This week in class I read an article called “Why Bother?” an opinion piece by New York Times author Michael Pollan about why (or why not) we should care about combating climate change on an individual level, and what we could do to do so (gardening). In class, we just finished a quarter on climate change and are beginning one on urban gardening, so this article was very relevant to our in-class article. Something I found very interesting in the article was the almost dystopian mindset of the author -- this idea of the market conditioning us to be helpless and inextricably interdependent definitely rang true in many ways, but seemed to present a problem or reality for which the only real solution would be to return to the post-Neolithic Revolution model for human civilization, and moderation or compromise weren't really presented as alternatives.
Too Late?
In the article, Pollan first outlined a very familiar mindset for the average citizen -- the idea that “no matter what we do, it will only be too little too late.” This is particularly for the individual; when people contemplate going completely green, they’re dissuaded by the knowledge that really, their biking to work every day is not going to have much impact on the large scale, and anyway, the vast majority of people are doing nothing, so why should they?
There is also the thought that our inaction thus far has already led to negative feedback loops (warming leads to melting ice caps which leads to more warming, for example), increasing the rate of change so we are no longer able to do anything to stop this cycle of climate change.However, I feel that the latter mindset is, to some extent, just an excuse not to do anything -- after all, how do we know we can’t stop it until we’ve tried? -- and that the former, while reasonable enough, ignores an important truth. Large scale change can only be made by many small-scale changes.
Because of this, yes, individual changes in lifestyle can create greater change. This is, in fact, the only way that greater change can happen. In fact, the issue of too-small scale may be solved by the power of behavioral chain reactions -- if enough people do it, it becomes the new normal. “No,” you might say, “if they make a law about it, then those other people might do it, not when they see me do it…” However, laws do not begin with politicians, they begin with a people’s movement of change -- therefore, for legalized change to happen, enough individuals must take personal initiative first.
What We Think vs. What We Can Do
Later in the article, Pollan quotes Wendell Berry’s statement about another main obstacle for mass action against climate change: “the split between what we think and what we do.” He’s referring to the phenomenon found in many people -- for example, they might support environmental organizations, but waste fossil fuels without a thought.
In many ways, this is a symptom of general lack of will to act. We know, in theory, that climate change is real and will have a major impact on the future, but can’t work up the motivation to actually make change in our everyday lives. Another example is food -- usually, people want to ‘eat healthily,’ and know that eating local and organic food will be better for both their body and the environment, but when it comes to paying more for organic foods or gardening themselves, they make excuses or “want to, but never get around to it.”
Cheap Energy Mindset
Another concept Berry comes up with is the idea of a “cheap energy mindset.” The cheap energy mind relies on market-based solutions, specialization, and consumerism. This mindset, as implied by the name, is made possible by cheap energy, specifically fossil fuels, because they allow us to specialize in one area of production and then delegate literally everything else to experts, as well as give monetary value to this specialize. This mindset has probably been what has allowed human civilization to reach where it is today, but Berry shows its downside.
Say, for example, you’re a dentist. Your contribution to society is an important one, and you protect people from the horrors of cavities and root canals. When you were in school, you left your education to your teachers. When you want to eat, you go to a grocery store, relying on agriculture and food companies. When you’re sick, you go to a doctor. All reasonable, right? After, it’s impossible for an individual to meet all their needs as well as a number of experts in each area can. That’s how human society functions, so of course, people are okay with it. And it’s only natural to pay experts for their work. So far, the cheap energy mindset works.But what about politics and leadership? Should people be so caught up in the efficiency of this interdependence that they barely know what their representatives in government are doing, let alone making their voice heard in the system that creates laws for our entire country? Berry says no, and that this a huge reason that mass environmental change hasn’t happened. Basically, people are waiting for change in the form of policy and law from the government -- after all, we should leave politics to the politicians and lobbying for environmental protection to the environmentalists.
Urban Garden
The article concludes with a solution to the problems it brings up - gardening. In class, as well, we’ve discussed the urban gardening, with a video from Nourish: Food + Community. Both sources conclude that urban gardening is extremely beneficial, from the individual to global level. In fact, the article says “it’s one of the most powerful things an individual can do.”
A significant benefit of urban gardening is to the environment. Food you’ve grown yourself is the freshest and the most local food you can eat, which of course takes away from the carbon footprint of other, processed foods. Planting more plants means more carbon dioxide is taken from the air and replaced with oxygen. As well, time spent working in the garden is time not spent with fossil fuel-powered entertainment or other carbon footprint-increasing activities.Another benefit is individual health and happiness. Gardening provides exercise and keeps you fit. It also, according to the Nourish video, fosters community by bringing neighbors, fellow gardeners, and even farmers together in backyards, community gardens, and farmer’s markets.
