Hypocrite: “a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.”
A recent Edmonton Journal article by Michael Den Tandt, suggested that Archbishop Desmond Tutu wears this label with distinction, because he is one of the jet set types, who rides above the clouds in an ingenious silver winged carbon fuelled scientific wonder.
If we are honest with ourselves, we will discover that we all emanate, in a variety of scents and intensities, the odour of a hypocrite. I smell quite badly when I’m driving my F150 gas guzzling 1998 Ford pickup.
My behaviour however, should be consistent with reducing my ecological footprint (requires five Earths to sustain) and GHG emissions rather than increasing them.
The problem is that I have become addicted to the convenience and privileges provided by my truck. I willingly pay the gasoline suppliers who promote and push their fuel despite the environmental filth this creates.
This addiction and dependency has developed very insidiously over a lifetime of being programmed by a social and economic system directed by market forces of competition and self-interest. Through our intelligence, advances in science, invention and hard work we have gained access to a level of affluence and lifestyle that will be our undoing, if those in the developing world insist on making the same addictive choices as us. Globally, the problem centres on affluence, lack of environmental stewardship and the equitable sharing of resources rather than poverty.
There comes a point, however, through reflection and responsible free choice, when I must admit to my addiction, have the courage to endure the pain of withdrawal and put authentic, cooperative, collective interest above self-interest.
Is it time to give up my Ford F150? For the moment I’ll buy a pair of odour eaters. It’s the easy hypocritical way out and I conveniently rationalize. I don’t like the smell of some of those pontificating self-righteous environmentalists.
Wilf Borgstede, St. Albert
