Culture, Convenience, and Apathy

It's the end of the world as we know it

And I feel fine.

-REM

Especially in the context of climate change, one factor to consider above all else is the remarkable complexity of the issue. There are no absolutes. A company that produces plastic water filters may campaign against bottled water. An oil company may invest in renewable energy sources. A pipeline that may lead directly to environmental degradation may create thousands of new jobs. This is an important point to consider, and one that appears to be missing in Damian Carrington's article. Even actors that are generally harmful to the environmental health of the planet may have some positive impacts, which makes the battle to stop climate change one in which the lines between friend and foe become less clearly delineated. 

Carrington alludes briefly to politics and the economy as a source of difficulty in the campaign against climate change, yet he does not mention culture along with these societal components. Having discussed Assadourian's "The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures" as well as Donella Meadow's "Leverage Points," there are significant and far reaching aspects of culture that complicate the battle against climate change, including the highly ingrained social mentality of limitless and ever increasing consumption. That this notion has become self-perpetuating is a severe and substantial obstacle in reducing climate change, and its association with the political and economic realm of society should not be discounted. As one who believes in the power of institutions, culture is especially important, as it may serve as the vehicle through which humanity may shift into a new paradigm of sustainability rather than consumption, and of longevity rather than trendsetting. 

Another important and related point of consideration is that of convenience. Under the current system it is too convenient for the average individual to make use of existing technologies that are furthering environmental harm. In the specific case of transit, it is easy and intuitive that an individual will visit a petrol pump/gas station when his or her vehicle is running low on fuel. It is less convenient for that person to switch to an electric vehicle, and even more difficult still for that person to find a way to maintain his or her current lifestyle without the use of a private vehicle at all. 

The last major point that went unnoticed by Carrington is that of apathy. Regrettably, the reality of climate change is simply incomprehensible to many individuals, some due to ideology, and others due to an inability to rationalize the concept and apply it to their daily routines. Whatever the reason for their apathy, it is a characteristic that is perhaps more alarming than any other, as those who are truly apathetic are unlikely to take action to remedy a scenario in which they do not perceive a problem. 

Stopping climate change is a complex and colossal challenge. Along with the three major problems mentioned by Carrington, other factors such as culture, convenience, and apathy each play a role in undermining current efforts to restore the health of the natural world.