dealing with climate guilt
Sometimes I think about the fact that humans are causing irreparable damage to the planet by burning fossil fuels and inundating the ocean with microplastics and chopping down old-growth forests, and how despite all of these things I still take airplanes across the country and order takeout in plastic containers and buy furniture from Ikea, and I spiral into a deep, humiliated remorse.
I don’t know, maybe that’s just me.
But I have a feeling it’s not, that many of us struggle to balance our own personal decisions with the overwhelming weight of climate change. So I wanted to share a little bit about climate guilt and some ways I fight against its suffocating omnipresence.
In many ways, it is a privilege to have the time and energy to worry about our personal impact on the state of the planet. Only when potable water pours freely from our taps can we stop to worry how much of it we are wasting.
Honestly, I think we should feel a little guilty. Not in a paralyzing I’m-a-horrible-person kind of way! More in a wow-maybe-I-should-assess-my-own-privilege kind of way. In order to shift our societal behaviors, I believe we first need to appraise our individual behaviors.
However, it’s not constructive to remain guilty. Wallowing won’t do the Earth any good.
Climate guilt can be a powerful tool for corporations, who use it to shift the responsibility onto the individual. By encouraging consumers to reduce their carbon footprint or use less plastic, corporations avoid criticism for being the ones who actually produce fossil fuel products.
Exxon-Mobil has repeatedly used this tactic, privately acknowledging climate change as an issue caused by fossil fuel combustion, but describing it as a “risk” or a problem caused by “consumer energy demand” in public-facing documents.
Ultimately, guilt is not a productive emotion. Anger, compassion, and even fear can inspire change, but guilt….just makes you feel bad about yourself. Here are some ways you can turn climate guilt into climate action:
Remember who the real culprits are. Industry, corporations, and the government are responsible for getting us into this mess. Don’t let Exxon-Mobil convince you to carry their blame.
Organize, protest, and donate. Much in the way that one person’s actions didn’t cause the climate crisis, one person’s actions won’t solve it. As a group, as a community, we are much stronger. Find reputable organizations and join. Attend protests. Donate money if you can. Giving Green is a valuable resource if you need help deciding which organizations to support.
Engage locally. There are numerous ways to engage in climate action and environmental justice within your community. There is a group called MineWatch dedicated to stopping a mine from being opened in my hometown, and I feel that by supporting them I can make a big impact on people and places that I love.
Make individual changes. Yes, corporations are responsible for the vast majority of climate change, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try to live a more sustainable life. Air-dry your clothes, purchase zero-waste bathroom products, take public transit. Millions of small changes can equate to big changes for the planet.
Continue learning. Climate news can be overwhelming and depressing, but it’s important to stay informed. Pick up a book about ecology from the library or listen to an engaging podcast. Never assume you know all there is to learn.
Go outside. When all else fails, just go for a walk. Appreciate the trees and flowers, the birds and insects, and remind yourself that you are a part of nature too. Take a deep breath.
Sometimes I’m wracked with indecision, paralyzed by the enormity of the mess we’ve made, and I can’t pretend I always know what to do. But I go outside and enjoy nature. I connect with organizations in my community. I write. I keep trying. And I think that’s the whole point.