When someone calls you pathetic because you brought reusable shopping bags to the grocery store, it's definitely a reality check. Do people really look at reusable shopping bags, or any other attempts at reducing waste or environmental impact, as a reason to pity those who use them?
While a typical New Year's resolution-themed column might have the expected suggestions to walk more, waste less and support the local economy, this New Year's plea is about changing an attitude rather than an action. There are two attitudes on opposing ends of the eco-conscious spectrum that need to be addressed and altered before people can be expected to embrace a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
The first is the greener than thou attitude that leaves many turned off to the idea of identifying with or listening to eco-conscious people who sound self-righteous. In any group of people who promote a certain lifestyle, there will always be the section that condescends rather than clarifies, without realizing that people don't want to listen to someone talk down to them.
I'm not the perfect example of a green lifestyle, but on more than one occasion I've had friends confess their environmental sins to me - leaving the water on while washing their hands, using plastic shopping bags, driving around on a humid day just to feel the air conditioning blasting - as if they will face some sort of wrath from me if they don't come clean.
It's common for people to feel overwhelmed by the green movement - after all, it requires people to change habits that have been ingrained for years, if not decades. It is helpful to encourage and suggest further eco-friendly action rather than attack or deride someone for what they have yet to do. While striking fear into people might work in the short-term, it isn't an efficient long-term solution; a long-term solution takes explanation, discussion and listening to someone's skepticisms and concerns.
The second is an attitude that ignores or criticizes green-minded people for overreacting to environmental issues or being more concerned with nature than humans. I call this mentality a tree-hugger attitude. Basically a mirror of the greener than thou
it belittles people by using derogatory names such as tree hugger to make eco-conscious mindsets seem insignificant and trivial.
People with such attitudes can be intimidating, especially if they are your friends or family. It's understandable that one might avoid identifying with the green movement because of the criticism awaiting him or her afterward. In some cases, people with this attitude might be responding to people they have encountered with the greener than thou mentality. But two wrongs don't make a right, and it's counterproductive to pass these judgments prematurely.
But with a new year comes new resolutions, and neither of these attitudes is helpful, productive or reasonable. Any attitude that pits you as better than someone else is going to garner negative feedback, and preconceived notions will keep people scratching the surface of environmental issues rather than delving deeper than stereotypes or misconceptions. The opposing ends of this spectrum have trouble reaching a compromise.
But as a new year's resolution, perhaps the greener than thou could realize that lifestyle changes don't happen overnight, and the tree hugger attitude purveyors could realize that many don't choose green to be pompous, but because of deeper personal beliefs.
Cathy Wilson is a senior studying journalism and a copy editor for The Post. Send her an e-mail at cw224805@ohiou.edu. 4
Opinion
Cathy Wilson
