I feel somewhat similarly but rather than the (reasonable) “fuck off” explanation I don’t mind explaining my reasoning which is that any impactful change will h

I feel somewhat similarly but rather than the (reasonable) “fuck off” explanation I don’t mind explaining my reasoning which is that any impactful change will have to be at a systematic, not personal, level. Remember how plastic recycling turned out to be mostly a lie? [1] I sure do. Now let’s do the cruise ship industry, a pure luxury. A single ship generates more emissions in a day than my estimated lifetime driving mileage [2][3]. So while I am broadly supportive of any and all efforts to improve the future I also acknowledge that no amount of personal sacrifice on my part will matter. Given that, I prioritize my comfort and convenience over any of the low efficacy virtue signaling that certain faction in this discussion seems to demand. In practice, this means that I sometimes throw dirty plastic in the garbage rather than washing it for recycling. It’s not clear that washing would be making effective use of potable water given the vanishingly low chance that my plastic will actually be meaningfully recycled. And I don’t have a grey water system available for that kind of task. I didn’t own a car from about 2011 until 2019 because I was lucky to live in areas that supported that lifestyle choice. I have two now because I have relocated somewhere that requires one and I like having a high capacity utility vehicle available. Does that make me the problem? In comparison to another individual in Ghana, sure, absolutely yes. In comparison to a whole multitude of industries like cruise ships which have been allowed to leave their emissions externalities unregulated and unaccounted for? No, I don’t even show up on that chart. So yes, I will be using my air conditioning to stay comfortable. And yes I am also very, very fucking angry that I am trapped in a system that gives me little opportunity to address the systematic problems I observe around me every day. So, op, I see you out there but don’t be afraid to engage in the discussion and push back on the virtue signaling requests. [1] https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-the-public-into-believing-plastic-would-be-recycled https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-... [2] https://www.geekyexplorer.com/cruise-ship-pollution/ https://www.geekyexplorer.com/cruise-ship-pollution/ [3] https://www.statista.com/chart/amp/18351/emissions-from-cruise-ships-and-cars-in-european-port-cities/ https://www.statista.com/chart/amp/18351/emissions-from-crui...