Here is an entertaining New Year resolution that we women could adopt to help fight climate change. What’s more, it seems like it will makes for a lively conversation topic with girlfriends!
Recently, Britain’s top government scientist, Professor Sir David King of Cambridge University, was quoted
as saying that if women stop admiring guys with fast and sexy cars, the
world could be a greener place. An advocate for individuals to assume
more personal responsibilities in fighting climate change, he was asked
at a lecture by a young woman what she could do. His advice? “Stop
admiring young men in Ferrari's.” Instead, admire people who conserve
energy.
What an interesting take. Although a bit flippant, he
does have a point. Our mindset determines the kind of world we live
in. It is all in the attitude.
Personally, I too am an
advocate for individuals being more aware of the impact of their
personal actions on the environment. That was the reason I originally
started writing my blog. Little decisions that we make regarding our
choices in daily life can make a huge difference, even if the benefits
are not readily apparent. After embarking on my personal journey for
making changes in my personal life to be more sustainable, I found that
every little action became a little seed that further opened my eye to
more possibilities in the world. I kept learning about the world,
which is fun, and renew the sense of awe that I had lost after
childhood.
Mother Theresa once said, “Don’t wait for leaders.
Do it individually, one person at a time." Personally, I made some
small changes that added up to a lot, in the end. It started with
being conscious of my car usage and writing a blog about the topic (which
happily got me a gig writing for AskPatty). I have learned so much
about alternative cars and fuels. Then I converted to solar power
(thanks to my fiances' persistence), requested a worm bin for
composting as Christmas gift, and enrolled in a sustainable MBA program
so I could be in jobs that make a difference. Each step made me feel
good, and each step was a learning experience. This Christmas, I gave
green services as presents (e.g. GreenDimes.com, Kiva.org) instead of
goods, after watching the short movie “The Story of Stuff”.
So Professor King’s suggestion was exciting to me, because unlike my
green adventure so far which was mainly stuff-related, he is suggesting
some psychology to go with it.
Obviously, Professor King’s quote
angered Ferrari owners and sports car racers, which is understandable.
But the fact remains -- those fast cars have really low mileage. That
means more fossil fuel used, which is the greatest contributor to
greenhouse gas. (Click on the graph below for the breakdown.)
However, if electric sports car, such as the Tesla Roadster are more
widely used – I think Professor King will approve of women admiring
such race car drivers. :-) Well, really there is nothing wrong with
liking the look of muscle cars. In fact, I admire the look of the
Lotus and Lamborghini very much. However, there is no waay I will let
my vanity contribute to climate change. I strongly agree with the
professor that we all have levers. Similar to the concept of voting
with our purses, we can vote for goodness in the world with our heart.
He said: admire guys who are into a sustainable lifestyle. I like that. We women are known to be emotional, so why not let our emotions help fight climate change?
Interestingly,
the article also mentioned that although 77% of the population in U.S.
believe in climate change, only 40% believe that it is due to human
activities. However, if you look at the EPA figure below, the chart
clearly shows that human-related activities, especially transportation
and electricity contribute the most to greenhouse gases. Now, even if
you think that the professor’s comment is a little chauvinistic, don’t
you think he has a point?
Pie Chart: This graph clearly shows the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emission, from human activities.
Marn-Yee Lee
Contributing Editor
AskPatty.com
Marn-Yee Lee is pursuing an MBA in Sustainability at the Presidio
School of Management in San Francisco. After spending a decade in I.T.
and on Wall Street, she is now pursuing her passion for the
environment. She sees business as a partner for creating innovative
solutions to pressing environmental issues. In her spare time, she
writes a blog to inspire others to consider the impact of their daily
lives on the environment at busythinking.blogspot.com.