Forget Saving The Planet
Publication History:
The London Paper, March 2009
Speaks to the people that say “why should I bother – it’ll make no difference as no-one else is bothering
- Colette Callus, London
I’m a fraud in the green movement. I can’t identify plants, the idea of home composting makes me gag and when people talk about mulching, my mind switches off. My one experiment with ‘growing my own’ was a chore and I dislike camping, having no need to feel the earth beneath my back. So why on earth do I recycle, eat vegan and pledge not to fly? Why am I a fully paid up member of Friends of the Earth and why do I write to my MP?
Because I care about us. Yes, I have an insatiable love for us contrary, resplendent, beautiful, weird human beings. Our idiosyncrasies and dreams, our mistakes and earnest endeavours. I’m continually fascinated by how uniquely distinct each of us is and I am constantly inspired by how most of us choose to stay alive, in the face of how hard life can be. I know that we feel better when we’ve had wholesome food, clean water and fresh air. I don’t want us to feel pain and I know chemicals, pollution and stress make us unwell.
I also know that we are entirely dependent on this planet to sustain our life. This is the why the release of a new film, Age of Stupid, in this countdown to the Copenhagen talks is so important. Set in 2055, we are shown the state of the world as predicted by mainstream science. We see a planet uninhabitable by humans and we recognise that we have, through our continued climate changing activity, orchestrated our own extinction.
It’s a film which appeals to my selfish side. Before, we had the option of ‘going green’ and perhaps struggling OR living a mainstream, comfortable life. Now it’s clear that going green is the only way we’re going to get any kind of life at all. For as long as I can remember, the ‘save the planet’ movement has focused on whales and elephants, ice-caps and ten types of fern. Or it’s been about leaving the next generation a world they can enjoy. It’s not even about that any more.
It’s about us. It’s time to get selfish. It’s time to care enough about ourselves to decide we’re worth saving. It’s time to wriggle away from this flabby consumer culture which has numbed our survival instinct and blinded us to our significance. It’s time to realise that it’s not about saving our planet. Earth will be just fine without us. It’s us we need to save.
© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2009. All rights reserved.
I picked up a copy of this today on the tube! awesome article
and it was so exciting to see swarms of people reading it!
- Pepita Barlow
A powerful message, expressed beautifully. Corrina, your writing gets my vote any day!
- Juliet
Loved your article. Being a nature loving, composting, gardening, hiker type, I feel that your perspective is crucial, honest, and so well directed to most of the people who don’t relate to the natural world/save the planet cry. You’ve identified the nerve that could wake those people up if the message were to spread exponentially and penetratingly. I hope you keep writing on this subject, go deeper. I would like to know what kind of response you get from readers. Hope The London Paper lets you write more
- Kate Williams