I'm a Hypocrite
I’m a hypocrite. It’s a bold statement to anyone who doesn’t know me all that well.
Let me explain why and how I came to this sudden realization, what I plan to do to remedy my hypocrisy, and how you can avoid being a hypocrite just like me.
First off, to be a hypocrite you need to practice claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which your own behaviour does not conform. For example, supporting the rights for those who work on farms, but then complaining that food prices are too high at farmer’s markets. It isn’t all that difficult to be a hypocrite. In my case however it strikes a personal cord because for the longest time I believed that what I was doing was right and that I was living my values to the fullest.
I have invested a lot of time advocating for environmental issues. It definitely is not a waste of my time, but I feel as if I have accomplished nothing. I have joined any organizations and charity groups that aim to make Toronto a cleaner, more environmentally friendly city and yet I still see trash piled everywhere and orange skies during the summer. We have a Pope that said our environment is in danger and that it is our Catholic duty to protect it, yet our Catholic school property is covered in a layer of garbage, discarded homework, and cigarette butts. Not to mention that the Catholic School Board banned the sale of water bottles, but you can still grab a bottle for the price of a café cookie. What does this have to do with me being a hypocrite? Everything. I’m an environmentalist, I have been for as long as I can remember. I plan to go into environmental science and policy with minors in geography and international development. Yet, I think I am one of the least environmentally friendly people I know. Surprisingly this is not an uncommon issue amongst environmentalists and although that should make me feel a little better about myself, it doesn’t. Its very unsettling. Here I am trying to protect the environment in all of its aspects, but live a life that would make my fellow environmentalists weep.
Leaving lights on, using non reusable bags, using heavy detergents, taking really long (and hot) showers, and eating meat at least twice a day are some of the more easily explained environmental sins I commit. I try to get my family to have a greener lifestyle and thought I was making headway when my father got a hybrid electric car and when we applied to get solar panels. However, our garage is full of pesticides and herbicides and we throw out more food than we eat.
Now these are simple examples that maybe you can relate to, but for someone whose whole life revolves around an environmentally friendly ideology-it causes some distress. So how am I going to fix my hypocrisy? Simple, just stop being a hypocrite. I can change so many things in my current lifestyle that would result in me 1) not being a hypocrite and 2) actually doing good for the environment. Small changes, can create big change. I bought a water filter for our main tap in my kitchen so that my parents stop complaining about a slight metal taste to the water, I dug through my closet and desk drawers to see what I really had and what could be repaired instead of thrown away. I went around my neighbourhood with a large plastic bag and thick gloves and picked up all the litter-now every weekend I see a few of the kids on my street doing the same. Using a reusable bottle, turning off your lights, using reusable bags etcetera, are such simple things that all of us do (and if you don’t get on the ECO friendly bandwagon) that we need to look for the source of our environmentally damaging habits. How and where and what do you buy? What is it made of? Can that thing be reused? How long before this gadget breaks? Is it worth re-fixing? What do you eat? How often do you throw away food? Do you know what goes into Toronto’s recycling? Look at your life and your habits, see where real change can be made to help lessen your impact on the planet. And with that all said, I urge all of you to reflect on your life and reflect on you values. Look at what you really believe in and what you stand for, and see if the way you live your life reflects those values. The best part is that this takes next to no effort and the lifestyle changes you will make most likely be extremely easy.