Maybe I don’t need to convince you climate change is real

Yeah the title is kind of click bait-y but I also think it might be true.

Of the few people who read this blog, I (think) I have a mix of people who believe and don’t believe in climate change, and despite the title, I want this post to address both audiences. So whichever camp you fall into, I hope you’ll stick around. I’m going to address this to my readers who don’t think climate change is real, but I hope my other readers will come along for the ride.

One of the reasons I’m writing this post is that I’m going to try to write more about the very specific, practical things I’m doing to try and contribute to the health of the planet, and I tend to frame my “whys” in terms of combating climate change. But for some of you, that won’t resonate. And I’m going to take a different stance than a lot of other environmentalists: I think that’s fine! Because in the end, I’m not really concerned about convincing you that climate change is real. I’d rather “influence” you to change your behavior. And I don’t think I need to convince you of climate science that I myself don’t fully understand in order to encourage you to do something different.

Let’s get really practical now.

To my understanding, here are the things that can make the biggest difference in combating climate change (HUGE caveat that multiple forms of privilege affect a person’s ability to make these changes and no guilt is intended for those who can’t do these things for one reason or another):

1. Eating less meat and animal products
2. Buying food grown closer to home
3. Quit fast fashion
4. Drive less
5. Buy way less stuff in general
6. Vote for “green” candidates and policies

But do I need to convince you of the science of climate change in order to actually get you to do any of the above? I don’t think so. One conclusion I’ve come to as I’ve read more about the climate crisis is that all the behaviors that contribute aren’t just “bad for the planet”. They are bad for us. So instead of debating climate change, I’m going to ask you to consider the following values and see if any of them resonate with you. If they do, I invite you to come along the journey with me as I talk about specific changes I’m making:

1. Human rights. Lots of the cheap stuff and fashion that ends up on our shelves is made by humans who are enslaved, trafficked, or exploited. Factory farms also have this issue, but even for those employees not exploited, factory farms are just grim places to work. The overconsumption in our culture requires resources that others need to live, like clean drinking water. If I can convince you to make changes in order to support human rights, yay!
2. Mental and spiritual health. Buying too much stuff is bad for our health. It decreases our capacity for gratitude. On an even more practical level, more stuff takes up more mental space and more time. Fast fashion is getting worse and worse and sometimes barely lasts past a couple wears, meaning you have to spend more of your time shopping. If I can convince you to make changes in order to support your own mental and spiritual health, yay!
3. Animal welfare. Factory farms treat animals terribly. Overconsumption results in tangible negative impacts to wildlife every step of the way, from trash in the ocean to less fresh water and deforestation. If I can convince you to make changes in order to treat animals better, yay!
4. Community care. Factory farms are pushing small family farms out of business. The trash from our overconsumption ends up in low-income communities or historically exploited (“third world”) countries. Car-based communities aren’t great for kids. Buying cheap stuff from China hurts local economies. If I can convince you to make changes in order to better care for your community, yay!
5. Physical health. When physically able, walking and biking is healthier than driving. Local, seasonal food is more nutritious. Factory farmed meat and animal products have their own host of health issues. If I can convince you to make changes for your own physical health, yay!

So if you don’t think or aren’t sure climate change is real, I don’t mind. I invite you to come see what changes I’m making and see if any of them resonate with you anyway. We can make a better world together.

And if you do think climate change is real but have found yourself spending a lot of time trying to change people’s minds, maybe you’ll find some relief in the idea that we can inspire change through a multitude of motivations.