Before I get started there are a couple of things you should know.
The first is I’m a pilot. (What? Didn’t you know!?)
My choice of profession means I’m responsible for pumping copious amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. (Seriously a fucking lot!) It should also be said I love to do this in my spare time. Travelling is a passion and if it weren’t for COVID that’s exactly what I’d be doing right now.
The second is that I eat meat, drink my tea with cows milk (because anything else ruins it) and fucking love cheese. Seriously, put some of that shit on a giant man-sized mouse trap and my last words would be, “this… mature cheddar… is… to die for… aaaaahhhhhhhh…”
This all begs the following question,
Why Should You Listen To Me Regarding The Environment?
Well, I’m not entirely sure you should, but I can, at least, think of a couple reasons why you might consider hearing me out.
For one, I’m not here to give some fluffy account about how great I am or all the incredible things I’ve done/are doing to save this planet.
“Hey everybody, look at me – I’ll show you exactly how you should live your life! All you have to do is be tee-totalling vegan buddhist monk just like me, yaaaay! 🤗”
No. That would be too easy.
I want to inspire change but you can’t do that without being honest. Without being clear where it is you are. For me that means admitting I still have an almighty mountain to climb if I am to become the change in this world that I wish to see. After all it’s not just changes in others I wish to inspire, but myself.
However I will admit my selfish intentions here – I want all of us to change for my children’s sake.
With that said, I don’t subscribe to the belief that you need to be a vegan or some kind of die-hard environmentalist to save the planet either. At least not yet. At any rate, I believe telling others that they must does more harm than good.
Why?
Because beating your head against the wall trying to convince millions to become vegans overnight patiently doesn’t work. I actually think those who do turn more people off than they manage convincing – like telling people they must wear masks.
Look at how that worked out!
By the by, I don’t believe people are saying no to wearing masks per say – I don’t believe they are necessarily denying the science either – I believe they’re simply saying fuck you for demanding it of them.
Stupid as it might be, that’s America people. That’s the free world! People want to believe it was a choice they made for themselves, not because someone told them they had to. Like it or loath it, the culture of American exceptionalism is something we have to work with. In China they can demand change overnight. We can’t. Yet if we want to keep our freedoms, then we must take responsibility for them. That means doing what we know is right, not what we want simply because we are free to do so.
Can you not see why?
Our children are already striking – many becoming full-time climate activists – understanding that if things don’t change, and quickly, then becoming a doctor or a pilot (god forbid) will be luxuries they simply can’t afford to pursue. Instead we will have a generation of full-time environmentalists because we’ve left them little other choice.
If this scares you it should.
It’s a tragic irony that they’ve found themselves missing a lot more school this year as a result of our environmental exploitations.
This is precisely why we must ensure our choices are based on fact and not our feelings or fucked up entitled beliefs. If you didn’t know already, science gives zero fucks about what you feel you’re entitled to believe.
With all that said I won’t demanding you change your ways but instead ask compassionately that you please grow the fuck up and wear a mask (and make it a reusable one too). You do that and maybe, just maybe, I’ll consider putting oat milk in my cup of English breakfast tea (In other news the Queen just revoked my British passport).
I joke, of course.
Seriously though let me come back to the title of this post. The one you clicked on with a huge amount of scepticism.
Allow me to reframe it slightly and ask you this:
What’s One Thing You Can Do Today That Will Help Save The Planet?
And what if… (I’m dreaming big here.) What if all we had to do was ask and act on that one simple question?
What if we simply made the decision to be ever so slightly kinder to the environment today than they were yesterday?
And If we all did this, could it work? Could this be all that it takes?
Or am I away in the clouds again?
What do you think?
(Thanks for reading everyone. I appreciate the above might feel rich coming from a pilot but I genuinely believe in broader movements over absolute ideas of living in the woods with Bambi as my playmate. I also appreciate that the single biggest thing I could do to help the environment as a pilot is quit my job. Truthfully this is something I’m working on but now is not the right time (although it might well be out of my control soon enough).
Honestly the idea of making very small changes everyday has worked well for me – which is why I brought up this topic. For example I’m entirely plant based at home. This is a balance that works for me. It’s important to stress this didn’t happen overnight. This has been years in the making. It’s been a process. Of course I wouldn’t advocate you do the same, I’m merely pointing out a balance I’ve found in my life that works for me. It has been a long process of course, and I still have a long way to go but there is no question I’m moving in the right direction. And who knows? Maybe one day I’ll be a tee-totalling vegan Buddhist monk but that definitely isn’t the goal! Anyway it’s getting late so I’ll stop here.
As always I’m keen to get your thoughts and opinions on the matter. I welcome ALL of them. Also if you know of any easy to implement changes at home that one could incorporate to help the environment, I’m all ears?! I’ve also left a few articles for any interested parties! Thanks again and love to all, AP2 X)
nationalgeographic.com – Why We Will Succeed In Saving The Planet From Climate Change
nationalgeographic.com – Your Actions Alone Can’t Save The Planet But These Habits Can Help
www.wwf.org.uk – 10 Things You Can Do To Save Our Planet
science.howstuffworks.com – 10 Things You Can Do to Help Save the Earth
twenti.com – How To Save The Planet: 10 Changes With The Biggest Impact
Clear Air Turbulence 