Really nice write up. I totally empathize with you and agree that human habits need to change asap. The biggest problem however in the current approach of environmentalism lies is,
(a) asking others to change - really a recipe for disaster. No one likes to be told what they do is wrong. quickest way to make enemies
(b) lead by change - easiest way to come across as "I think I'm better than you", making people deaf to all reason and logic. also, as you mentioned no one is 100% coherent, and hence leading by change is impossible to do in the first place.
The only thing that works is to make people change themselves. Not because someone told them to do so, because they realized the need to do so. And the only tool that works 100 pct of the time through centuries is financial incentives or disincentives.
Tell someone to carry a bottle and 1 out of 100 will do so. Make the bottle 10 times expensive, almost everyone will start carrying it. This is just one example, you get the idea. Telling people the same message over and over again and not seeing them budge is an extremely exhausting exercise.
Nice write up ,
Thank you!
I am a struggling Environmentalist. I too carry my own bottle of water, make & use cloth bags for shopping, segregate trash and recycle...
I stand every Sunday at Aarey to spread the word, I fight for the Aravallis... but it's not enough. It's never enough!
Every drop counts :)
I feel like an environmentalist when I write fiction but far from it in the real world. Trying my best to be better.
Really nice write up. I totally empathize with you and agree that human habits need to change asap. The biggest problem however in the current approach of environmentalism lies is,
(a) asking others to change - really a recipe for disaster. No one likes to be told what they do is wrong. quickest way to make enemies
(b) lead by change - easiest way to come across as "I think I'm better than you", making people deaf to all reason and logic. also, as you mentioned no one is 100% coherent, and hence leading by change is impossible to do in the first place.
The only thing that works is to make people change themselves. Not because someone told them to do so, because they realized the need to do so. And the only tool that works 100 pct of the time through centuries is financial incentives or disincentives.
Tell someone to carry a bottle and 1 out of 100 will do so. Make the bottle 10 times expensive, almost everyone will start carrying it. This is just one example, you get the idea. Telling people the same message over and over again and not seeing them budge is an extremely exhausting exercise.