this should have been done decades ago), every industry (airlines and others), must be expected to pay for the damages they create. Furthermore, there can absolutely not be any more subsidies (direct or indirect) that contribute to environmental degradation.
The researchers estimated the cost of the climate damage caused by aviation’s emissions at $100bn in 2018. The absence of payments to cover this damage “represents a major subsidy to the most affluent”, the researchers said. “This highlights the need to scrutinize the sector, and in particular the super emitters.”
Building back better is possible, if we, collectively, choose to do it, and put the full power of government, non-profits, civil society, industry and others all together. Individually, tackling this issue means looking at giving up non-essential flights and voting in governments that will take strong action on holding polluters accountable. If we don’t do it now, when will we act?
