The Luxury of Ignoring
Like many people who put in effort for a more sustainable lifestyle, I have been thinking on how to speed up the transition to environmental and egalitarian ways, and why some people are dragging their feet to join the club. There are certainly many crossroads where people and companies can make healthier decisions for the planet and humanity, and I am happy to see that more and more people consider these sustainable choices. Yet, we have a long way to go and some of these choices are unfairly labelled to be costly, boring, or uncomfortable by the ones who are not well-informed in the matter.
When I intensified the sustainable approach in my daily decisions, a few friends and family members asked me if I was not over-pushing myself to make the “right choice”. A simple example is my decision to stop using plastic straws, and shopping bags before it was regulated by law in Turkey. I was told that trying to save the world by thinking of every little action would be overwhelming and useless, as I was not capable of changing the system alone. Honestly on that point, I tend to agree with them, because thinking about our conventional -hence non-environmental- way of life becomes overwhelming at times and it risks bringing an idealist to the edge of desperation. If my personal choice will not help, then why should I bother? If I will not clean all the waste from the ocean, what is the point of saving a few plastic straws? It is just a tiny piece, compared to the waste released by huge companies. And I, an individual of the 21st century, might be too small to challenge the entire system of the world.
BUT…
It is still worth doing the right thing, even if my actions will save only one fish, one turtle or one seagull. It will mean everything to them. Because there is no separation between me and them, and all creation is ONE, I am not saving just one turtle, I am saving myself.
Besides, I am already deprived of my luxury of not-knowing certain uncomfortable truths, such as the biased questions directed to female candidates of a job opening. Or the tragedy behind certain food products. I cannot stop thinking if it is indeed worth my appetite… Many times, especially within ESG context, learning about the supply chain of a product becomes the major joy-killer of our conventional, comfortable (!) lives. However, those comfortable lives are nothing but an illusion, as they are borrowed from the world’s future. The carefree choices of today become the foundation of bigger problems which will probably be inevitable for anyone in a few decades. Therefore, the luxury to ignore the truth is not a luxury, but an illusion.
This luxury of ignoring the “boring details” will fade away as more people realize that city dumpsters are not magical portals that transfer waste from Earth to an unknown dimension in space. Or plastic bottles do not immediately dissolve in salty waters. Glass is not eaten by worms within a few months. Fresh water cannot quickly get rid of chemical waste all by itself. And discrimination -no matter how deeply hidden its motives are- never goes away without destroying the harmony in the society.
I think that a way to pace up this awakening is to challenge that luxury little by little. Sooner we abandon the comfort of not-knowing, sooner we claim our power and responsibility as a respectable species traveling on Earth during these unique times. May we all have the courage to learn about the uncomfortable truths and work together in ways that love and honor the Earth and all its residents.
Özge Özdemir
