Sexism, Racism, and … Environmentalism ?
Wanted, Fully Alive: Environmentalists…
7 billion of them
Photo Credit- Pim Stouten (Creative Commons BY NC)
Do you know a company that hires “token environmentalists”?
Do you often sense environmental tokenism?
Do you feel oppressed by environmentalists?
Or are you an oppressed environmentalist?
Stop!
It doesn’t have to be this way!
Everyone is an environmentalist at heart.
“Wisdom enables us to comprehend our interconnectedness and see that it is not really a battle between good guys and bad guys at all, but rather that the line between good and evil runs through the landscape of every human heart.” – Joanna Macy
http://www.warriorone.com/about-warrior-one/whats-in-a-name/the-shambhala-story-by-joanna-macy/
Are you an Ethic minority?
Have you ever felt – as a ‘green’ – that you are in a ethic minority*?
That no one understands you, welcomes you, celebrates you? (*An ethical minority, rather than an ethnic one?)
Have your beliefs about others, e.g. about politicians, corporations, banks and ‘baddies’ ever lead you to a place of (perfectly logical, justified and righteous) separation; from other? Into a lonely place of being ‘right’ – but all alone?
Does ‘green crap’ get in the way of your happiness?
Or does green make you smile? 🙂
I used to enjoy speaking of “Keeping Up with the Greens’es”
Of greener lifestyles being an aspirational thing. “Pull” not “push”. Free will, not dogma.
After all, the only person in the world who’s environmental impacts are (any of) “my business” is… me.
Likewise your impacts are entirely your business.
To impose my eco beliefs on others, even my wife and kids, could easily be an act of mild bullying, or even violence. The only person in the world who I am entitled to change is, me. And I can change me. You can’t. Even if you can see the carbon ‘plank’ in my eye!
I’m proud to be an environmentalist.
Proud to be green, environmental, Green, a greenie, a passionate green, a deep green, dark green, bright green, light green, pale green, noveaux green, an environmentalist, and a professional environmentalist, a tree hugger, an amateur, an activist, a hippy, campaigner, a diplomat, an eco-warrior… and a Chartered Environmentalist. (C Env)
I see no division; all these are One. There’s no need to judge each other. Or judge our self (ie!)
All shades of green are welcome here. Inclusivity.
All of the aforementioned graded grains of greens are my friends. Now that’s environmentally FRIEND-ly.
There is no place for jealousy on this one beautiful green Earth.
I’m an Environmentalist through and through – and proud of it. But here’s the exciting bit: So are you!
I’m not judging you, see. Everyone is an environmentalist. Come as you are. Welcome to the party – of at least 40 shades of green.
You are almost certainly as green as you can possibly be, at this point in time, and at this point in your journey, and you may well be much greener than me. Or much less green. But I bet you care. I know you do. Everyone does; underneath that superficial makeover. We can make up.
I just love the fact that you and I are fellow Environmentalists (now).
We are re-connected. We never were that different. Group Hug.
Shades of green Creative Commons Image credit to Gabriela Ruellan
Grown up green
For decades I used to repeat the mantra that it paid to be green; that green saves money; green makes money, and that we can ‘do well by doing good’. But until I/you truly internalise that belief, green stays just a hobby. But when we truly believe that we and the world can thrive and prosper, from peaceful, proper, professional greening of the established order, then we can make a living. Not from bringing the system crashing down, but from rapidly re-engineering it from within. Then we become environmental professionals. Billions of them!
On my tomb stone one day, rather than Spike Milligan’s “See, I told you I was ill” I would like “Here lies (the carbon ashes of) Dave Hampton – an Environmentalist.”
I’m aware that psychologically speaking I am “projecting” all good things onto the E-word: Environment. And what’s wrong with that? In an ideal world we can all project all good things onto “Environment” “Nature” – and onto all beings. Our true Nature. One.
My spiritual belief system is that plants, beings, soil, water and air are sacred.
“I believe in God it’s just that I spell it N a t u r e” – Frank Lloyd Wright.
Creative commons Image Credit- spunfunkster under CC-BY-NC-SA
If what we see ‘out there’ in the world is bad people, doing bad things, in a bad system, then guess what? We won’t be welcomed in to ‘change’ anything. If, on the other side of our heart, we see compassionate people doing the best they can, in difficult circumstances, it becomes so much easier, to effect deep, lasting change. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle you know nothing about. Be kind.
Be kinda green?
FOUND:
Big Hearted Friendly Environmentalists.
7 billion of them.
(((((((green hug)))))))
dave hampton 
Interesting viewpoints. I don’t understand though how imposing your views and way of life on your family can be bullying or violent – perhaps you could explain how? In my view, apart from loving and providing for them, it is only natural that you demonstrate your values and way of life. Secondly, I agree about good and bad. Given that the current eco system of our planet would be happier with about one-tenth of the people on it – we are not all going to voluntarily go away, so the only question is what compromises and what concessions are you going to make? Here we all fall on a sliding scale. Lastly, the planet has never existed in a state of equilibrium, so the question is, what are we trying to conserve and why? I feel the problem with some aspects of the green agenda is to seek the status quo to continue in everything, rather than to focus efforts on a particular goal for a particular reason. This involves letting some things go.
Many thanks for your comment and questions, Julie. Appreciated.
I won’t speak for other ‘greens’, and actually I query whether there is such a thing as (one) “the green agenda”, but I am all for letting things go; and I certainly no fan of preserving the status quo; far from it 😉
Thanks for querying the ‘bully and violence’ words. Maybe those words were too strong. In mind I had the beauty of good quality NVC (non-violent communication) as I wrote. Still, it’s complicated 🙂
Here’s what I said:
“To impose my eco beliefs on others, even my wife and kids, could easily be an act of bullying or even violence. The only person in the world who I am entitled to change is, me.”
“…could easily be”
To illustrate what I was talking about, suppose one partner (of two) in a lifelong partnership, with off-spring, decided (over time perhaps) that they wanted to be go vegan, live much more simply, quit their job, join the gift economy, cease all long distance travel, and consume nothing… this decision, however they handled things, would necessarily have impacts on the other partner. If there was any pre-existing partnership conflict, these new ‘green’ beliefs could easily unwittingly start to be used as just one more weapon…
e.g. No more holidays. Withholding cash. Querying shopping. (Both ways.) Separate cooking, shopping, travelling, to name a few. Especially (and i caricature here 🙂 if one partner was a Premier League footballer, or indeed if one partner was a stereotypical “footballers wife”. Which is not to say one partner can’t go their own way, lifestyle wise, staying within a family relationship, it is just acknowledging that it could be complicated, and “could easily be” less than peaceful, equitable, respectful and peaceful. Could be…
I’d be interested to hear from others with views on this.
There are all sorts of partnerships and all sorts of ways of managing and sharing responsibilities, from the old traditional to the new age.
Also, looking at the kids point of view: suppose Mom and Dad decide, as kids are born, that they are never going to fly on a plane no more. Is that fair? And when they reach their teens? Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. I suspect it all comes down to deep intentions, trust & love.