Once we are awakened to the plague humans have implemented on mother earth it is hard to live with a guilt free conscience. After all the facts and depressing information one is left to feel guilt over the way they live. A new phone for Christmas? A lovely five star meal? A weekend stay at a resort? Oh boy all of these things sure leave me feeling what I call Eco guilt. I feel that my actions are hurting the environment. The very cultural habits that we have been so keen to participate in become hard to swallow. I have even began to feel guilty over drinking coffee, and eating bananas because they travel so far and require so much water and land.
How are we to deal with this? Well lets take our guilt and turn it into positive social change. We essentially have to participate in society or else isolate ourselves to nature off the grid. The reason why the latter is not the best choice is because you are removing your innovation and ideas out of society. Your ability to effect peoples minds and make them feel Eco guilt is no longer viable.
Dealing with all the nay sayers will always be hard. If we have chosen this field then we most obviously have chosen the path of most resistance. All of our cultural structures and lives revolve around damaging the environment. However our awareness and implementation of sustainable habits can force positive social change.
In a way feeling empathy towards these daily activities is a start to realizing a great cultural change needs to take place. "Global warming is a hoax", "we are the superior species we have a right to take what we want", "oh look at you with your reusable water bottle and locally grown tomatoes you are weird", "One person cannot make a difference", "its too late to care about that stuff" and so on and so one. These are all sayings that have been directed towards me in the year 2016. I do not feel discouraged however because these people do not know the great movement of sustainable culture that is happening right now as I type.The technology to live a sustainable life is already present. Now are
eco guilt can help a cultural change. When enough people are unhappy
with a system they will change it.
We the people of sustainable minds should not feel guilty but feel inspired that we have been given a gift to view the world in a much different and wholesome way. We have been enlightened on the harm our culture causes the earth, we have been given the knowledge to feel a deep connection to the earth and its natural cycles. We have now to take action and help show others the way we think and why it is important.
