By Sofia Perez

Outrage is a gritty and relentless pandemic, necessary yet temperamental, and easily carried past its usefulness. Make no mistake. I believe in the power of outrage. However, I also believe it must be tamed. It draws attention, but what use is attention without a plan by which to solve a problem?

This question lies at the heart of my complex admiration for and disappointment with Greta Thunberg. While at one time she was the spark the environmental movement needed, she is now the tantrum-thrower pitting that same movement against the other essential seeds of change in the world: business, politics, economics, and lifestyle. What was once necessary is now causing unnecessary apathy and misconceptions about what it means to have both a flourishing society and planet. 

Nevertheless, it’s important to note the monumental importance of Greta’s leadership thus far. Not only has she managed to captivate the global media for a day or even a month, but for years on end, tirelessly pursuing a focus that has taken up huge amounts of energy on her behalf. Greta has exhibited courage in the face of an infinite ocean of eye-rolls and sarcasm that people cast the way of any teenager with a strong opinion. In a world of cynicism, she remains sure of herself. This is commendable, not only for someone so young or even for someone with Asperger’s, but also for someone with so few credentials to start out with. She has used her voice without waiting for permission from an institution, inspiring millions of other people to do so themselves.

Greta Thunberg. (n.d.). [Online Image] Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Greta-Thunberg/images-videos#/media/1/2144102/243662 [Accessed 3 Aug. 2022].

However let’s set this aside for a moment. Yes, Greta is a powerful symbol for something people care about, but is she still the one who will lead meaningful progress? At this point, I would say no. Instead of inciting fruitful alliances, she incites alarmism and resentment towards authority figures and older generations. 

Along this vein is the overarching theme of extremism, and the cult-like requirements upon which to confirm that one is acting “ethically” or “eco-friendly”. She engages in constant diatribes against politicians, economists, and entrepreneurs which don’t do anything to advance the cause she advocates for. Instead, these encounters only create the illusion of progress through outrage. To rub salt in the wound, her blunt outrage not only burns bridges between socioeconomic and environmental interests; It also encourages a culture of helpless complaining. Most flagrantly offensive is the subsequent lack of actual actionable advice on how to approach any of the problems she scrutinizes so aggressively. Without any place to channel the resentment she has generated, what does it actually achieve?

Instead of a tantrum, the move towards aligning socio economic interests with environmental ones now requires a voice that unites rather than divides. Much like the difference between Malcolm X’s and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s contribution to the Civil Rights Movement, the campaign towards fighting climate change now requires a shift toward practical yet impactful action. It calls for grassroots efforts barely perceptible on a personal scale but with monumental knock-on effects higher up. It’s about the butterfly effect, a phenomenon within chaos theory used to describe how seemingly trivially changes in initial conditions can lead to drastically different outcomes. 

Now let’s analyze this notion of tiny shifts in initial conditions. Firstly, allow me to call this “practical” without any incessant quibbling about semantics. This is less about what a word like “practical” means and more down to labeling the idea. Let’s say the other end of the spectrum is “extreme” to indicate the all-or-nothing view that huge shifts in one’s lifestyle is the only viable solution. One more thing: keep in mind that while these are two words to describe two ideas, they do not exist separately, but rather as two ends of the same spectrum. On the one end you have the beautifully accessible and easy-to-implement approach that allows you to effect change without creating discomfort. On the other you have the gloriously passionate and memorable spark that lights everyone’s hearts on fire with motivation and is themself making huge steps all the time. However there is a downside to demanding huge efforts from everyone all the time. The downside is that most people cannot or simply don’t want to become full time activists or hard-core vegans. Nor do most people want to give up everything they’ve ever known just because their creature-comforts are suddenly stained with moral gravity. 

Yet there is also a downside to never making huge steps, and that is forgetting why anyone makes any steps at all. This is why a balanced approach is necessary. My view is that Greta misses out on this. She is so all-or-nothing that all the people who feel compelled to do something– but not a monumental life-altering something- get lost. It is either “give up your cushy modern lifestyle” or “watch your planet burn”. There is no in-between, but there ought to be.

Anon, (n.d.). [Online Image] Pixabay. Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/planet-earth-87651/ [Accessed 3 Aug. 2022].

