My grandpa used to tell me that when the world was young, ten suns reigned across the sky, suffocating the earth. Facing certain death, an archer climbed atop the mountain peak and loaded his bow, shooting down each sun until only one remained. Millenia later, the earth is choking once more––the heat of that final sun ensnared by greenhouse gases.
I think of this often as I look forward to my year abroad.
Did you know that tourism generates 8 percent of global emissions, almost half of which can be traced back to transportation? [1] Although aviation is unavoidable during my travels, I am committed to taking direct daytime flights to reduce emissions while mitigating the warming effects of contrails and cirrus clouds at night. [2] While in London, I plan to take advantage of its walkable and bike-friendly nature (SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities). After all, this is the best way to become familiar with the palm lines of a city.
It’s not a secret that corporations and wealthy governments like Canada and the United Kingdom are primarily responsible for the climate crisis. However, I remain conscious of individual consumption patterns (SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production) as a participant in these structures. Most of my clothes are purchased second-hand to reduce textile waste and because I believe clothing carries memory, I look forward to perusing charity shops [3] during my travels.
Nonetheless, I cannot forget corporate complicity. The way a recycled bottle could not possibly offset the impact of the 100 companies responsible for over 70 percent of the world’s emissions [4] and how sustainable alternatives can be up to 75-85 percent more expensive than the conventional product. [5] With respect to “SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities,” this necessitates broadening the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities [6] to apply not only between countries, but within them as well. Through persistent resource extraction and colonial exploitation, the climate crisis has always been an issue of economy and class. As such, collective action is required to implement effective systemic change (SDG 13: Climate Action), encouraging my plans to volunteer with the London Environmental Network.
I struggle with the knowledge that I cannot simply nock an arrow and aim for the sky; that there is no infallible solution unhindered by time, cost, and global cooperation. However, change, like climate violence, is not necessarily immediate, explosive, nor spectacular [7]. Sometimes, it creeps along, incremental despite our impatience, evolving and consolidating through what we believe to be inconsequential acts of sustainability.
I am no archer and the sun will not fall.
But I’m writing this––committing to it––and today, that might just be enough.
References
[1] https://davidsuzuki.org/living-green/air-travel-climate-change/
[2] https://sustainabletravel.org/issues/carbon-footprint-tourism/
[3] https://www.sustainablejungle.com/charity-shops-london/
[4] https://www.cdp.net/en/press-releases/new-report-shows-just-100-companies-are-source-of-over-70-of-emissions
[5] https://ecoswap.uk/are-sustainable-products-more-expensive/
[6] https://dgap.org/en/research/glossary/climate-foreign-policy/common-differentiated-responsibilities-cbdr
[7] Nixon, Rob. Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor. Harvard University Press, 2013.
