Totally unfair!
Why climate professionals are often held to unrealistic standards
Climate professionals, people who work in roles which address climate change, are often criticised for what they eat or how they travel. Criticism of lifestyle choices by colleagues, family members or even strangers can be demotivating. Worse, it can hinder efforts towards building a sustainable future.
As more people start working in sustainability, both in traditional sectors such as climate researchers or public health professionals and within other workspaces where sustainability is embedded into an existing role, this type of criticism is in danger of becoming more familiar.
As more people start working the scam they should be expected to practice what they preach, but, you know, that is only for Other People
Climate change affects everyone, whether we like to admit it or not. It can be overwhelming to know how best to act on all the advice about living more sustainably. In fact, increased knowledge about what is necessary for a sustainable lifestyle can be paralysing, and prevent someone from taking action.
See? Everyone should be forced. Except for those pushing it, who have massive carbon footprints.
Of course, many of us do want to live more sustainably. But some people may feel restricted by the efforts and costs of taking these extra steps to change multiple aspects of our busy daily lives.
Wait, so walking the talk is inconvenient and expensive? Who knew? (well, me, because I’ve been saying and writing this stuff for 20 years)
Instead of revamping our own lifestyles, it can be easier to challenge those recommending these changes to our behaviour, to see if they are following their own rules.
Um, why would I change my lifestyle? I’m not a card carrying cult member. They are.
Climate professionals know which choices are best for the environment. But when you see one of them flying to a UN climate summit, drinking from a plastic water bottle or caught red-handed eating a beef burger, how do you feel? Confused? Vindicated? Perhaps, relief? If the very people who are advising us how to live sustainably aren’t practising what they preach, does this absolve us of responsibility to act?
Whether intentional or not, holding climate professionals to unrealistic standards is a tactic which delays effective climate action. It slows down climate action by redirecting responsibility and foregrounding low-impact solutions.
Of course, the article keeps making more Excuses for climajhypocrisy.
Read: It’s Totally Unfair To Require Climate (scam) Professionals To Practice What They Preach »