The “Earth Recommend” Interview

I have been thinking about questions one may ask oneself to gauge one’s awareness of the human impact on the planet and its ecosystems. I have come up with the questions below. I have arranged them to have some sense of order, but may take the opportunity to re-order or expand upon them in the future. Despite the inquisitor-like nature of the questions, they are not meant to incite guilt within us, but reflection, and to spur us to take some action to heal the Earth.

But first, a diversion

Truthfully, the past couple of weeks I’ve been rather down about my individual actions. I failed at composting, about which I will write another post. I find it very difficult sometimes to push back against habit, engrained cultural behaviors, and convenience. I have had moments recently where I have felt that nothing I can do individually in Utah County, Utah, USA, will make one iota of difference to the planet’s health, and whatever I manage to do cannot possibly overwhelm the sheer massive force and intimidation of the fossil fuel and animal agricultural interests whose chokehold on all of us has contributed the most to the destruction of ecosystems and wildlife across the planet. But giving up is not the answer. I know that. I just have to keep telling myself that.

Yesterday, I got a glimmer of hope. I was in Good Earth picking up some groceries and ran into the daughter of a good friend of ours. She was an employee there and while asking about how her life was going, I found out that she was majoring in Environmental Science at a local university, had read The Climate Book, and was active in studying environmental issues within Utah County. It gave me a boost to know that many of the rising generation have taken up Greta Thunberg’s call to fight for a complete paradigm shift to clean up the mess my generation and my parent’s generation are leaving them. Perhaps if enough of us do things individually or in groups, then one day, we’ll heal the Earth. Here’s hoping.

The Questions

• Have you studied the scientific data, watched videos, or otherwise gathered facts sufficiently to be convinced that, since circa 1850, human beings have impacted the planet’s environment and biodiversity to such a degree that one could say “climate change is happening and it’s largely caused by humans”? In other words, do you believe in Climate Change?
• Do you believe we are in an emergency crisis because of Climate Change?
• Are you aware that “Despite dire warnings in the 1980s and 1990s, we have emitted more CO2 since 1991 than the rest of human history” (948 GtCO2 emitted)? (The Climate Book)
• Did you know that the richest 10% are responsible for almost half of the total lifestyle consumption emissions? (The Climate Book)
• If you live in the Global North (north of the equator), how often do you consider how your good fortune, privilege, and consumption depends upon the exploitation of the Global South’s resources, habitats, and people?
• Considering the hurricanes, droughts, floods, tornados, wildfires, ocean warming, and general “Global Weirding,” do you dismiss these natural disaster events as a “sign of the times,” or do you think that many of these could be less in number and less intense if we humans lived more in harmony with the Earth?
• Did you know that around 200 species are going extinct every day because of human encroachment on their habitats? And that almost 70% of wildlife has been lost since the 1970s? And that by 2050, there could be more people than fish in the sea? (Courtesy of @ClimateWorrier3)
• Have you ever tracked the amount of waste your household produces in a day? And its journey after you “throw it in the trash”?
• How often do you second-guess a contemplated purchase by asking, “At the end of its use to me, what will happen to this thing I’m about to buy?”
• How often do you research the products you buy to see whether they are sourced sustainably, produced with fair labor practices, and when discarded, will impact the environment negatively or not?
• Have you tried to implement Kathryn Kellogg’s 30-30-30 rules in your life, whereby you walk or bike if a trip will take less than 30 minutes walking, you wait 30 days before buying something you think you need, and you write your representative about an environmental issue every 30 days?
• Do you strive to live by the five (or more) Rs: refuse, reduce, reuse (repair), rot, and recycle?
• What are you doing to conserve water?
• Are you willing to rethink transportation, reducing your dependency on a car where you can, advocating for alternative and safe transportation (e.g., public transportation and cycling), and being open to car sharing models?
• When you consider the products you use, do you use them without thinking of the consequences their chemical ingredients may have on your own health, your family’s health, or the environment, because the product achieves the result you want?
• How often do you talk with others about Climate Change?
• Considering the CO2 and methane emissions, the deforestation of rainforests, and the unwise use of land caused by the animal agriculture interests, are you willing to eat a mostly plant-based diet, eating meat and dairy “sparingly,” which means perhaps once a month, or two or three times a year?
• Do you raise a garden, whether on a large or small scale?
• Within your own community, or state, do you exert pressure on local and state officials to consider the long-term effects on the environment when making their decisions?
• Do you believe that human interests should always override the interests of other living things, even insects? In other words, is it ethical to eradicate thousands of species in the name of “human progress”?
• Do you believe that a supernatural being will return some day and clean up the mess we have made of the Earth given us? If yes, why do you think that being would respond positively to our having made such a mess of things?
• Can you imagine living in a world where we live in harmony with the Earth, using wind and solar and other creative solutions, and begin the process of healing and restoration?

Conclusion

I could go on with questions to make myself think about how well I advocate for systemic change to ensure we humans have a future on the earth. We always say “Save the Planet,” but really, even if we make the planet inhospitable to humans, the planet will go on spinning round the sun for many, many years to come. What we mean is “Save the human race, and as many of the other remaining species as possible.”

Depending on how you answered these questions, you may be able to recommend yourself to be a steward of the Earth. There is no planet B. Do something positive for the Earth today.

Do you have any questions you would add to the interview?