
We drove to a small gathering in somebody’s backyard. There was beer, chips, animated conversations and a bonfire. We were talking about the changes Julien and I made in our life and why. Julien gives workshops on the impacts of climate change and is outspoken on the subject. At some point the person across from us said: “But you still have smartphones and came here by car!”
Hypocrite
The definition of hypocrite according to the Cambridge Dictionary online:
Someone who says they have particular moral beliefs but behaves in way that shows these are not sincere: He’s a hypocrite – he’s always lecturing other people on the environment but he drives around in a huge car.
Often ecologists are named hypocrites because they still drive a car, buy new clothes, fly occasionally or do something that is, according to others, not in line with what they stand for. The truth is that we can’t have a footprint of 0. We are part of this society, and it is not the idea to step out of it. Change comes from within, is done step by step and by fallible humans.
To make a change there is no point in blaming the ‘hypocrites’. Let’s instead share the worries I think we all have. Let’s talk about the stuff we do to lower our footprint: what it brought us, what was challenging, how it improved our being, how it can give joy and purpose to everyday life. Let’s change the social norm.
That day in the garden, after the remark of having phones and a car, I was silent. I heard Julien starting to defend us: “we need it to make a living, to run our business”. There was a smirk and the conversation took a different direction. I was relieved, fearing awkwardness and a debate. But driving back home, I felt uncomfortable with my silence earlier.
Doing good, louder
Speaking up can be scary because you need to put yourselves out there, even if the crowd is sceptic. What I would have liked to say, sitting there in the afternoon sun was this:
Yes, we have a phone, although I am already the 3rd owner of mine. Yes, we have a car and for the time being we keep it. This is, however, not the point. The point is that we are happy with the choices we have made.
Not flying made us cross Europe by foot and it is the best trip I ever made. Re-using, upcycling and sharing brought a creativity I didn’t know I had. Focusing on a simple life closer to Nature gave me a wider view. It made me reconsider the cult of becoming this best version of yourself, what usually involves more consuming. Planting trees taught me to be patient and to be able to see future generations, to do something that is not only for my own immediate benefit.
And for these future generations we must change. I wasn’t early in the game, but here I am, committed to the bone.
Inspired by the podcast ‘Eerste hulp bij overleven‘ (Dutch)
Meesterlijk verwoordt. Niks aan toe te voegen dan dit….laat je niet van de wijs brengen en houd vol!!! kusA.