Right now, a lot of people are trying to be more conscious of their environmental footprint while staying safe at home. But occasionally we make mistakes. We're only human. I've accidentally put soft plastics in my home recycling bin, my housemate once made a vegetarian curry (with chicken), and RuPaul, of the titular RuPaul's Drag Race, recently admitted to fracking on 60,000 acres of land on national radio, while at the same time promoting the latest episode of his show which was focusing on the effects of global warming. Sure, that last example is worse than the others.
We've previously spoken about having hard conversations with friends and family about climate change.
So what do we say to those friends who are already on side, who care about taking climate action and are trying their best… but failing? We all have friends who are really interested in the plastic-free, climate-positive ways we live our lives, who join us at climate marches, but who haven't linked the importance of switching to a bank that doesn't invest in fossil fuels or eating less red meat, to drawing down carbon emissions. So let's see how we could use some of these conversation tips in practice.
What the frack?
In an interview with Terry Gross, RuPaul chatted about the business of running his ranch:
"[Well] a modern ranch, 21st-century ranch, is really land management. It is – you lease the mineral rights to oil companies. And you sell water to oil companies."
As mentioned above, RuPaul said that while also promoting a climate change episode of his tv show. So where do we start a conversation with RuPaul about how fracking and being concerned about climate change don't compliment one another? Well, let's start with an explainer on how certain practices impact the environment - don't assume everyone knows how different practices affect our climate.
Wait, what exactly is fracking?
Let's remind our good friend RuPaul that fracking is a process of drilling deep underground to extract minerals and fossil fuels at a large environmental cost. Drilling companies use a high-pressure water mixture to break open the rocks below and release the gases under deep rock layers. The process uses a lot of water, can contaminate groundwater resources, and has even led to earthquakes. The process also still relies on extracting minerals and fossil fuels out of the earth at a time when our focus should be on renewables.
So, using our conversation guide, why not jump on twitter and send RuPaul some statistics on renewables. Tasmania has pledged to be 100% renewable by 2022, and in Germany renewables now account for over half the power production in the whole country! If we keep the pressure on gently we can get that message across and make our drag queens green again!
All the small things
Ok, so not all your friends are fracking (that's good). But how do you have a tough conversation with the friend who isn't quite getting it on a smaller scale? Let's look at an example that many of us would probably have been seen doing the rounds on our social media feeds.
Many have been celebrating the environmental impacts of the Coronavirus. Maybe one of your friends thinks that the coronavirus has been good for the environment, so if it lasts a little longer, is that even a bad thing? Yep, yep it is. Globally, we've seen dolphins return to the canals of Venice (fake news btw, no dolphins in Venice) and air pollution levels have dropped in large metropolitan cities like Beijing and London. But these are small victories that have come at a very high price. The tweet below from Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner articulates perfectly why celebrating these environmental impacts is complicated.
I'm uncomfortable celebrating the lower emissions, cleaner canals etc cuz that's at the high cost of the lives of elders, sick and disabled folks, the most vulnerable of our societies. Climate action isn't about leaving anybody behind it's about taking everyone with us.
— Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner (@kathykijiner) March 19, 2020
So, the next time a friend posts a photo something that doesn't feel right, talk to them! It's best to keep calm and send them some statistics or great articles that helped you understand an issue. And remember that the longer we have to fight this pandemic, the longer it'll take to get fully back on course for the fight against climate change.
Wait, that was vegan?
Remember at the end of last year, when the whole world only had to worry about Australia being a burning inferno? To take my mind off the catastrophic bushfires in Australia, I decided to play a social experiment with my extended family over the holiday / Christmas break. A recipe for fun! I decided to make dessert for over 23 people on Christmas Day. And yes, I made it vegan. Being the quiet family vegetarian (Grandma was a chicken farmer for 30 years), I served everyone and waited to see if anyone would realise. And surprise, they didn't. Well, not until I told them about 10 minutes after they'd finished eating. Surprisingly, it led to a 30-minute conversation about why I'd gone vegetarian but it was a calmer discussion than I anticipated.
While we're all staying home and helping flatten the curve it can be tough to have these hard conversations. Especially when it's a close friend or family member. Even more so, when it's about the environment. Just remember, the best thing you can do is be honest, be positive, and sometimes, a little creative.
Kill them with kindness. Works a treat.
