Ah, Fourth of July: that dreamy set of summer days when we gather with family and friends, get drunk, and light shit on fire. Truly, there is no more American holiday. And this year we will spend a lot of it discussing the state of our country. Ugh.
There is, obviously, a lot to talk about beyond the environment, but today’s Supreme Court ruling really kneecapped the EPA and its authority under the Clean Air Act. This is a disaster. It will come up, and if you’ve made any climate-conscious lifestyle changes, folks might pay particular attention to your actions.
These conversations can easily turn preachy, especially when we’re all fired up about the six horsemen of the American judicial apocalypse. Then, instead of minting new climate-conscious friends, you’ll just inspire extra trips to the cooler to “get more beer.”
~~ We interrupt this reasonable moment to talk about feelings ~~
You might be pretty upset right now. I get it; I’m an optimist, but I want to rage. I want to rage at our lawmakers: the greedy and the craven ones, but also those who can’t figure out how to wield the power of their offices to do their jobs and protect our world. I want to rage at anyone who makes a penny off of fossil fuels. I want them to breathe coal smoke and bathe in gasoline. I want to pour crude oil on their dinner plates and watch them eat it. It is OK to be angry, and it is right to take that anger to the streets—and especially to the ballot box.
But you’re not going to do the climate any favors bringing fury to a BBQ. I am physically taking a deep breath right now, and I invite you to join me. It is time to be strategic, because the erosion of federal environmental protections makes individual climate effort more important that ever. And how you talk about your personal action matters a lot.
I usually like to call up experts and get their ultra-informed takes on complex subjects, but I’m your expert today. I’ve lived the transition from normal civilian to “environmental guy,” and I’ve picked up enough tricks to avoid getting cast as a planet narc. I’ve changed a few peoples’ minds, agreed to disagree with others, and I haven’t been kicked out of any group chats yet. Here’s hoping my experience can help you.
Oh, and if you run into someone standing on a grilltop, holding a DVD copy of An Inconvenient Truth, and shouting that steaks run medium-rare with the blood of the innocent, please tackle them and send them this email immediately.
Earnest goes to camp (not your cookout)
Save the heartfelt convictions and emotion-filled pleas for another holiday—like leap year, or the next time Halley’s Comet comes to town. You’re at a party! Keep it casual. Honestly, casual is always a good look when it comes to talking with friends and family about your environmental worldview. Unless you stand behind a lectern and interpret religious texts for a living, nobody comes to you for a sermon.
This means forgetting how to say the word “should.” Demanding that people change their habits or behaviors for the climate won’t accomplish anything. You probably know this.
So how do you get the message across?
Show, don’t tell
This is a well-worn writers’ adage that never gets old. For those unfamiliar, the idea is to reveal a story through your subjects’ actions and words. Show someone petting a dog instead of telling your readers that they love animals, that sort of situation. Back at our BBQ, this manifests as you nonchalantly doing your climate-conscious thing rather than telling people to change their lives.
Some examples: Instead of proclaiming how important it is to reuse disposable items, step up to the sink and wash the aluminum foil that used to cover the baked beans. Fill your water bottle from the keg instead of grabbing a red Solo cup. Come bearing a pack of veggie burgers. If you’re going to a party where you suspect the hosts will be providing plastic cutlery, bring your own utensils.
Don’t make a big deal out of this stuff; the more boring and normal your actions seem, the more people will be able to envision themselves in your place.
Of course, this is a BBQ with family and friends, people who care about you and what you’re doing. They will ask about your climate-conscious behaviors. When this happens…
Make it about you
If you’re talking about the changes you’ve made and the way you’re living, it’s easier to keep from proselytizing. “I’m worried about the environment” vs “you need to worry about the environment.” Keep it casual, and resist patting yourself on the back. Here’s how I’d handle a common BBQ exchange:
[Close Friend] Hey man, want a burger?
[Joe] No thanks, Duane, “The Rock” Johnson!
[Close Friend] Hot dog? Brisket? Steak? Cod filet?
[Joe] No, I’m good, thanks.
[Close Friend] Not hungry, boss?
– No need to be evasive. If someone pushes, tell them. –
[Joe] I just don’t eat a lot of meat.
Your buddy might just shrug this off, but there’s a good chance that a friend or family member will want to know why or hear more. If someone presses the issue, make your answer just complete enough that it doesn’t seem like you’re trying to bait them into asking you more questions.
[Joe] It’s an environment thing. I read that animal-based foods create nearly twice the greenhouse gas emissions of plant-based ones, so I’m cutting back. Those burgers almost look worth the CO2, though!
That will probably end the conversation. You’ll likely get a duck-face nod, or maybe a platitude like “good for you.” And that’s great. Trust me when I say, you want to end this line of conversation here, because it’s really easy to overdo it. If they don’t change the subject, you should.
I find it’s best to be super upfront about why. I usually say something like, “This is my personal choice, and I’m not trying to convert anyone. Let’s talk about something else. Like hockey—isn’t it weird that ICE hockey season always ends in the summer?” (It is weird, right???)
If someone really wants to learn about climate solutions, they’ll bring it up again—maybe later that day, maybe over email or text. That’s a great opportunity to share this newsletter with them.
Drop a little knowledge. (Just a little!)
You’re not trying to win Jeopardy, but being able to *casually* insert the odd fact will root your position in reason, which makes it easier for people to relate. Here’s some easy trivia that will show-not-tell the impact personal choices can have on the environment.
Natural gas is made of 70 to 90 percent methane, a greenhouse gas that is, according to the EPA, “more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.” [one5c link]
Food-based agriculture produces 35 percent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. [one5c link]
Of those emissions, 57 percent come from meat production versus 29 percent from plant-based food crops. [one5c link]
You can save up to 10 percent on energy costs by setting your thermostat up or down by 7 to 10 degrees while you’re sleeping.
Only about 5 percent of plastic that you put in the recycling bin gets recycled. That’s why reusing is so important. [one5c link]
Plastic was invented in Yonkers in an ancestor of the Instant Pot. [one5c link]
Plastic doesn’t have to come from petroleum—it just does because, right around when the stuff was invented, cars were uncommon, gasoline was a byproduct of kerosene that nobody wanted, and energy companies were trying to find a use for oil. [one5c link]
You can eat strawberry leaves, and they’re good for you. [one5c link]
Americans waste 30 million tons of food each year [one5c link]
Food doesn’t decompose in landfills because there’s not enough oxygen [one5c link]
If you need more facts than that, you are almost certainly overstating your case. If someone does try to debate you…
Don’t feed the trolls
If someone calls your facts into question or tells you you’re overreacting or are full of shit, don’t follow that rabbit down the hole. You’re not going to convert them. Change the subject or comically shove an entire bag of chips in your mouth. Because if there’s one thing that everyone can unite around, it’s chips. Have a happy 4th.
Take care of yourselves—and the rest of us, too
Joe
joe@one5c.com