The Lies We Tell Ourselves...
The Lies We Tell Ourselves...
And Refuse to Change....
I am going to be a bit controversial and debunk a number of lies that stops us from progressing towards Net Zero. I have always maintained that Net Zero is not an end, but an absolute minimum, and is a continuous process to maintain that state.
I don’t agree on climate goals. We just need to plant more trees.
Yes, we need to plant more trees. But my estimate, looking at ~2500 listed companies and estimating their carbon footprint, is that we need a couple more planets the size of planet earth, if we only planted trees.
Nature based and land based solutions are important in this journey, but that is just not enough. Here is an article from the Guardian that gives a very conservative estimate and debunks this view.
There is no use in activism; They are disrupting my normal life.
That’s a clear lie….The work that activists have done has created the playing field where policy makers, business leaders and common people like us turn around and take notice. If we didn’t have them around, you wouldn’t have most of your rights that you take for granted, women would not be voting, jobs will be all male, and the food we eat would be dictated by corporate shenanigans.
The reason why they stop us from our normal life, is because our normal life would end, and we are unaware of that. Contrary to popular opinion, it does help, since we turn around and take notice.
Individual choices don’t matter. This is all about oil companies.
Yes, this is about large companies and countries taking action. But that is dependent on our our choices. If we choose to take public transport and refuse to take out our car for short journeys, the fuel station doesn’t get that money. If thousands of commoners like us, make that choice, our cities become more walk-able, bike-able (is there such a word?), and train-able.
That sends a message to our car focused planners, our borough councils/ municipalities, the fuel companies, and all others in that chain. If we refuse to yield to that cute fast fashion ad, and only buy what we need, that sends a message. How do these companies respond then? They will tell you that your neighbour has that dress, they will lure you with hyper discounted prices, and will give you freebies. You still hold on that urge for a splurge….they will need to turn around and take notice. A company that doesn’t take notice of emerging trends, will become extinct.
We can continue consuming as we do; we need to make a few green choices, here and there.
This is the most ridiculous lie that most governments, and think tanks are propagating. I am not taking aim at anyone, but all of them at once. The idea of green growth, is a lie. Our consumption needs to reduce, and in fact each of us need to take stock of what we buy, and who we give our money to. Why can’t we think of making our meals from scratch? Why can’t we do avoid plastics? Why we can’t we carry our own bags to the store? Do we need to take that flight? Is there a train available? Ask yourself the question - What are the alternative ways to do that? If it hurts the planet, it hurts you too.
We need new technology to reach Net Zero, and that tech doesn’t exist or is too expensive.
This is the most prominent lie of all. Billionaires, large companies, many governments, and supranational organisations have bought this lie, and they effectively practice that lie. To reach Net Zero, we must reduce our consumption, switch to renewables, and make sustainable choices. The tech we have can get us there. Yes, there is scope for improvement, but we don’t have the time to wait for it.
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We are talking 2050-2060-2100. That’s a very long time.
No, this is a lie. We need action today, not tomorrow. And that means you need to make your choices today, on what you buy, on what you invest your time and money on. Don’t waste time, listening to these lies.
We don’t have enough money to reach Net Zero.
That’s a clear lie. The world has money to create polluting fossil fuel plants, and coal fired power plants. The world has lots of money to pollute…The money that is needed to reach Net Zero, currently lies in our choices. If we make our choices clear, the money will find its way for the transformation journey. Would you like to hear about the Helix transformation journey? Hit me up on chat…
