in which I bitch and am tired of tact
Sep. 8th, 2005 02:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
themeletorglobal warming. pollution. evil chemicals, CO2, CFCs, O3, energy conservation, oil consumption, deforestation... you know, I've been studying either side of most if not all of those issues for years.
and I've realized that I really... don't care. I live an ecologically conscious lifestyle, and whatever other people do is their shit. I've seen the feel-good fads sweep through, done the science projects, boycotted the aerosol cans. you know, I can't recycle Herbal Essences bottles at home? don't know if I can here, and it really doesn't matter, because if I can then I can recycle the other shampoo bottles too. Herbal Essences and associated bullshit is just that -- bullshit. a feel-good fad. ok so they ... give a percentage of their profits to rainforest protection, if you buy the 'rainforest flowers' line? is that it? if I want to save the rainforests, I use less paper. hell, I use recycled paper. it's cheaper anyway. if I really think the rainforests should be preserved enough that it affects my shampoo choice, I'm going to get the fuck out there and do something. I might not go plant trees in the Amazon, just join an active group. that bunch of names you'd usually flap a check at? I'd write them a letter. phone them up. volunteer for something. figure something out.
but I'm not at that point right now. so I do things closer to home. I buy local food. it tastes better, and is healthier. I walk places. it's better for me, and saves gas money. I use less water, keep the lights and electrics off whenever I can. it saves money. also, I just pick up trash. I see something on the ground... I just pick it up and throw it out. I could keep a little bottle of hand sanitizer with me, if I developed some big worry about cooties from other people's garbage. whatever. I just do it. it's common sense.
and though I do what I can to take responsibility for myself and my own effect on the environment, I also know that some people won't. some people don't. everyone can always do a little more, and some people could have been doing a lot more, for years. but you know, when it all comes down to it, natural disasters are natural disasters, and people hurting are people hurting, and I'm going to give whatever I've reasonably got to help when the shit hits the fan; I'm not going to say 'you brought it on yourself; fuck you.'
though I may well say 'stop yammering about how nigh the end is and who isn't doing enough just fucking do something yourself; fuck you.'
so please, don't talk to me about your 'green car' when you insist on driving it those two miles to the store. don't flaunt your 'reusable shopping bag' when you fill it with individually-wrapped convenience food (dirty little confession? at the checkout, I say 'plastic'. though, I do have my reasons). don't catch me by the shoulder and bitch about the CFCs in my can of OFF Deep Woods when you're heading to the state fair after this and I'm going to clean up after picnic parties at a state park. if you can make a difference, go for it. if you can't, shut the fuck up and stop making negative noise. we get enough of that already.
thank you.
and I've realized that I really... don't care. I live an ecologically conscious lifestyle, and whatever other people do is their shit. I've seen the feel-good fads sweep through, done the science projects, boycotted the aerosol cans. you know, I can't recycle Herbal Essences bottles at home? don't know if I can here, and it really doesn't matter, because if I can then I can recycle the other shampoo bottles too. Herbal Essences and associated bullshit is just that -- bullshit. a feel-good fad. ok so they ... give a percentage of their profits to rainforest protection, if you buy the 'rainforest flowers' line? is that it? if I want to save the rainforests, I use less paper. hell, I use recycled paper. it's cheaper anyway. if I really think the rainforests should be preserved enough that it affects my shampoo choice, I'm going to get the fuck out there and do something. I might not go plant trees in the Amazon, just join an active group. that bunch of names you'd usually flap a check at? I'd write them a letter. phone them up. volunteer for something. figure something out.
but I'm not at that point right now. so I do things closer to home. I buy local food. it tastes better, and is healthier. I walk places. it's better for me, and saves gas money. I use less water, keep the lights and electrics off whenever I can. it saves money. also, I just pick up trash. I see something on the ground... I just pick it up and throw it out. I could keep a little bottle of hand sanitizer with me, if I developed some big worry about cooties from other people's garbage. whatever. I just do it. it's common sense.
and though I do what I can to take responsibility for myself and my own effect on the environment, I also know that some people won't. some people don't. everyone can always do a little more, and some people could have been doing a lot more, for years. but you know, when it all comes down to it, natural disasters are natural disasters, and people hurting are people hurting, and I'm going to give whatever I've reasonably got to help when the shit hits the fan; I'm not going to say 'you brought it on yourself; fuck you.'
though I may well say 'stop yammering about how nigh the end is and who isn't doing enough just fucking do something yourself; fuck you.'
so please, don't talk to me about your 'green car' when you insist on driving it those two miles to the store. don't flaunt your 'reusable shopping bag' when you fill it with individually-wrapped convenience food (dirty little confession? at the checkout, I say 'plastic'. though, I do have my reasons). don't catch me by the shoulder and bitch about the CFCs in my can of OFF Deep Woods when you're heading to the state fair after this and I'm going to clean up after picnic parties at a state park. if you can make a difference, go for it. if you can't, shut the fuck up and stop making negative noise. we get enough of that already.
thank you.
