An Inconvenienter Truth
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by Steve Bhaerman a.k.a. Swami Beyondananda
The global warming conversation is heating up, as Al Gore and MoveOn host a nationwide event this weekend to bring light to this hot topic. While just about all climate scientists agree something is heating up the planet -- and most seem to think there is a relationship between this heating effect and CO2 in the atmosphere -- there is still some controversy and question about whether we humans are the culprit.
Lots of time and energy can be spent and wasted on this conversation, so let's cut to the chase: Most of what is being recommended to counteract global warming will have great benefits anyway, even if global warming itself turns out to be a "myth-understanding." How could it possibly hurt to reduce our carbon footprint, replace fossil fuels with renewables, create a healthier environment and a more sustainable economy? I would say those are some pretty positive side-effects for any treatment!
On the other hand, not addressing the problem and betting that we humans have nothing to do with global warming would be making a bad bet indeed. The smart money (not necessarily the oil company money, mind you) says, let's bet that global warming is due to human activity and be prepared to take our lumps if we're wrong. Only in this case, our "lumps" will mean a cleaner environment, fewer oil wars, sustainable energy policy and an ecologically-based prosperity. There are very few bets that allow you to "win" even if you "lose," so there should be no hesitation here.
And that brings us to the "inconvenienter truth." If the inconvenient truth is that we humans are in part responsible for devastating climate change than an even more inconvenient truth is that we have to do something about it. And that "we" means you and me. Swami's joke at a recent show in nearby Marin County was that you know you're in Marin because all of the SUVs have "No Blood for Oil" bumperstickers. Despite being politically correct when it comes to the environment, the affluent communities of northern California have a notoriously big ecological footprint.
Our recent trip to Europe provided some very powerful perspective. Granted, cities there are closer together and less sprawling, and most European countries have access to a sophisticated rail system. But it's also true that people walk everywhere, and consequently there are people on the streets and downtowns are vital. People are on bikes in Europe, even old and out of shape people. Mothers have their toddlers with them, children and grandparents bike together.
Everyone -- not just those who can't afford cars -- rides public transit. The result is that there is a different sense of time in Europe. People are more aware of taking the time to walk places, bike and take public transit and this is woven into their way of life. In the States, people are hurried -- and don't even know why.
Having said all that, both Trudy and I are happy to be home. However, we have brought a bit of Europe with us. For one thing, we now hang our clothes out to dry in the sun -- just like mom used to do. For another, we realize that living in a small town like Santa Rosa, it's easier to walk and bike places and we've started doing that too. Yes, we too own an SUV as our only vehicle -- a Chevy Tahoe with 260,000 miles on it that we bought for long hauls to carry boxes of beaded scarves, books and CDs to shows. But if we drive it 20% or 30% or 50% less -- simply by walking or biking to Whole Foods or "compressing" more trips into one -- we reduce our footprint.
The emotions brought to bear around the "inconvenienter truth" of having to make lifestyle changes voluntarily -- or otherwise -- tend to cloud the issue. On the one extreme, we have the sustainability purists who've opted for austerity in their own lives and hold disdain those who haven't made that choice. These folks remind me of the Beatles song "Revolution": "And if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow."
At the other extreme, we have the "red-blooded American" ideal that celebrates freedom without responsibility: "Nobody is gonna tell me what to do." Here are the folks who see any kind of environmental regulation as an affront to their personal liberty, and fail to recognize both the costs and the hazards of environmental destruction.
Somewhere in between are the ways that we face the inconvenienter truth, first by finding and using the most convenient ways to reduce our footprint. The first step is asking, how can we reduce our footprint simply by being a bit more conscious in a way that doesn't hurt or even inconvenience us. I would suspect that by just doing this, we could reduce energy usage by 20%. That may not seem like much, but when five or ten or fifty million people do it -- as David Suzuki points out -- it starts to look like something
After that simple step, the next might be in seeing how we can "Europeanize" our lives a bit. As we walked instead of drove to the local fireworks in Santa Rosa a couple of days ago, it occurred to me that a small town like this is perfect for walking and biking. It took going to Europe to begin to stir us out of our unconscious (in more ways than one) American habit.
And it's not just the driving. We in America have gotten so stuck in our backyards and rec rooms, that we fail to engage people on the "outernet." The city streets -- like the public parks -- are the "commons" where people regardless of race or class can all be equal. I started imagining what it would be like to have rail service from Santa Rosa through Marin to San Francisco -- similar to the service we experienced a couple of weeks ago "commuting" from Waterloo to Brussels or Harburg to Hamburg.
One of the great pleasures I experienced in Europe was not driving. Here I've felt driven to drive. But what if I could take a more leisurely trip to the city and read instead? Habit is a powerful thing, and I realize we are in the habit of driving everywhere. Consider how many people hop in their car to drive to the gym -- so they can workout on a stationary bike? Talk about irony deficiency!
When I think back to Berlin and Hamburg and some of the other cities I visited, I remembered the bicycle-rickshas used to ferry people around the downtown area. How many high school or college athletes would love to "earn while they burn" and get their bike miles in doing this sort of thing? All it requires is a small shift in thinking, an exploration of new possibilities. That new hotel and conference center that opened a year or so ago in downtown Santa Rosa ... wouldn't such a ricksha set up be an excellent attraction? And it might even inspire visitors to see about having those in their own hometowns.
My point is this ... rather than being intimidated by the great changes that may be required of us over the next decade or two, we can proactively begin to start ourselves on the path to a healthier lifestyle and community. Small changes can lead to bigger changes, and perhaps even make the most inconvenient truth less inconvenient.
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