Connecting the dots of environmentalism and social justice

(From 1/ ’08)
One common theme to my thought processes over the past few months is that environmentalism involves ‘connecting the dots’ so as to re-think, reform, and/or revolutionize virtually every aspect of our lives :

what we eat and how we produce and distribute our food; how we process our food scraps and the substances we excrete from our bodies; what we use for transportation; how we illuminate, heat, and cool our homes and workplaces; what we do with the bodies of people when they die (I want to be composted when the medical students on done with me); and so on.

I start by thinking of the various needs/wants I have (ie food, water, shelter, transportation, physical security, sanitation, community, and so on), and, from there, I then think of how I can attend to those needs or wants in ways that are beneficial, neutral, or less harmful to the environment, and to other people and other sentient beings in general.

An idea from Rousseau comes to mind: do what is good for you with as little harm as possible to others.

Being vegan is one step I’ve taken in terms of meeting my need for food. Walking, bicycling, and using the bus service here in Columbus, so as to drive my car significantly less, is something I am doing to attend to my transportation needs/wants, with less negative environmental impact.

( Sometimes I am not sure whether to use the term ‘wants’ or whether to use the term ‘needs’. Do I need to eat, or do I only want to eat? Sure, I need to eat, sooner or later, to continue to live. But is it the case that I NEED to live or is it the case that I WANT to live? )

So when I go to meetings of environmental groups here in Columbus I bring up the idea of bearing in mind the big picture. For example, I may ask advocates for bicycling about their opinions on renewable energy, and I may ask renewable energy advocates about organic farming and composting, and I may ask local foods advocates about vegetarianism and using waterless toilets.

I attempt to cross-reference various aspects of environmentalism.