How can someone go about measuring the extent to which any given approach is “practical”? Selon moi, it comes down to time, money, and utility. I’d also like to note that these are factors which don’t apply to rich nations exclusively, but also to less economically developed ones too. This must be stated because it’s otherwise easy to forget that different walks of life require different solutions. See below for questions that can be used to determine the extent to which any given approach to “practical” environmentalism is, in actual fact, practical. 

Time 

• Are people likely to have time to be involved in this approach?
• When will this approach first show a positive effect?
• How long does it take to implement?

Money 

• Is this approach only suitable for affluent nations or is it available to all income levels?
• Does this approach help the economy by creating jobs, developing infrastructure, enhancing education, etc.?
• Is there financial incentive for consumers and businesses to favor this approach?

Utility

• Does this approach add value to people’s lives?
• Is this approach culturally appropriate?
• Does this approach help solve other social or economic issues like education, health, food/water insecurity, political conflict, etc.?
• Is this solution scalable?

Now this might seem like it requires extensive innovation and a boatload of cash, but I’m excited to say that we can put all that aside for a moment and just say thank you to the innovations that have, indeed, already been innovated over the long and winding course of history. This is something I look forward to exploring in a future article, particularly regarding empires that lasted for thousands of years precisely by holding sustainability at their core- even though they might’ve called it by a different name at the time. 

Ultimately, what I care to say about this has little to do with Greta. Really, it’s about stating what it will realistically take to make the kinds of changes she has already highlighted must be made. The truth is that it simply will not happen by making enemies out of every powerful political figure. It will not happen by condemning the modern lifestyle. It will not happen by condemning older generations. On that note, it will also not happen by condemning Greta or her enemies. We are all simultaneously the guilty criminal and the victim of the various levels of crime-against-humanity which have led to the current climate situation. This calls for a shift from blame, to responsibility, to cooperation. The time has come to turn outrage into action. What kind of action, you might ask? The practical kind. 

Thought to Action

• When shopping for appliances, look for Energy Star products, which are certified to be more energy efficient.
• Bring a reusable bag with you when you shop.
• Try Tru Earth’s laundry eco-strips to save space, money, and the planet. If not, at least watch their wonderfully amusing ads to put a smile on your face: Things You Should Never Mix with Water or Real Men do Laundry
• Did you know that if every single person in France deleted 50 emails, the energy savings would be equivalent to turning the Eiffel tower’s lights off for 42 years or to New York City not consuming any electricity for 4 hours? If you want to contribute to saving energy on this scale:
  • refuse unnecessary notifications that clog your inbox
  • unsubscribe to newsletters/subscriptions you no longer find useful
  • delete emails with large attachments
  • clear out your junk mail folder regularly
• Make an effort to stop receiving junk mail by following these steps.

Bibliography

Burtan, M. (2019). Why Greta Thunberg’s Leadership of the Environmental Movement is so Important. [online] Resilience. Available at: https://www.resilience.org/stories/2019-06-03/why-greta-thunbergs-leadership-of-the-environmental-movement-is-so-important/.

Cho, R. (2018). The 35 Easiest Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint. [online] State of the Planet. Available at: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2018/12/27/35-ways-reduce-carbon-footprint/.

Clark, B. (2007). The Butterfly Effect and the Environment: How Tiny Actions Can Save the World. [online] Copyblogger. Available at: https://copyblogger.com/butterfly-effect-environment/.

fmljack2018 (2019). Clean Up Your Email Inbox and Help Save Energy –. [online] Thoroughly Modern Grandma. Available at: https://thoroughlymoderngrandma.com/clean-up-your-email-inbox-and-help-save-energy/ [Accessed 31 Jul. 2022].

Gorbatenko, D. (2019). The Real Problem with Greta Thunberg Is Not Her Age | Daniil Gorbatenko. [online] fee.org. Available at: https://fee.org/articles/the-real-problem-with-greta-thunberg-is-not-her-age/.

Which? (2021). How do I stop unwanted junk mail? [online] Which? Available at: https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-do-i-stop-unwanted-junk-mail-a69Ed0z8dVnq [Accessed 31 Jul. 2022].

Wirtz, B. (2019). By All Means, Let’s Criticize Greta Thunberg. [online] The American Conservative. Available at: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/by-all-means-lets-criticize-greta-thunberg/ [Accessed 28 Jul. 2022].