Why Environmentalism Needs To Die
Part 1 — Environmentalism needs to change if it’s going to affect change
Before I say anything, I’ll say this; I probably don’t agree with you — whoever you are reading this, both to the staunch environmentalists and to the utmost climate deniers, I probably don’t agree with you.
And that’s OK (as I’ll show why later in this article).
And in case you’re wondering if this title is clickbait, it’s not. I actually wrote that headline, and crazier yet, that statement has some validity.
So lets get started so I can explain why.
We all know the old adage — “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
I believe environmentalists have missed the mark, and yes, I actually just wrote that too.
Don’t worry, I can feel the death stare coming from you dear reader, and it’s a legit reaction. Now before you lambast me, hear me out.
Understand firstly that real people’s lives are literally ending right now, many people in my region are completely losing their incomes and their livelihoods, their sole careers in which they’ve worked for decades have zero hope of returning.
People are becoming hopeless, suicide numbers have been sharply increasing, and combined with the affects of the pandemic — many are hopeless, depressed and ending their own lives.
Of course this isn’t being reported in the news, because to report such things would go against the narrative and only accelerate the problems which need solving:
- We Need To Reduce Depression/Suicide — More people would likely lose hope and end their lives if they knew just how many others around them were choosing the same
- We Need To Solve Environmental Issues — Suicide rates might elicit compassion, and compassion would in fact make the transition to a green economy even more difficult, it would be acknowledging the value of people’s lives, and how loss of oil field jobs is impacting real peoples lives – jobs that in the eyes of environmentalists should completely cease to exist
Many of you are probably reading this and thinking; “where do you live, and what the hell are you talking about? Environmental issues are going to kill a lot more people than these suicides if we don’t deal with it!”
And there in lies the problem…
It’s truly wise to remember; “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Now I’ll tell you; I’m a horticulturist who cares deeply about the natural world in which we live. My career for the last 19 years has been dedicated to caring for trees, planting gardens, orchards, beautifying landscapes and growing food.
I’ve planted thousands of trees over the course of my career, and saved many trees from being cut down. Some would probably label me a tree hugger.
BUT — I live in a part of the world where to be seen as an environmentalist can result in your local persecution (although it exists more as an undertone of internal disdain rather than an outward expression of hate)…
YES — It’s probably trendy to be an ‘Environmentalist’ where you live, and you can be proud to sport your 10Tree and Patagonia brand name clothes.
But imagine this for a moment; you suddenly find yourself living in an area where 85% of voters voted on the right side of the political spectrum in the last election, and where those of us who don’t work in the oil patch are a large minority of the local population.
It may be hard for you to believe right now — but realize that these kinds of places actually exist, and the people who live here don’t want to kill the planet, don’t hate you, and are actually just the kind of people you want to know when you need help, because they are the hardest workers in the world.
The kind of people who want to make a positive impact in the world, and the kind of people who love to help their neighbours.
Come to think of it — these are the EXACT people you’d love to enlist to protect you when a nation must defend its freedoms in war (because these same people have done this successfully in the past), or when you need hardworking people capable of creating real change and lasting impact!
I’m not going to tell you where I live, because it doesn’t matter, it could be Texas, North Dakota, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Newfoundland — or ANY OTHER oil producing region on the planet.
When infrastructure needs to be built, when REAL WORK needs to get done — these are the people you need!
Tell me environmentalists; who is going to physically be capable of building this green new world everyone is aspiring to?
I’m guessing it’s not you, because you can’t physically pull it off by yourselves, sure, you may have the politically correct view of the day, but that doesn’t get the work done and the changes implemented!
So if it’s not you who can build this green new economy, then who?
You probably think I’m going to say it’s them (‘them’ being oil workers)… but, it’s not them either!
For just a moment, do a thought experiment, put your individual biases aside as you ponder this;
Environmentalists, stop being pompous and threatening towards our oil workers for a moment — and oil workers, be willing to consider an alternate reality with a realistic possibility of a transition to an alternate future energy industry.
The fact is; we all need to maintain our livelihoods, after all, we’ve already established the fact that there are real lives at stake here, this isn’t just playing monopoly — people are actually going broke, losing their homes, and losing their lives!
The fact is, whether we like it or not, the only way forward is by moving forward together.
Unfortunately, we live a current reality where to say something like “I disagree with you…” can be interpreted as nothing other than saying “I full heartily agree with a completely contrary opinion than yours.”
Honest and civil discord has become impossible in todays world.
You see, I’m returning to the first statement made, and I hope it makes sense to you now.
“I probably don’t agree with you.”
Oil field workers, I don’t believe we can just stay embedded in the oil industry forever.
Envirnomentalists, I don’t believe we can just instantly transition to a new green economy as it would literally cut off the hands that feed us (you see, as someone who deeply cares for the environement — I also have a MUCH DIFFERENT perspective on the economic necessities that the oil industry currently has society entrenched in, and to simply abruptly end the oil industry would literally be ending even more peoples lives.)
You see, I probably don’t agree with you.
I can care VERY deeply about the environment (I’m a horticulturist)— AND — I can also care very deeply about my local neighbours who’s jobs rely so heavily on our local oil economy (this isn’t an energy dependency our citizens who played no role in deciding to set up an oil based economy should be punished for, yet they are being hit the hardest), I don’t want our communities to have to suffer anymore loss of life due to suicide.
So what is the solution?
First, as I’ve already said, is to put aside our differences and work together.
Did you ever have to draw a vase in art class growing up?
Do you remember what shading is & how to shade a drawing?
It’s a method of adding a shadow to a drawing to give the illusion of a 3D drawing, and a way of showing the direction that the light is coming from.
When shading a drawing, an artist can’t just go from dark to light around the curve of a round object. The transition from the fully lit portion of the drawing must gradually transition to the darkest portion of the drawing.
A skilled artist masterfully transitions their art in perfectly smooth and seem-less transitions, if you zoom into the focus of individual pixels, it’s hard to even notice the transition taking place, but when you zoom out and see the entire drawing, it’s easy to see the perfect transition, from dark to light.
Our society must all start singing from the same piece of music, and work together like an artist shading from dark to light…
Like an artist we must move from point A, and get to Z… If A is the fossil fuel based economy where we currently reside, and Z is a perfectly green economy — we must logically move through the rest of the alphabet, it’s not a giant leap!
Will the environmentalists stop being environmentalists for a brief moment, and show compassion to those who are hopeless?
Will our oil workers stop being so defensive for a brief moment, and continue to show the world their amazing ingenuity?
Will the environmentalist stop being so arrogant and listen? Our oil field workers are making MASSIVE improvements towards reducing our oil based carbon footprints… the technology is improving almost too fast to keep up with!
Will the oil workers be open to further discussion about transitioning to an alternate energy future? Massive green technology improvements are also being developed away from oil… and it’s likely a new technology that needs your EXPERTISE!
I don’t believe we can survive as a species if we don’t work together on this, we must work together — together their is hope.
Environmentalism is just another ‘ism’, a label likely to fail if it doesn’t reach out with a sincere compassion for others, and a sincere desire to help — if envirnomentalism only exists in a vacuum that does not include deeper self reflection and constant improvements, it will be at its own devastating cost.
Environmentalism as it exists, needs to die.
Part 2, to be continued…
