It's Hard To Be A Saint
Bill McKibben is a diligent worker in the fight against global warming. McKibben is the author of the recently published “Deep Economy,” a book that tackles the “bigger is better” mantra of modern economic life and urges a rethinking of the purpose of economic activity in light of growing threats to the environment as a result of unrestrained consumerism. His philosophy regarding the fallacy of growth at all costs thinking is summarized in Wednesday's LA Times. McKibben is also the organizer of Step It Up, an effort to organize ad hoc rallies across the country to focus attention on action for climate change. What's funny, though, is that one tidbit in an article the New York Times (subscription required) ran about McKibben caught the attention of alternative transportation advocates:
Mr. McKibben drives a mud-splattered 2003 Honda Civic hybrid to and from the home he and his wife, the writer Sue Halpern, built in Ripton on land once owned by the poet Robert Frost. They moved there and helped design the house -- which won an award from a state conservation group for energy efficiency -- because they wanted to send their only child, Sophie, 13, to a better school than the one she was headed for in upstate New York and because of a position at Middlebury College.
McKibben drives at least 8 ½ miles each way in his daily commute to Middlebury, Vermont, which led to this exchange on a local transportation site here in Portland. While McKibben isn’t guilty of the same hypocrisy as someone like Al Gore, the point is a valid one: shouldn’t activists like McKibben recognize the inconsistencies between their work and maintaining car dependent lifestyles like his?
I’ve always been a skeptic of the sustainability of “country living” for those without an economic reason for living in a rural location. This lifestyle strikes me as one of the more selfish decisions a person can make since the location is intentionally isolating and relies on the continued maintenance of public infrastructure to sustain an entirely voluntary way of life. Back in September, I wrote about the particularly egregious case of a woman who complained about the poor transit options from her remote island location to downtown Seattle. Plus, the presence of a few “lifestyle” residents in a small town invariably leads to others and soon that small town turns into a bedroom community of another town, leading to more traffic, development and the attendant ill side effects.
While the “country living” phenomenon is a real contributor to sprawl, all of this is a bit unfair to pin on McKibben, who, by all appearances, is a committed warrior in the climate change fight. The discussion over the personal habits of people like Gore and McKibben, though, raises a tricky question: should those speaking out about wasteful carbon consumption be held a higher standard with respect to their own lives? My response would be that leading a “carbon perfect” lifestyle is impossible and that any activist should aim to be an example of how a person or household struggles to lead a life consistent with their values. Failures should be highlighted as much a successes, and personal decisions to forgo sustainable practices should be disclosed with the accompanying the rationale. Most of us balance different priorities in our daily lives, including those of family and friends, and decisions about where we live and how we get around aren’t entirely under our control or contingent on one variable. The effort should be real even though the results are less than perfect.
If you think giving up a car is a tough sell with the spouse, try proposing a green wedding. As the New York Times reported a few weeks back, the “green wedding” is all the rage:
[O]ver the last five years the interest in green weddings has blossomed from a desire to incorporate a few green elements, like a vegan menu, to making sure the entire celebration won’t contribute to the depletion of natural resources. This may include finding halls that recycle, hiring caterers who use locally grown ingredients, decorating with potted plants that can be transplanted and using soy-based candles, rather than those of petroleum-based wax.
In terms of greenness, this wedding takes the proverbial vegan cake:
Joshua Houdek, 32, and Kristi Papenfuss, 35, are planning a “zero waste” wedding for 250 guests in August. It will take place on a farm and include compostable plates and utensils, organic and fair trade-certified food, locally brewed beer and organic wine and wedding rings that are “100 percent reclaimed, recycled, ecologically responsible gold.” In lieu of traditional gifts, Mr. Houdek and Ms. Papenfuss, an elementary school teacher, plan to ask guests to sign up for renewable energy and reforestation projects to counteract their energy consumption or to donate to the Sierra Club or other environmental groups. The couple doesn’t think it’s too much to ask. “We’re not forcing them,” Mr. Houdek stressed.
If I were to reduce the wastefulness of a wedding, I would start with the 250 person guest list, but that’s just me. I’m quite content with memories of my carbon heavy wedding with half the guests.